Arthur Kay radiotherapy award
In April 2009, the Society launched the Arthur Kay Radiotherapy Award. The fund supports an annual award to an appropriately qualified and experienced therapeutic radiographer who wishes to travel to learn new and innovative techniques in therapeutic radiography. The fund will enable successful applicants to spend time studying innovations in technology and practice at a leading world class cancer institution(s).
A key condition of the award is that the successful individual returns to the UK with their learning, and implements and disseminates this into practice for the benefits of NHS patients, their families and carers. Employer support to enable this is a pre-requisite for an application. In addition, successful applicants and their institutions must be willing and able to demonstrate dissemination of the new techniques and technologies to other radiotherapy units in the UK.
Successful applicants also agree to prepare an article for publication in Synergy: Imaging and Therapy Practice on their experience; and to give an address on their experience at the College's Annual Radiotherapy Conference or an equivalent event.
Applications for funding to the value of £5000 will be considered although, for exceptional applications, more may be available to an absolute maximum of £10,000.
There are two application deadlines each calendar year. The dates for 2012 are 28 March and 30 September.
The first award for funding was made to Kate Burton, consultant therapy radiographer practitioner in neuro-oncology at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Keen to learn about the theory and practice of proton and heavy ion therapy, Kate travelled to Switzerland to attend a five-day ESTRO teaching course in Zurich, followed by observations of clinical practice at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Villigen, a busy proton facility.
Kate describes her Swiss experience as “interesting, exciting, thought provoking and hard work”.
She felt more in-depth knowledge would allow her to better support patients referred abroad for proton therapy. She was also certain that for the introduction of proton therapy to succeed in the UK, radiographers would need to be involved in the development and implementation.
Since her return, Kate has run teaching sessions in her department to raise awareness of proton therapy, taken part in an online journal for Sheffield Hallam University debating its use in lung tumours and was invited to join the Radiotherapy Advisory Group.
The Arthur Kay Radiotherapy Award not only afforded Kate with the funds to pursue an area of interest, but also provided “a personal opportunity to grow in self confidence and belief.”
Click here to read a report of Kate's experience.
To complete an online application form, click here.