News
Briefing
Stephen Fry boosts cancer petition by 100,000 signatures
Actor and comedian Stephen Fry has recorded a video urging people to sign cancer charity Radiotherapy UK’s petition, helping garner more than 100,000 signatures in a single day.
Mr Fry was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018, he explained in a video recorded to ask supporters to help the petition reach half a million signatures.
The video was shared on Radiotherapy UK's social media channels on 20 February. In the 24 hours after it was posted the charity's petition was boosted by 100,000 signatures, taking the total number of names to more than half a million.
The Catch Up With Cancer petition seeks urgent government action, as four in 10 cancer patients are waiting too long for treatment. Since 2020, at least 225,000 people have not had cancer treatment on time.
SoR welcomes NI pay offer, but says it still doesn’t fix problems
The SoR has welcomed a pay offer from the Northern Ireland executive that will bring pay scales back in line with England, but warns this is merely a starting point that does not address broader issues.
The pay offer provides a 5 per cent consolidated pay offer backdated to April 2023, as well as a non-consolidated lump sum of up to £1,505 for staff on Agenda for Change contracts who have been working in the HSC during the 2023-24 period.
Cora Regan, Northern Ireland national officer for the Society, said: “The Society of Radiographers is pleased that there has finally been a pay offer made to public-sector workers in Northern Ireland. It’s an important first step – but it doesn’t come close to recognising our members’ needs and the needs of the radiography profession as a whole.
“[The offer] is below inflation, and therefore merely increases the pay gap that has built up over the last 15 years. The pay offer also includes a one-off payment that will have no long-term benefit for families struggling to plan for the future during a cost-of-living crisis.”
SoR members in NI can vote on the pay deal here. The deadline for voting is midday on Thursday 21 March.
SoR raises concerns over non-regulated staff requesting ionising radiation examinations
Senior representatives from the Society of Radiographers and the Royal College of Radiologists have raised concerns about incidents of non-regulated healthcare workers requesting ionising radiation examinations.
In a letter addressed to NHS trusts and health boards, the SoR and Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) issued a reminder of the regulations surrounding ionising radiation, set out under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations IR(ME)R 17.
The letter, co-signed by SoR executive director of professional policy Charlotte Beardmore and RCR vice president for clinical radiology Dr Stephen Harden, highlighted that anyone requesting or referring patients for these examinations must be registered health professionals.
Ionising radiation is widely used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, to help diagnose and treat conditions, for example in X-rays, nuclear scans, and radiotherapy.
The inherent risks in using ionising radiation in imaging are regulated by the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017.
In their letter, the SoR and RCR added that while non-ionising radiation imaging examinations, including ultrasound and MRI, are not included in this definition, it is considered best practice that referrals for these investigations are still conducted in the same way as ionising radiation examinations.
SoR celebrates report setting out plan for ‘world-class’ radiotherapy treatment
The SoR has welcomed a new report from the parliamentary radiotherapy group, which sets out a framework for ‘world-class’ service in the UK.
Titled ‘Vision for Radiotherapy’, the report was released on 6 February by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Radiotherapy in conjunction with charity Radiotherapy UK.
This evidence-based document sets out a framework for developing a world-class service for radiotherapy over the next 10 years.
SoR has welcomed the focus on radiotherapy’s role in providing care for a range of patients with cancer and the need to develop, fund and deliver a comprehensive 10-year radiotherapy specific workforce plan.
The report was officially launched in Parliament, during an event attended by SoR president Dave Pilborough, executive director of professional policy Charlotte Beardmore, and professional officer for radiotherapy Spencer Goodman.
Radiotherapy researchers discover source of heart issues in cancer patients
Dr Gerard Walls
Dr Gerard Walls
Researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have discovered the cause behind lung cancer radiotherapy patients experiencing higher rates of a heart arrhythmia.
The research, published in leading European radiotherapy medical journal Radiotherapy & Oncology, found that patients who receive a high dose of radiation to the pulmonary veins at the back of the heart are at a higher risk of an arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation.
Rhythm problems like this can cause difficult symptoms such as palpitations, light-headedness, shortness of breath, and in some cases stroke, all of which can reduce quality of life when recovering from cancer treatment.
Atrial fibrillation makes up the majority of post-radiotherapy arrhythmias, but efforts to prevent it have been limited because the underlying cause was unknown.
The study, entitled 'Pulmonary vein dose and risk of atrial fibrillation in patients with non-small cell lung cancer following definitive radiotherapy: An NI-HEART analysis', concluded that “actively sparing the PVs (pulmonary veins) during treatment planning could reduce the incidence of AF (atrial fibrillation) during follow-up, and screening for AF may be warranted for select cases.”
Image credit: Sebastian Reuter/Stringer/Getty Images Entertainment, Eva Sulsarek, Sturti/E+/Getty, helloabc/Getty Images Plus/ iStock, Queen's University Belfast
Built with Shorthand