RANZCR Forecasts Significant Radiation Oncology Workforce Shortage in New Zealand

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• The first-ever study using national-level data predicts a large mismatch between the supply of radiation oncologists and the demand for radiation therapy in the coming decades in New Zealand.
• High workload and burnout are prevalent in radiation oncology staff
• RANZCR calls for urgent actions in workforce planning to train, recruit, and retain radiation oncology staff in New Zealand.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR) today forecasts a significant radiation oncology workforce shortfall in New Zealand that will fail to cope with rising cancer diagnoses at a key-note presentation of the New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting 2022.

About 25,000 New Zealanders are diagnosed with cancer each year, which is expected to increase as the population ages. This first-ever study forecasts that New Zealand will need 85 radiation oncologists in 2031 if it maintains the current treatment level while only 69 radiation oncologists are currently practising, and that New Zealand will need 129 radiation oncologists by 2031 if it aims to achieve the level of radiation oncology services comparable to Australia. It also predicts a sharp decrease in the availability of radiation oncologists. Radiation oncologists are under great pressure, working longer clinical hours than ever. Cancer patients are already experiencing significant waiting time and delay for radiation therapy treatment.

Clin A/Prof Sanjay Jeganathan, RANZCR President, said: “RANZCR is responsible for educating and producing world-class radiation oncologists as a leading bi-national specialist medical college. With the rising number of cancer incidences in New Zealand, we will soon find ourselves in a devastating situation where we are not able to provide quality cancer treatment and care if we do not invest to address the radiation oncology workforce shortage now.”

Dr Shaun Costello, RANZCR Fellow and co-author of the study, pointed out: “Trusted workforce models that can be adjusted to account for changing practices and alternative scenarios are a useful tool for workforce planning and have been critical in New Zealand in making the radiation oncology workforce a priority for investment.”

Dr Costello speaks at New Zealand Annual Scientific Meeting 2022 at Copthorne Hotel at 11:15 – 11:45am, Sunday 7 August. Click here to view the full program.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.ranzcr2022.co.nz/

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