The joint response of the Society of Radiographers and the College of Radiographers to the Final Report of the Independent Inquiry into care provided by Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust

The Society and the College of Radiographers has used the publication of the Francis Report to examine whether there are lessons for our organisation and the radiography profession and workforce. We are mindful that, while no radiographers came under scrutiny in the public inquiry, their work may well have brought them into contact with patients experiencing dreadful standards of care. We followed the inquiry while it was on-going and have looked carefully at the subsequent report and recommendations. The inquiry informed some of our work last year, with the report and recommendations influencing work undertaken in 2013 as well as informing work to be undertaken in 2014. Undoubtedly, too, the inquiry, report and recommendations will resonate within our work well beyond 2014.

At the end of our detailed consideration of the report and recommendations, we believe we have a much stronger Code of Professional Conduct with clearly reinforced expectations about values and behaviours, and a range of support, guidance and tools available (or available shortly) to the profession and workforce to help them to ensure that patients are truly and meaningfully at the centre of their work. We are also clear that our function as a professional and a representative body enables us to support our profession and members in delivering excellent, safe and compassionate patient care.