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www.sor.org SYNERGY NEWS FEBRUARY 2014
SoR welcomes HEE commitment to grow the radiography workforce, but says more investment is needed
The SoR has welcomed a commitment from Health Education England (HEE) to grow the radiography workforce over the next five years, but says that more investment is needed. In its first workforce plan
for the NHS in England, HEE details how it will use its £5 billion education and training budget. It plans to increase diagnostic radiography commissions by an extra eight places in 2014/2015, taking the overall number to 1059. Therapeutic radiography sees the second largest increase next to paramedics, with commissioned training places increasing from 360 to 371. The workforce plan was
informed by the ‘needs of frontline employers’ via 13 local education and training boards, as well as stakeholders including the SoR.
“We welcome the HEE
undertaking the vitally important role of ensuring that the NHS has a sufficient workforce to meet the needs of patients and the public,” says Audrey Paterson, SoR director of professional policy. “However, we worry about the adequacy of the small increases in commissions. On the therapeutic radiography front, the increase will do little to deal with the anticipated additional numbers of therapeutic radiographers required to provide the UK’s proton beam therapy service coming on stream in 2018.” Approximately 100 additional therapeutic radiographers will be
needed to deliver proton beam therapy and ensure other radiotherapy services continue to deliver complex treatments safely. “In terms of diagnostic
radiography, the impact of moving to 7/7 and 24/7 services is soaking up new graduates like blotting paper, with services already reporting that they are finding themselves unable to recruit UK graduates until the next cohort of graduates in the summer of 2014,” explained Audrey Paterson, director of professional policy.
The SoR says there is an immediate need to invest in the trained workforce, notably in radiographer reporting to help reach the target of no/minimal wait between an imaging investigation and the production of the report. It also says that
the development of sonographers, nuclear medicine practitioners and magnetic resonance imaging staff is critical. Continues Audrey: “It is
not overstating the situation to say that there is a chronic and severe shortage of
trained sonographers and there is nothing in the commissioning plan’s report that addresses that problem at all.
“We are also disappointed there is nothing of substance in the report regarding the support workforce. In radiography, the assistant practitioner workforce is essential to maintaining the NHS Breast Screening Programme, for example; and there’s nothing about the employed professional workforce either.” The SoR did, however,
welcome the HEE’s longer term aim of commissioning for patients’ needs rather than for numbers of professions.
Concluded Audrey:
“Overall, so far so good for a workforce commissioning report from an organisation that is less than nine months old. We look forward to continuing to work with HEE to improve its pre- registration commissioning plans for radiographers, on the qualified and support workforce agenda, and on the longer term approach to skills and needs rather than professions per se.”
NEWS
Happy retirement, Anne!
Society members and staff bid professional officer Anne Shaw a happy retirement last month. Anne, who is dual
qualified as a therapeutic and diagnostic radiographer, worked for the SoR for more than 14 years. During her time at the Society, Anne was responsible for advice and the organisation of all postgraduate and post- registration education, including nuclear medicine (CANME) and magnetic resonance imaging (CACMRE). She also inputted on workforce development projects. Anne authored numerous
policy documents and sat on various working parties, contributing to work in diverse areas of practice. “Annie will be missed
by all staff for her lively attitude to her work and her passion for the profession,” commented SoR professional officer Christina Freeman. “Her breadth and depth of knowledge about radiography was extraordinary and SoR members and colleagues, especially fellow officers, will be sorry not to have her input on current issues.” Here’s wishing you a
very happy and fulfilling retirement, Anne!
Research funding opportunities for AHPs
Round five of the National Institute for Health Research and Health Education England Clinical Academic Training Fellowships launched at the end of January. The CAT schemes offer doctoral and post-doctoral
level funding for nurses, midwives and AHPs. Turn to page 18 of this issue for an article on
radiographer researchers: ‘Meet the doctors’. Further information is available on the NIHR website at
bit.ly/1ik6pRu
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