Request

“The Scottish Government's DL(2025)25 sets out a sub-national health and care planning programme which includes commitments to seven-day radiology services across NHS Scotland. Effective workforce planning to support that commitment requires a reliable national baseline of the radiography (diagnostic and therapeutic) and sonography workforce.

 For the purposes of this request, sonography includes all ultrasound specialisms: vascular, obstetric, general, and point-of-care ultrasound.

 Request

  1. Whether Public Health Scotland holds a national dataset or compiled record of the radiography (diagnostic and therapeutic) and sonography workforce across NHS Scotland Boards, including any of the following data fields:
  • Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) radiographers by NHS Board, disaggregated by Band and specialty (diagnostic radiography / therapeutic radiography / sonography / ultrasound)
  • Funded establishment figures versus filled posts
  • Vacancy rates and vacancy duration
  • Bank and agency spend on radiography and sonography
  1. If such a dataset or compiled record exists, please provide the most recent version held, including the date it relates to and the source Boards from which the data was drawn.
  1. If no such national dataset exists, please confirm this in writing.
  1. Please advise how sonographers are categorised in any national workforce dataset held by Public Health Scotland — specifically, whether they are recorded under radiography headings, under separate professional categories, or are not consistently captured across Boards.
  1. Please provide details of any national radiography (diagnostic and therapeutic), or sonography workforce report, analysis or projection published or commissioned by Public Health Scotland in the period 1 January 2020 to the date of this request.”

 

Last updated: 26 March 2026