UK Council

Ross is the 85th President of the SoR Presidential Team. Graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2009, Ross took up post at the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre where he was elected health and safety representative for the Society. He is currently a senior radiographer at the Lanarkshire Beatson satellite centre employed by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde. Ross conducted research into workplace stress and became embedded in negotiations at senior levels. This saw him elected as national health & safety representative to Scottish Council. After a three year term he took up the seat of national equality representative and he has acted as vice-chair. He is also a past chairperson of the Delegate Conference Committee and the Health & Safety Forum.

After completing a degree in Accountancy & Finance and 2 years spent crunching numbers, Dave came late to Radiography. After some personal motivation and a chance reading of an advert in a local paper, Dave studied Radiotherapy & Oncology at Liverpool University and trained at the Royal Preston Hospital. Having been a student rep on two occasions, taking up the role of IR rep seemed a natural step. Dave was IR rep at the Royal Surrey Hospital, before moving to the Midlands and continuing the role at the Royal Derby Hospital where he is now a Treatment Team Leader. When the UK council role became vacant Dave was elected as member for the Midlands and was elected Vice President in 2021. He is now the President Elect.

Qualified as a diagnostic radiographer, Tom has worked in multiple modalities including CT, MRI and projectional radiography. Currently, Tom is the lead clinical educator at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals, working alongside the undergraduate radiographer programme at Cumbria University. Tom is a certified industrial relations representative, as well as being a union learning rep, and he has successfully supported members through a range of consultations, service redesigns and improvements; work that led to him winning the SoR UK Rep of the Year award in 2018. Known for a passion to patient centred working, Tom is an advocate for radiographer professional development and AHP workforce collaborations.

Claire is currently the Immediate Past President and Chair of the Society and a Scotland representative to UK Council. She is a diagnostic radiographer with 13 years’ experience. Claire says, “Although not a native Scot, my broad Yorkshire accent gives that away, but I am proud to represent Scottish members.” She has worked in CT and MRI but the majority of Claire’s career has been spent in general radiography, a speciality of which she is a passionate advocate. She is a principle radiographer, helping to deliver the radiology service across four rural community departments. Claire has been involved with the SoR in many roles, both in Scotland and UK-wide. She says, “I am extremely proud to be a radiographer and it is this that drives me to be a good representative on UK Council.”

After being the Immediate Past President and Chair of UK Council, Chris has now returned to his duties as a Wales Representative. Chris is a DCR(R) qualified diagnostic radiographer with more than 37 years’ service in the NHS. He has served as a professional head of radiography and as an imaging manager for nearly 20 years. He has managed many Radiographic clinical modalities, including Nuclear Medicine, CT, and Interventional Radiography. Chris has served on many strategic national committees in Wales, such as Medical Imaging Sub-committee and has twice chaired Welsh Radiology Managers Committee. He has recently retired from the NHS and last worked on Imaging Workforce and Education for the NHS Collaborative Strategic Imaging Programme in Wales. Chris feels we need to take advantage of all opportunities such as Artificial intelligence and Advanced Practice. He feels that Imaging managers need to be visible and inspire our radiographic leaders of the future to promote our profession, whilst we provide excellent care for our patients.

Mark, a member of the SoR since qualification in 1988, has worked many departments, from small DGHs to large Teaching Hospitals. Starting out as a basic grade Radiographer progressing to become a radiology service manager, he is now back on the shop floor as a senior Radiographer. A member of Welsh Council since 2007, he has attended many Annual Delegate Conferences and was chair of delegate conference committee in 2015. He believes in Radiographer development and feels that by ensuring staff are up-skilled, the impact that shortfalls in numbers can be minimised. Bronglais Hospital (where Mark has worked for the last 16 years) was the first site in Wales to introduce band 5/6 link grade. Today’s Radiographers are subjected to ever increasing workload demands that are becoming more administrative in nature. He strives to ensure Radiography remains a caring and principled profession. Mark has been a member of the Coastguard as a Search and Rescue Officer since 2011, helping rescue people in need and searching for missing persons. He has been involved in dealing with pollution and unexploded bombs.

Gill is the Northern Ireland Representative for the UK Council. "I have been a member of the Society of Radiographers since qualifying in 1988 from the Middlesex & University College Hospitals School of Radiotherapy, London where I worked for a brief time before moving to Northern Ireland to work and have been an active member on the Northern Ireland Council 2000. I am passionate that radiographers should being recognised for the amazing skill sets that we have and the fabulous work we do ensuring that patients receive the most advanced care and treatment that we can provide in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring pathways. Student training is the lifeblood of our profession and our organisation and we need to invest ourselves into ensuring that the training our students receive on placement develops them and encourages them to be the best they possibly can be. I am proud to call myself a radiographer."

After working many years in corporate hospitality, Vas started training as a diagnostic radiographer in 2009 with the assistance of the NHS bursary. He trained and worked at King's College Hospital as a rotational radiographer in plain film, cardiac, CT and angiography. In 2013 Vas became the industrial relations rep in the department, a role he carried out until July 2018 when he was elected UK Council member for London. Vas says being a rep is a rewarding and fulfilling role.

CT lead radiographer working in Horton hospital Banbury which is part of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. I have been an industrial relation rep for the last 15 years. I am privileged to serve as the Southeast Council Member. I have been involved with the South-East region of the Society of Radiographers since being a first year radiography student. In the past I have been vice chair of staff side which gave me lots experience dealing with policies and negotiations as well as engaging with other unions and management. I've also been involved with The British Society for the History of Radiology for many years and I am very keen to have the work of our profession recognised and remembered for posterity. I have a keen interest in how people with neurodivergent disabilities are treated in society and in partial the work place as I am severely dyslexic myself. As a band 7 in a DGH I understand the challenges faced by the members of the SoR every day as I face them myself. I have always enjoyed serving my colleagues and the SCoR to the best of my abilities.

Sarah qualified as a diagnostic radiographer in 2003 and has spent the vast majority of her career in the Northern region, with a brief stint down in Yorkshire. Sarah is currently the CT Modality Lead radiographer at South Tyneside & Sunderland NHS Trust, however she also has a background as an advanced practitioner specialising in lower GI and pelvic floor imaging; and CT Colonography. Sarah has previously been accredited as an industrial relations representative and health & safety representative for the SOR.

Rachel is a qualified Radiographer and Sonographer with over 30 years’ experience. During those 30 years she has seen and been involved with many changes in the profession with the introduction of digital technology and Radiographers advanced practice. Rachel is passionate about the profession and positive about looking at ways the profession could evolve to provide a modern patient centred service. Never wishing to shy away from debate on issues she enjoys speaking at conferences to promote the profession and has had the privilege to do so several times. She looks forward to representing members of the Eastern region on UK Council.

Term of office to July 2022.

Members of UK Council are elected from the 11 regions/countries of the UK by the regional membership. The initial term of office is three years with the possibility of standing for re-election at the end of that term.

Helen is a qualified diagnostic radiographer with 11 years’ experience in CT. She currently works as an assistant professor at the University of Bradford teaching at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and has research interests with patient safety and human factors. Helen also holds an honorary contract with the Mid Yorkshire Trust where she still works as a CT radiographer.