PREGNANT women and cancer patients could face “life-threatening” delays because of a growing shortage of sonographers, experts have warned.

The Society of Radiographers (SoR) said the vacancy rate for sonographers is 24.2 per cent across England, rising to 38.2 per cent in some areas.

About one in every 13 sonographers are planning to retire within the next year, it found.

Sonographers conduct ultrasound scans, which are essential to pregnancy care and are also used in the diagnosis of cancer.

SoR president Katie Thompson warned that departments struggle to fit in patients who need emergency scans and that training new sonographers “takes quite a while, so increasing numbers can’t be done very quickly.”

“We’re still waiting for the government to publish its NHS workforce plan,” she said.

“They’ve put out their cancer plan but the workforce plan should be integral to that.

“You can’t say that you’re going to invest in all these new scanners and open all these community diagnostic centres unless you’ve thought about the professionals who are going to conduct the scans and provide patient care.”

The Department of Health and Social Care said it “recognises the pressure facing diagnostic services” and is taking action.