NHS staff shortages are so acute that an Oxfordshire hospital plans to take on school leavers to ease the pressure.

The Churchill Hospital in Oxford has asked if it can take on unqualified teenagers to work in its radiography department.

The new recruits would help senior staff by doing non-technical tasks while the hospital pays for them to train as radiographers.

If given the go-ahead, the hospital would be the first in the country to use such recruitment methods.

We wanted to look at more imaginative ways of getting more people in

Hospital spokeswoman

Cancer patients are currently waiting for up to eight weeks for radiotherapy due to a lack of radiographers. Seven of the hospital's 32 positions are still vacant.

The hospital deals with about 3,000 patients a year from all over the South East.

It wants to launch a day-release course for unqualified recruits.

Future plans

They would then study for NVQs to become assistant practitioners in radiography, followed by training to degree level while working part-time at the hospital.

The hospital wants to plan ahead as it estimates it will need another 20 radiographers when the new Oxford Cancer Centre opens in 2006.

A hospital spokeswoman said the plan was in its early stages.

"It's still in the pipeline, but we wanted to look at more imaginative and different ways of getting more people in."