To ask the Minister of Health to detail (i) any measures his Department is taking to address current and future workforce shortages within imaging services; and (ii) any funding he will make available to update obsolete equipment to ensure the rising demand for services can be met.

My Department has already made significant investment to grow the imaging workforce. Commissioned Radiology medical specialty training places have expanded from a baseline of 37 (2015/16) to 55 (2024/25), an increase of 48.6%. Consideration is also being given to a further increase to 56 places for 2025/26. Training places commissioned for pre-registration Diagnostic Radiography have also expanded. A total of 94 places have been commissioned for 2025/26, an increase of 38.2% on the baseline of 68 in 2019/20. In addition, it is intended that a pilot demonstrator public apprenticeship programme in Diagnostic Radiography, with a maximum of 12 participants, will commence in January 2026. However, lack of available funding meant that my Department has been unable to develop the clinical radiology and diagnostic workforce as we would have wished. A business case is being developed for a multi-professional Northern Ireland Imaging Academy which aims to significantly increase the supply of locally trained consultant radiologists and advanced radiographer practitioners. While this is a priority area for my Department, progress remains subject to business case approval and the identification of additional recurrent funding.

Regarding equipment, the Regional Medical Imaging Board monitors the use, configuration and age of all imaging equipment across the entire Health and Social Care system and has developed a schedule for prioritising the replacement of equipment and the procurement of additional equipment in line with population needs and available budget.