For some doctors the wall is not workload but pace. They have built something real, and the system they built it in can no longer move at the speed their thinking requires. Dr. Dheeraj Giri spent 21 years in the NHS, helping shape its AI strategy, before moving to American Hospital Dubai. His full story appears in the original feature on LinkedIn, The Radiologist Who Helped Build the NHS’s AI Future. What follows is why senior radiologists are leaving the NHS, and what changes when they do.
Why Do Senior NHS Radiologists Leave After Two Decades?
Giri was not a bystander to the future of his field. He sat on the Royal College of Radiologists AI committee, worked with the NHS AI Lab, and spoke on a UK Parliament panel on AI in healthcare. As Deputy Medical Director for Artificial Intelligence across a 14-hospital imaging network covering five million people, he procured AI products, validated them clinically, and built the governance frameworks that let a health system adopt new technology without losing patient trust. The limit he hit was not ambition but speed.
“I’d reached the pinnacle of what I could contribute. There were opportunities to grow further, but not at the pace I wanted.”
What Does the NHS Radiology Shortage Look Like?
The wider picture supports the frustration. In 2024 the Royal College of Radiologists reported a 29% shortfall in clinical radiologists, forecast to reach 39% by 2029. The median age of consultants leaving had dropped to 50, from 55 four years earlier.
He Had Four Offers. Why Dubai?
Giri had options in New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and India. He chose Dubai for the infrastructure, the hospitals, and the calibre of colleagues, along with the sense that arriving with two decades of work and a good idea would actually lead somewhere. Many professionals are drawn to the UAE for similar reasons. As a vibrant hub for innovation and business, Abu Dhabi offers a unique environment that fosters growth and collaboration. This makes it an attractive destination for those considering why specialists relocate to Abu Dhabi.
“There is great support. And it offers an opportunity to contribute the knowledge you have gained over decades within a great western health system and bring about rapid transformative changes.” Questions before a Gulf move can significantly impact decision-making processes. Engaging in thorough discussions and gathering insights from diverse perspectives will enhance the overall strategy. Emphasizing the importance of this preparation can lead to more successful outcomes in the new environment.
The hospital was American Hospital Dubai, the first hospital in the Middle East to receive JCI accreditation and the first in the region to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network. Us physicians relocating to Dubai are often drawn by the advanced medical facilities and the opportunity for professional growth. The city’s diverse environment makes it an attractive place for practitioners from various specialties. With a booming healthcare sector, many find that their skills are in high demand.
How Did the DHA Licensing and Move Work?
The licensing and paperwork that usually consume months were handled for him while he was still working in the UK.
“Allocation Assist helped me go through the DHA process, which made it easy because I didn’t have much time to do it myself. The networking they have locally with hospitals, that made the process easy.”
What Changed Once He Arrived?
The difference showed up the first time he put forward an idea. Within months he had cut the radiation dose for cardiac CT by more than half, scan times fell from an hour to thirty minutes, and patient throughput doubled. An AI product for cardiac imaging was identified, validated, procured, and put live. He became Clinical Lead for Informatics within months, then Director of Medical Imaging.
| Cardiac CT metric | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Radiation dose | Standard | Cut by more than half |
| Scan time | About 1 hour | 30 minutes |
| Patient throughput | Baseline | Doubled |
| AI in cardiac imaging | Not in use | Live |
His own summary of why the work moved so fast says the most.
“If you make a good business case that adds value to patient care, it gets done quickly. I can’t imagine that happening the same way within the NHS ecosystem.”
How Far Can AI Actually Go in Radiology?
Most conversations about AI in medicine stop at whether the software can read the scan. Giri finds that question small.
“At this point, where AI has made significant gains is its ability to classify whether there is a particular disease or not. But that’s just a small aspect of the care we provide to the patient.”
He is thinking about the whole pathway: predicting who is likely to miss an appointment, sequences that run in half the time without diagnostic loss, and worklists already sorted so urgent cases sit at the top. The next question for him is the report itself.
“We are talking about identifying biological markers. Adding more value to the report just beyond what we are normally used to in our medical reporting.”
The AI product he procured is already live in cardiac imaging, and he is now running validations that compare AI against AI. On what the environment makes possible, he is direct.
“It allows us to thrive and be able to deliver world standard care within Dubai.”
Thinking About Relocating to Dubai?
Relocating to the UAE is a major step, and it goes far more smoothly with the right team beside you. At Allocation Assist, we help doctors at every point of the process, from reading up in Relocating to Dubai to practical support with our DHA license consultancy. If you would like to talk it through, you can book a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are radiologists leaving the NHS?
Pace and capacity are common reasons. The Royal College of Radiologists reported a 29% shortfall in clinical radiologists in 2024, forecast to reach 39% by 2029, with consultants leaving at a younger median age. Senior radiologists like Dr. Giri also cite the slow speed of adopting new ideas inside the system.
How big is the NHS radiologist shortage?
The Royal College of Radiologists reported a 29% shortfall in clinical radiologists in 2024, projected to reach 39% by 2029. The median age of consultants leaving had fallen to 50, from 55 four years earlier.
What is American Hospital Dubai known for?
American Hospital Dubai was the first hospital in the Middle East to receive JCI accreditation and the first in the region to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network.
How does the DHA licensing process work for doctors moving to Dubai?
The Dubai Health Authority licensing process involves documentation that can take months when handled alone. Dr. Giri worked with Allocation Assist, who managed the DHA process and used local hospital relationships to make it straightforward while he was still working in the UK.
Can a doctor move quickly into a leadership role in Dubai?
It can happen fast when relevant experience is in place. Dr. Giri became Clinical Lead for Informatics within months of arriving and was then appointed Director of Medical Imaging.
What measurable improvements did he make after moving?
Within months he cut cardiac CT radiation dose by more than half, reduced scan times from about an hour to thirty minutes, doubled patient throughput, and brought an AI product into live clinical use in cardiac imaging.
