The Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Gold Awards for Excellence has awarded a Therapeutic Radiographer for strengthening clinical governance.
Benjamin Roe is a Therapeutic Radiographer and regional director of clinical quality and improvement at NHS England South West. He has been recognised in the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO) Gold Awards, which were developed to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence where a significant, outstanding and exceptional contribution has been made by a member of the Allied Health Profession (AHP) community.
This means they have been consistently leading by example, demonstrating strong NHS values and high levels of commitment and quality throughout their role.
Oversight and improvement
As a registered AHP and Therapeutic Radiographer, Ben’s leadership career spans clinical practice, academia, commissioning, and strategic transformation. He has held senior roles including principal lecturer, deputy chief operating officer and clinical lead for oncology.
He currently serves as clinical quality and improvement regional director at NHS England South West, where his focus is on oversight and improvement across healthcare systems and providers in the South West region.
Ben has jointly led the regional chief nurse portfolio on an interim basis. His executive responsibilities also include neighbourhood health, the Better Care Fund, external freedom to speak up, and national inquiries. He also serves as a member of the National Quality Strategy steering group, and he holds a master of Science degree in Clinical Oncology from the University of Birmingham Medical School.
His research into patient-reported outcome measures for identifying late effects of cancer treatment led to the development of a pioneering late effects service, launched in partnership with Macmillan.
Transformative impact
Nominations spoke of the “transformative impact” Ben has had on the AHP community through his exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, innovative approaches, and unwavering commitment to quality and safety.
By generously and quietly mentoring, coaching, and supporting the senior leaders of the South West, he has bettered the wider executive and AHP senior leadership community, making a lasting difference to services, patients, and colleagues.
Ben also co-produced the AHP Quality and Safety Senior Leadership Development Programme, in collaboration with the National Chief Allied Health Professions Office, NHS Confederation, and NHS Employers.
Since its implementation, the programme’s comprehensive modules have equipped around 60 senior AHP leaders from regional, system, and national teams with the skills and confidence to drive quality and safety initiatives within their areas, creating positive impact and improvements in risk mitigation, reducing health inequalities and improving quality of care.
'Embodying a culture of continuous learning'
Ben said: “My key message to other members is that radiographers have really strong expertise in the quality (safety, experience and outcomes) space, and these skills are very much transferable outside of our usual workplaces.
“With the launch of the national quality strategy due shortly, this is really a great time to show how our profession can impact patient care beyond the radiology and oncology settings."
AHP participation, confidence and abilities are increasingly evident in quality reports, communities of practice and clinical reviews.
His nomination explained: “The impact of Ben’s work is timely and significant, addressing a mission-critical need for strong leadership within the AHP community. Ben’s contributions extend beyond his paid role, voluntarily dedicating his time and expertise to others, embodying a culture of continuous learning and improvement.”
As a testament to his work, Ben has been recognised by peers with an invitation from the SoR to deliver the annual Society and College of Radiographers Welbeck Memorial Lecture at the UK Imaging and Oncology Congress 2025.
There, he highlighted how the skills and attributes earned from oncology and imaging can power a renewed focus on quality across other sectors in health and care through shared learning and leadership.
CAHPO Awards
The full list of recipients for the CAHPO Gold Award for Excellence 2026 can be found below:
- Angela Abbott, Podiatrist
- Ben Roe, Radiographer
- Catherine Kirkpatrick, Consultant sonographer
- Dr Ione de Brito Ashurst, Dietitian
- Julie Dowdney, Orthoptist
- Katie Ellis, AHP support worker
- Nigel Wong, Paramedic
- Sahra Jalali, Physiotherapist
- Taibat Ezike, Dietitian
Find out more about the awards online now.
(Image: Benjamin Roe)