People news

Richard Evans, CEO of the Society and College of Radiographers, announces retirement after 22 years

Richard Evans, by Eva Slusarek

Richard Evans, by Eva Slusarek

The long-standing CEO of the Society and College of Radiographers, Richard Evans, has announced his retirement after 22 years in the role.

Richard, who qualified as a Diagnostic Radiographer in 1982, will be stepping down as the head of both the Society and College in September 2026.

On leaving the role, he said: “It is the most amazing privilege to be the chief executive officer and take part in leading the Society of Radiographers and the College of Radiographers.

“I have enjoyed making a difference for our profession and to have so much support from our members and the fantastic team of employees.”

The recruitment process for a new CEO has now started, led by the current president of the SoR, Katie Thompson. Details for the role are available on the SoR website now.

Richard added: “I am looking forward to handing over to a successor and am excited to see who will come forward to take on the role for the future.”

Radiographer awarded for performance on reporting course at King’s College Hospital

Sarah holding her certificate with attendees at the ceremony

Sarah holding her certificate with attendees at the ceremony

A ceremony was held last month to celebrate a reporting radiographer for completing the adult chest radiograph clinical reporting course as the top performer of her cohort.

The event, which took place in the radiology department at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust on 14 January, marked the outstanding work of Sarah Gower, lead superintendent radiographer in X-ray imaging.

Sarah was awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Clinical Reporting (Adult Chest) PgC Reporting from Canterbury Christ Church University, in collaboration with radiography workforce services company Skilled Personnel.

In attendance at the ceremony were many of Sarah’s fellow radiology colleagues, as well as SoR president Katie Thompson and director of Skilled Personnel Fodi Kyriakos.

Sarah said: “Thank you so much everyone for organising this and taking time out to attend – I’m very flattered. I have been interested in radiographer reporting since I was a student radiographer. I was so happy when I was given the opportunity to train.”

Richard Evans and Rosemary James present at prestigious radiology conference in Chicago

Richard Evans, Rosemary James and Katie Thompson at the RSNA conference

Richard Evans, Rosemary James and Katie Thompson at the RSNA conference

The Society of Radiographers was well represented at the 111th Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, with CEO Richard Evans and Diagnostic Radiographer Rosemary James presenting at the prestigious event.

Also in the SoR delegation were SoR president Katie Thompson, director of professional policy Charlotte Beardmore and professional officer Sue Johnson.

Taking place this time from 30 November to 3 December 2025, the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual gathering brings radiology professionals together to network and learn more about the radiologic sciences. It takes place at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, each year.

Richard presented on 1 December in a session called ‘Global radiography leaders’ vision for the future’, which was sponsored by the RSNA Associated Sciences Consortium. Rosemary then presented on 3 December at a session titled ‘Multidisciplinary osteoporosis care and the radiographer’s role in fracture liaison services’. This session was part of the SoR partnership with the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, the counterpart professional body in the US.

Marcus Jackson and Sue Webb to retire from College of Radiographers Board of Trustees

Marcus Jackson (left) and Sue Webb

Marcus Jackson (left) and Sue Webb

Important changes have taken place on the College of Radiographers Board of Trustees, with chair Marcus Jackson and vice-chair Sue Webb retiring in December last year.

Marcus, who has been a trustee since 2020 and has served as chair since 2022, will be replaced by former SoR president Pam Black.

Sue, a CT senior radiographer, will be stepping down after three years as vice-chair, to be replaced by another former SoR president, Gareth Thomas.

The College Board of Trustees oversees the work of the College of Radiographers, the charity subsidiary of the Society of Radiographers, and ensures the college achieves its aims of improving imaging and radiotherapy practice.

Diagnostic radiography student wins HCPC competition on patient safety

*(From left) Haien Chen, Hannah Standing, HCPC chair Christine Elliott, Samehah Chowdhury*

*(From left) Haien Chen, Hannah Standing, HCPC chair Christine Elliott, Samehah Chowdhury*

A diagnostic radiography student has won the 2025 Health and Care Professions Council’s student competition 2025, which asked them to design a learning session on patient safety.

Samehah Chowdhury is studying a BSc in diagnostic radiography at the University of Brighton, and her entry into the competition netted her victory and a £300 voucher.

This year, the competition received a record number of entries with “extremely high quality” – but Samehah’s entry stood out for being a “strong, clear and engaging session that successfully meets its objectives”.

Samehah’s presentation explained: “A student noticed a colleague reusing single-use equipment. They reported it early to their supervising lead and an infection risk was prevented. Speaking up isn’t about blame – it’s about preventing harm.”

Judges in the competition said of Samehah’s submission: “The session has clear, well-defined learning objectives and effectively addresses each one. It is highly engaging, using varied teaching techniques such as case studies, group work, scenarios and quizzes. The presentation is creative, combining visuals with interactive activities, and it flows well, enhancing clarity and understanding.”

Obituary: Dave Walton

Anthony Dave Walton was a Newquay-born and Plymouth-trained Diagnostic Radiographer who is sadly missed by his family and his extensive radiographic family.

Always known as Dave, he exemplified all that is good in our profession.

Since qualifying in 1986, Dave dedicated his working life to making patients feel safe. Intelligent, kind, genial, willing, friendly, hilarious, loyal and thoughtful are all words used in the past few weeks to remember Dave.

He was described as their ‘go-to guy’ by a CT superintendent who worked with Dave for many years. He really was the most reliable colleague.

You not only knew he would turn up to cover every shift, but he was always early, to have a chat or simply to send the poor, exhausted night person home. He cared about people. He loved his job, and he was utterly dependable.