The final day of the UK Imaging and Oncology (UKIO) Congress has now concluded, with attendees hearing about the importance of amplifying and elevating patients’ voices, and the ongoing work to support radiographers.
As the conference came to a close, attendees were treated to sessions on practical skills while also hearing from senior leadership about the SoR’s efforts to make patient voices heard and how radiographers themselves are supported to engage with them.
UKIO took place from Monday, 8 June to Wednesday, 10 June at the Liverpool Experience Campus, for three days of continuing professional development and practice-based content targeted to a multiprofessional audience.
Patient voices
Early on Wednesday morning, attendees could attens the College of Radiographers Patient Voice session, which updated listeners on the refreshed ‘4Ps’ document: The Partnership between Patients, Practitioners and the Public.
Emma Hyde, head of education and research at the Society, led the work to refresh the guidance and spoke during the session on the background, updates, and key takeaways from the refresh.
She explained that a broad range of research papers and patient feedback had gone into the rebuild of the guidance document to ensure that patient voices and experiences were amplified and elevated.
The audience also heard from Trish MacNeill, volunteer and lay expert of the CoR Patient Advisory Group, who shared her experience with breast cancer, and the ways she felt her concerns had been dismissed and her voice minimised in the process of diagnosis.
'Forging our own path'
Attendees could also benefit from a session held by Professor Julie Nightingale, director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research Allied Health Professional (AHP) Workforce Research Partnership and professor of diagnostic imaging education at Sheffield Hallam University, for the third and final eponymous lecture of UKIO, the Stanley Melville Memorial Lecture.
Katie Thompson, current president of the SoR, explained that Dr Stanley Melville was president of the Society from 1923-26, with his inaugural lecture being held in 1937. Stanley was an early radiation pioneer at the Royal Brompton, a founding member of the SoR and the second ever president. During his term, he improved radiation safety and staff protection while formalising radiographer education and training.
Professor Julie’s lecture – '“Save Our Staff”: re-defining radiography through a workforce research lens' – focused on how applied workforce research can provide insight into workforce composition, skill gaps, recruitment and retention.
She explained how efforts to survey and understand workforce shortages had revealed that retention problems were primarily concentrated among Band 5 staff. This was just one example among many of how workforce research had informed her investigations into NHS workforce problems.
“There is a lack of consensus on what the important questions are on AHP workforce research,” she added. “We need to be forging our own path. We know people are burned out, we know why people are burned out – now we need to move to the next stage, what can we do about it?”
Reflecting on day threeCharlotte Beardmore, executive director of professional policy at the SoR, said: “It’s been so busy in the exhibition hall today, with a lot of students in attendance. It’s good to feel that energy. I enjoyed Professor Julie Nightingale's fantastic lecture on AHP workforce data, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the profession will respond.
“The patient voice is so important. Machines are efficient and effective, but we as radiographers, care for people, provide support and inform them on the processes – we still need to take time for patients. We don’t want to lose that. There is so much work ongoing to support the population to have a successful imaging experience; those are all messages we can take forward.”
UKIO President's Awards
Finally, radiographers in attendance gathered in the main hall for the final plenary session: the UKIO President’s Awards.
The winner of the Educator of the Year award, which recognises an individual or team who has delivered, was Melanie Clarkson, Therapeutic Radiographer and senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University. She was recognised for her work on the Diagnostic Enhanced Practice Framework and her work as a lecturer, as she has helped transform career pathways and improve patient care.
The winner of the Sustainability Initiative of the Year was Rob Chuter, principal clinical scientist at the Christie NHS Foundation Trust, who was recognised for his extensive work in sustainability across the past decades.
The winner of the Innovator of the Year Award, which recognises implementation of digital health or technological solutions that improve patient outcomes or operational efficiency, was Dr David Kean, consultant radiologist at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust.
Winner of Industry Leader of the Year was Chris Taylor, sustainability lead for UK and Ireland at Phillips, recognised for his role in advancing research, innovation and education across healthcare.
Finally, the Presidents’ Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Imaging or Oncology was awarded to Dr Sami Khan, consultant radiologist at Mid and South Essex Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for dedicating their career to improving patient outcomes and for providing extensive, exemplary education to thousands of learners via his teaching platform, Dr Khan’s Teachings.
Professor Shah Islam also presented funding awards of £5,000 each to the winners of the ‘Pitch your Project’ scheme, including:
- Elise From, research radiographer at Manchester Metropolitan Institute of Sport, for advancing incidental findings and contrast governance in MRI
- Sarah O’Hare, clinical site specialist radiographer in GI cancers, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, for her project 'Service improvement project to improve bladder filling for patients with rectal cancer receiving radiotherapy'
- Denise Gill, radiographer from University Hospitals of Leicester, for her project to upskill sonographers in diagnosing and undertaking first-line treatment of developmental dysplasia of the hip
He also presented the winners of the ePoster prizes, including:
- Best ePoster prize: Marc Goldfinger, head of Clinical Science at Zedsen Ltd., and Chidi Ollawa, sonographer at North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust, joint winners for their respective posters
- People’s ePoster prize: Claire Currie, senior lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University
UKIO has now come to a close, but you can find out more about the conference, and access the full programme, online here.
(Image: Ross McGhee (L) and Elise From (R), at the UKIO President's Awards, by Eva Slusarek)