UK Council has welcomed Tom Beaumont as its new member for the South West Region. Tom, who qualified in 2003 and works at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital (RBH) in Dorset, is the lead emergency department radiographer and has experience in general x-ray, ultrasound, PACS administration and plain film reporting.
Speaking about why he decided to become a member of the SCoR’s UK Council, Tom said: “The attraction to the Council role was the opportunity to represent and promote our profession at a national level and to get more involved with SoR activity in the region. I also hope to develop new skills in leadership and strategic thinking.”
Tom attended his first Council meeting in September and was struck by the broad range of issues and projects the SCoR works on, on behalf of the profession, members and patients.
“There is a surprisingly large amount of business that is packed into one Council meeting and my first impression was that there is a lot of reading and preparation required beforehand!
“My particular areas of interest include radiographer reporting and extending the scope of advanced and consultant practice, and I believe there is so much that radiographers can offer through various role developments.
“Ultimately, this leads to improved patient care but can also lead to efficiency gains. I’m really excited about the opportunity to work with others on Council who share this view, including the current president, Steve Herring, who is also a reporting radiographer.
“I’m also looking forward to working with the South West regional committee and the new regional officer for the South West, to promote he SoR more locally.”
Tom has been an IR and learning rep since 2009. He recently won the SoR’s Bryan Macey Award which gives him the chance to become a workplace mediator. He explains: “Thanks to the Bryan Macey award, I’ll be working towards the ACAS certificate in internal workplace mediation which will involve face-to-face training as well as written work. I'll be attending five days training in Bristol this month.
"It’s going to be a very busy time for me as I’ll also be preparing for future Council meetings on top of the training, but I’m proud to be able to represent members in my trust and across the region in this way.”
Sheila Hassan, immediate past president, commented: “As chair of UK Council I have been delighted to welcome Tom to his new role. His appointment means that once again we have a full complement of council members covering the whole of the UK. Whereas all council members represent all members’ interests, with a new regional officer and council member for the South West region Tom’s appointment will bring new opportunities and thinking.
“Tom will be able to draw on his wealth of experience to support his council activities, and all of council are looking forward to the contribution that he can make.
“As I can testify, being a member of UK Council provides an excellent opportunity to widen our knowledge of the profession, which also enhances our own individual practices. I warmly welcome Tom.”