The Beatson Oncology Centre hit the headlines in 2001

Professor Alan Rodger praised the facilities at the troubled Beatson Oncology Centre in Glasgow.

But he said cancer centres across the UK and throughout the world could not recruit and retain enough radiographers and clinical oncologists.

Prof Rodger has spent the last 10 years working in Australia as a breast cancer specialist and hospital director.

He said: "The radiographer crisis in New South Wales is terrible. There are nine machines not working in Sydney alone because of lack of radiographers.

Impossible workload

"In Canada they are throwing money at people to go and work there otherwise patients are having to be sent to America for treatment from places like Toronto and Vancouver."

The Beatson was once the jewel in the crown of cancer care in Scotland.

However, it hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in the winter of 2001.

Four senior cancer specialists resigned in quick succession, blaming their decision on an impossible workload and poor management.

An expert advisory group recommended root and branch reforms, including the appointment of a cancer specialist as a medical director.

Prof Rodger will find that many changes are already under way as he begins work on Monday.

But the Beatson is still short of radiographers and senior specialists.

Prof Alan Rodger worked in Australia

Attracting them will be Professor Rodger's biggest challenge.

He said: "It is not just in Beatson, it is all across the UK.

"Every centre in the UK has trouble recruiting and retaining radiographers and clinical oncologists. "

"We are working on it. We want to recruit and retain our radiographers, make the job interesting for them, so they want to continue working with us.

"It will take time but we will get the staff I am sure."

Prof Rodger told BBC Radio Scotland that there had already been an "enormous change" at the centre as a result of the crisis.

Some services have already moved to state-of-the-art facilities at the city's Gartnavel Hospital.

'Huge investment'

This will eventually be the site of a new West of Scotland Cancer Centre in 2006.

Prof Rodger said there had been a "huge investment" which had resulted in 40 to 50 more nurses than there were one year ago.

He also praised the new facilities at Gartnavel.

"The Tom Weldon building is a superb state-of-the-art radiotherapy centre.