Winners have been announced in UK Council elections for the Spring ballot for the Midlands and Northern Ireland regions.
Candidates standing in these elections faced stiff competition for the position on UK Council, with no candidate going unopposed.
All full members of the Society are eligible to stand for election, and upon election stand for three years. The UK Council of the SoR serves as the Board of Directors and the governing Executive Committee for all its activities.
Ensuring the radiography voice is heard
UK Council members have a series of legal duties, including:
- Representing and promoting agreed policies
- Representing the trades union and professional interests of all Society members
- Developing and promoting the advancement of the radiography profession and the wider radiographic workforce
- Undertaking campaign work as required
- Encouraging recruitment of members in the Countries and Region(s)
- Attending and speaking at national and international conferences, events and meetings
In this year’s Spring Ballot elections for the Midlands region, Diagnostic Radiographer Joanna McMath emerged victorious, winning with 224 votes against the other two candidates’ 171 and 52 votes, respectively.
Joanna began training as a Diagnostic Radiographer at Birmingham School of Radiography in 1995, and subsequently gained extensive experience within plain film imaging at the Midland’s leading trauma centre, Selly Oak Hospital, before moving to Walsall Manor Hospital and training in ultrasound. She has now moved to Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals after spending years consolidating her practice. She now practices as a sonographer with a special interest in paediatrics.
She said: “I love involving [kids] in their scan, helping them to understand what they are experiencing and encouraging them to learn what a fantastic thing it is to be a radiographer.
“I have seen many changes to the profession during my 30 years (eep!) tenure and have strived to ensure the radiography voice was heard in the wider healthcare community, working as one of the early Screening Support Sonographers with the local health board to introduce new patient pathways to improve the patient experience and workflow.”
She has been an Industrial Relations representative for the last 10 years, and is an active member of the Midlands Regional Committee, where she stands as Equality Lead. She is also vice chair of her local staff side committee, and has been part of the Ultrasound Advisory Group.
Creating an inclusive culture
In this year’s Spring Ballot elections for the Northern Ireland region, meanwhile, Mark Cadden has been chosen to stand as UK Council member with 75 votes against 53.
He said: “I am committed to advocating for radiographers, raising the profile of our profession, and supporting high professional standards across radiology. I want to help create an inclusive culture where radiographers feel heard at a national level and are empowered to continue delivering equitable, safe, high-quality and person-centred care.
“I am passionate about workforce development, quality improvement and ensuring radiographers continue to shape the future of healthcare. I would be proud to contribute my experience, energy and commitment to supporting the Society of Radiographers and representing members across the profession.”
Mark has worked as a Radiographer since 2009 across a wide range of roles, including site lead superintendent, Quality Standard for Imaging lead, specialist radiographer in a teaching hospital, and interim Governance, Training and Service Improvement lead.
He added: “These roles have given me strong operational and strategic insight into service delivery, workforce challenges, governance, and the importance of supporting staff to provide compassionate, inclusive and high-quality care.”
Find out more about the Spring ballot elections online here, and more about the SoR’s UK Council here.
(Image: Joanna McMath (L) and Mark Cadden (R))