Members of the SoR gather at the London Novotel West hotel in Hammersmith for day one of the Annual Delegates Conference on Tuesday, 28 April.
With more than 40 motions debated on the opening day of the conference, delegates discussed some of the key topics from across the radiography profession, ranging from civility to diversity and presidential terms.
The Annual Delegates Conference (ADC) is a yearly SoR conference that allows members to raise subjects for debate that will influence the SoR UK Council’s priorities, bringing together members, including regional representatives, regional and national officers and UK Council. It allows members to put forward motions for consideration by delegates, with carried motions being actioned over the following year by the Council.
Each Regional Committee and National Council sends elected delegates to ADC. The SoR equality network Equalise and the UK Council of the Society of Radiographers may also submit motions for debate.
Opening the conference
Tuesday marked the official opening of the conference by Susann McCracken, vice president of the SoR and chair of this year’s conference, Richard Evans, CEO of the SoR, and Marie Lloyd, regional officer for the North West.
Charlotte Beardmore, executive director of professional policy at the SoR, was glad to see members so engaged in the democratic process.
She said: "ADC is fantastic as ever. The energy and passion in the room is incredible. It was concerning to hear so many motions related to incivility - but it reflects the SoR's ambitions to introduce a campaign relating to this topic later this year. It's good to know that delegates' priorities are resonating with our own.
"There's a very collegiate feel in the room, and everyone is very respectful of the speakers. It's also be good to see the spread of diversity in our delegates, and that everyone is so sngaged in debate."
Katie Thompson, president of the SoR, then took to the stage to greet delegates.
She said: “This event has been a highlight of my time at the SoR – getting to meet radiographers from every region. I was absolutely petrified of speaking at my first ADC. But ADC is a place for new friends and connections.
“How do we get others that are not engaged to engage? Tell your colleagues why they should attend next year. Write an idea for a potential motion for next year, a reflection for what you have learned. A union is strong when we work together, stand together, and fight together. Be confident, be passionate, be bold, and above all be respectful.”
Attendees also received an update on the Membership Engagement and TUED report by Dean Rogers, executive director of industrial strategy at the SoR. He shared headline figures around activity in the SoR, including that last year saw a nine per cent growth in roles covered by reps, 167 new accredited reps, and the fact that the Society now has one rep for every 28 members.
Guest speaker Sarah Woolnough, CEO of the King’s Fund, followed on stage, exploring major themes gleaned from surveys of NHS staff members, including high levels of stress and burnout, racism and bullying in the workplace, financial challenges, and why productivity is still struggling to match demand.
She spoke on the challenge of ‘knitting together’ the national strategies put out by the government, and the need for a relentless focus on implementation and delivery.
A review of motions
Day one saw a total of 40 motions debated, ranging from discussions around civility in healthcare to procedural details relating to ADC and the organising Delegates Conference Committee (DCC).
Motion 3, put forward by delegates from the Northern Region, raised the issue of union membership in the private sector. The motion called on the SoR’s UK Council to consider how it can better support members working in the independent sector to achieve Society of Radiographers recognition in their workplaces, and to promote the benefits this recognition brings to members, employers and patient care. This motion was carried.
Amongst the most hotly debated motions was Motion 4, relating to assistant practitioners.
Members from the Northwest region put forward Motion 4, explaining that the scope of practice for assistant practitioners varies widely between services despite equivalent pay banding. This risks inequity and unfairness in role expectation and reward, delegates argued, and they asked for nationally consistent guidance. This motion was carried.
Emergency Motion 1 was proposed by a delegate from Wales, and suggested a review of the guidance around how motions are accepted or rejected by DCC, as well as proposing to develop a clearer feedback process for those submitting motions.
Various delegates spoke up both in support and opposition to this motion, emphasising that expanding the guidance would reduce the committee’s flexibility and attesting that enforcing stronger guidelines falls outside UK Council’s remit. This motion was carried.
Neurodiversity was a key theme that ran through the motions debated on day one. Motion 14, put forward by the Northern Ireland delegation, called for UK Council to ensure that previous recommendations on neurodivergence training in the workplace were being properly implemented in Northern Ireland. This motion was carried.
Diversity also formed a key topic during the opening day of the conference. Motion 16, raised by UK Council, sought the support of the conference for the development of guidance and resources for members on navigating conversations involving migration, countering misinformation and upholding professional standards. This motion was carried.
Motion 31, moved by delegates from the London region, called for a review of the length of term served by each president of the SoR.
Following their election, SoR presidents follow a four-year presidential cycle: spending a year as vice president, followed by a year as president-elect, one year as president, and then a year as immediate past president.
Motion 31 called for UK Council to review the current presidential cycle and consider implementing two-year presidential terms. The vote was close and resulted in a formal count, but the motion fell with 156 votes for and 168 votes against.
ADC 2026
There were 353 delegates attending the conference in person, with a further 453 registering for virtual attendance.
This year, new delegates made up more than a third of the total delegation. Over 100 motions were proposed, and 71 were approved by the Delegates Conference Committee for consideration across the two days, with an additional three emergency motions being added to the agenda in the morning.
ADC 2026 continues with the remaining motions on Wednesday, 29 April. Find out more about the Annual Delegates Conference 2026 online here.
(Image: Attendees at the Annual Delegates' Conference 2026, by Eva Slusarek)