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The recent turmoil within the banking sector has led to the development of the most significant recession since the ''great depression'' of the 1930s. Although the coalition government has promised to ''guarantee that health spending increases in real terms in each year of Parliament'', this may still not be enough to meet future needs over the coming years due to increasing demand and cost pressures. The expected mismatch between actual National Health Service (NHS) funding post-2011 and that required to satisfy increasing demand has been estimated by the Department of Health to require efficiency savings representing up to one-fifth of the overall NHS budget. This paper explains the reasons behind the anticipated slowdown in the growth of real NHS funding, and how, as a discipline, radiology can increase the efficiency of the services it provides in anticipation of future financial austerity within the NHS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]