The NHS trust, which manages Worcestershire Royal Hospital in Worcester, paid nearly £2 million in compensation over five years, the data shows.
Data obtained by Medical Negligence Assist shows that since 2020, the trust has settled dozens of claims linked to mistakes in diagnostic imaging, including X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasounds.
Radiology plays a central role in modern healthcare, with millions of scans performed across the NHS each year. While the vast majority are performed accurately, errors at this stage can have serious consequences, including missed or delayed diagnoses, incorrect treatment, and avoidable harm to patients.
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, 27 radiology-related negligence claims were brought against Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust. The highest number was recorded in 2022/23, when 12 claims were lodged.
Nationally, concerns about radiology safety have been mounting. NHS reviews and reports from the Royal College of Radiologists have repeatedly warned that workforce shortages, rising demand and growing backlogs are placing diagnostic services under intense strain, increasing the risk of avoidable mistakes.
Radiology errors can occur for a number of reasons, including human error, insufficient supervision, outdated equipment or system failures.
Compensation figures show that Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust paid out a total of £1,846,002 over the five-year period, with the largest annual sum paid in 2023/24, reaching £675,394.
Figures from NHS Resolution show that since 2020, 2,163 radiology negligence claims have been made against NHS trusts across England. Of these, 1,520 were settled, with compensation payments totalling £231,680,410.
Claims related to radiology errors have involved a wide range of injuries, including missed cancers and, in some cases, fatalities.
However, the most frequently cited injury across claims was unnecessary pain, accounting for 261 cases over the past five years.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “While any incident as a result of an error or poor care is sincerely regrettable and goes against our aim to provide the best and safest care possible for our patients, we have seen a significant reduction in the number of radiology incidents resulting in only one claim over the last six years.
“Damages awarded in clinical negligence claims are paid by NHS Resolution – the health service’s insurance arm – on behalf of the trust.
“Payments made during any given period often relate to historical cases – and in this instance relate to incidents over a 12-year period up to 2019.
“The Trust is committed to the thorough investigation, and swift resolution, of clinical claims. In addition, any risks identified by such claims are incorporated into the patient safety processes within the Trust with the overall aim of reducing the chance of recurrence of such incidents.”