Australia’s diagnostic imaging demand is not easing. The latest AIHW diagnostic services update shows that Medicare-subsidised imaging has grown over the past decade, which should put workforce planning firmly back on the agenda for radiology teams, employers and health system leaders.
The useful question is not simply whether there are more scans. It is where the pressure lands, who carries it, and whether the surrounding workflow is strong enough to protect access, quality and clinical sustainability.
The headline numbers point to sustained pressure
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 10.8 million Australians received at least one Medicare-subsidised diagnostic imaging service in 2024-25. That represented 39.7% of the population. The same update reports 32.2 million Medicare-subsidised diagnostic imaging services in 2024-25, compared with 23.9 million in 2014-15.
Those figures cover X-ray, CT, ultrasound, MRI and nuclear medicine services subsidised through the Medicare Benefits Schedule. They do not capture every imaging service. Public hospital activity, Department of Veterans’ Affairs services and some third-party arrangements sit outside the dataset. Even so, the trend is clear enough to matter.
Volume is only one part of the planning picture
A national total can make growth look orderly. Inside a service, it rarely feels that simple. One practice may feel the pressure through ultrasound availability. Another may see MRI wait times lengthen. A regional service may struggle with leave cover or after-hours CT. A reporting group may find a small number of radiologists carrying a disproportionate share of complex work.
That is why the scan count should be treated as the start of the conversation. Workforce planning also needs to examine modality mix, reporting distribution, referral pathways, protocoling, communication, follow-up and the administrative load that sits around clinical work.
Patient cost and access belong in the same discussion
AIHW’s update also points to the patient side of the equation. In 2024-25, total spending on Medicare-subsidised diagnostic imaging services was reported at $6.4 billion. For people who incurred out-of-pocket costs, diagnostic imaging had the highest average annual patient cost among the diagnostic service groups reported.
For radiology employers and health leaders, this is not only a billing issue. Cost, access and timing shape whether patients can move through a diagnostic pathway without delay. If demand rises while appointments, reporting or follow-up become harder to access, the pressure eventually shows up in patient experience and clinical decision-making.
Workforce planning is service design
The strongest workforce plans do not treat recruitment as a separate activity from service design. They ask practical questions: Which modality is under the most strain? Where are turnaround times slipping? How resilient is the roster when key clinicians are away? Are reporting loads sustainable? Are teleradiology, AI tools and local staffing decisions being planned together?
This matters for radiologists as well as employers. Sustainable work is not created by adding volume to an already stretched system. It is created by designing roles, workflows and clinical support in a way that allows good people to do good work over time.
Looking ahead to the end of the year
With the RANZCR 2026 Annual Scientific Meeting scheduled for 22-24 October in Christchurch, August is a useful time to reset the workforce conversation before the spring conference period. The theme of working better together fits the reality facing radiology and radiation oncology: access, quality, technology and workforce cannot be solved in isolation.
For GCG’s audience, the takeaway is straightforward. Rising imaging demand should not trigger reactive hiring alone. It should prompt a clearer look at where demand is landing, what work is hidden around the scan, and how services can be designed so clinicians and patients are both supported. If you would like guidance on radiology workforce planning, recruitment or role design, get in touch with the GCG team.
