Apollo Hospitals, RCR, HEE to address shortage of skilled radiologists in India and the UK

As part of the collaboration, eligible Indian radiologists will work and train in the NHS partner hospitals for a three year period

The Apollo Hospitals Group announced its collaboration with the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR), UK to help address the shortage of skilled radiologists in the NAtional Health Service (NHS) and the Indian health system. Through the partnership, Apollo Radiology International (ARI), a specialty division of the Group, will provide opportunities to Indian radiologists to work for fixed terms in the UK. These jobs will help in providing experience and exposure to contemporary clinical developments in the field of radiology. The partnership envisages to help address the shortage of skilled radiologists in the UK NHS system.

As part of the collaboration, eligible Indian radiologists will work and train in the NHS partner hospitals for a three year period. The jobs will involve providing a general radiology service to the UK hospital and at the same time getting subspecialty training in their area of interest. At the end of the three year period the Radiologists will come back to India and exercise their enhanced skills for the benefit of Indian patients and improve the quality and delivery of health services.

The leadership of the RCR and Health Education England (HEE), which provides national leadership and coordination for the education and training for the health workforce in the UK, agreed the collaboration with the Apollo Group during their visit to India.

Speaking on the collaboration, Sangita Reddy, Joint MD, Apollo Hospitals Group said, “We are delighted to have partnered with the Royal College of Radiologists and Health Education England to enhance multi-fold the availability of trained radiologists in the NHS and Indian health system. The need rapidly to up-skill and train radiologists is of immense importance, given the need for the specialty in the prevention and management of diseases, quaternary care and surgical interventions. This partnership builds on the legacy of collaboration between Apollo and the NHS, and we are confident that this engagement will help address the critical shortage of a skilled radiology workforce in India and the UK.”

Dr Nicola Strickland, President of the RCR said, “This partnership will ensure that Indian radiologists get an opportunity to enhance their skills through exposure to the NHS system. Not only will this be beneficial to help address the shortages in the NHS, it will also strengthen the Indian health delivery system, when these trained radiologists return to work in India after their three year engagement. We look forward to strengthening this partnership in the years ahead.”