By Spencer Goodman, on behalf of the Society and College of Radiographers
The UK Health Security Agency's latest publications have marked a significant milestone and will help to reinforce the SoR’s collective commitment to high-quality, person-centred cancer care.
Released on 27 May, both ‘Advancing Safer Radiotherapy: Guidance for Radiotherapy Providers on Improving Patient Safety’ and ‘Safer Radiotherapy: National patient safety radiotherapy event taxonomy’ are expected by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to allow Therapeutic Radiographers from across the country to engage in treatment with renewed safety.
Building on the foundations of the landmark ‘Towards Safer Radiotherapy’ (2008) report, the ‘Advancing Safer Radiotherapy’ guidance reflects the realities of contemporary radiotherapy practice. It recognises the increasing complexity of treatment pathways, the integration of new technologies, and the critical role that patients play in ensuring safe and effective care.
'Shaping a safer future'
Charlotte Beardmore, executive director of professional policy at the SoR, said: “This guidance is a powerful example of how professional collaboration can drive real improvement in care. By strengthening safety culture, embedding learning, and valuing the voice of patients, we’re not just responding to safety events — we’re actively shaping a safer, more responsive future for radiotherapy services across the UK.”
Spanning key areas including safety culture, safety management systems, radiotherapy event (RTE) learning systems, and investigations, the publications also place a greater focus on the patient as an active, valued participant in safety, with key topics addressing engaging patients in safety, patient comfort, and the monitoring of early and late treatment effects.
The publication also highlights the continued importance of local and national reporting of RTE’s using the UK’s full patient safety radiotherapy event taxonomy — enabling the radiotherapy community to continue their fantastic record of shared learning and collaborative continual improvement.
'A foundation for continued improvement'
Crucially, the publication emphasises the need to see patients as equal partners in safety — recommending formal structures for capturing patient experience and involving service users in the design and delivery of care. This represents a cultural shift that aligns with the wider values of openness, transparency and co-production.
Key recommendations from the report include:
- Embedding Safety Management Systems within existing governance frameworks;
- Promoting learning from both adverse events and examples of "better practice";
- Developing national systems for monitoring early and late radiotherapy effects;
- Supporting interdisciplinary investigations into RTEs with a systems-thinking approach;
- Ensuring robust, inclusive patient engagement mechanisms; and
- Introducing safeguards and training to support the safe adoption of new technologies and techniques.
Spencer Goodman, professional officer for radiotherapy at the SoR, said: “I encourage all radiotherapy professionals to read and reflect on the guidance, and to use it as a foundation for local conversations, development, and continued service improvement.”