RADIOLOGY mistakes have cost Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust more than £500,000 according to new figures.

Data obtained by Medical Negligence Assist shows the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust has paid out more than £500,000 in compensation since 2020 to patients who brought claims linked to radiology mistakes.

Over the past decade, the number of settled claims for radiology negligence has risen by 30 per cent, making radiology one of the fastest-growing clinical negligence specialities.

Each year, NHS trusts carry out millions of diagnostic scans, including X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds. While most are performed accurately, failures at this critical stage can result in missed or delayed diagnoses, incorrect treatment decisions and avoidable patient harm.

Sophie Cope, medical negligence solicitor for JF Law, said: “Radiology is a key part of modern healthcare and includes diagnostic tests such as X-rays, MRI scans, CT scans and ultrasounds. These tools are a vital step in identifying a patient's condition and ensuring they receive the appropriate treatment.

“When something goes wrong at this stage, whether a scan is carried out to a poor standard, misinterpreted, delayed, or never carried out in the first place, the impact on a patient’s health can be profound.”

Between 2020 and 2025, 28 radiology-related claims were lodged against Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust. Of these, 11 cases were settled, with the highest number of claims recorded in 2023/24, when nine claims were made.

Radiology mistakes can arise for several reasons, including human error, insufficient oversight, outdated equipment and high workloads.

These incidents are usually categorised as diagnostic errors, among the most serious patient safety issues due to their direct effect on prognosis and treatment outcomes.

Further figures from Medical Negligence Assist show that Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust paid a total of £543,689 in compensation for radiology-related claims over the past five years.

However, payouts peaked when the trust paid £342,244 in settlements across the 2024/25 period, the highest annual payout across the five years.

The trust’s experience reflects a broader national picture. Data from NHS Resolution shows that 2,163 radiology negligence claims have been brought against NHS trusts across the UK since 2020. Of these, 1,520 claims were settled, with total compensation payments exceeding £233-million.

Sophie Cope added: “Radiology errors can often lead to missed fractures, undiagnosed cancers or serious conditions being mistaken for something minor and these mistakes can have life-changing consequences.

“Some errors may result in additional pain and suffering, prolonged illness, the need for more invasive treatment or prolonged recovery, and other errors can be catastrophic.

“Many of these errors are avoidable. When a patient is harmed because standards have fallen short, they have every right to question what went wrong. If someone suspects a radiology error has caused them harm, it’s vital they seek legal advice both to ensure lessons are learned and also to allow them access to compensation intended to help them rebuild their life.”