News briefing

SoR seeks expressions of interest for advisory groups

The Society and College of Radiographers is inviting members to be considered for appointment across multiple advisory groups.

Members can apply to be considered for roles within the following groups:

Consultant Radiographers Advisory Group (CRAG)
Computed Tomography Advisory Group (CTAG)
Diagnostic Imaging Advisory Group (DIAG)
Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Advisory Group (NMMAG)
Magnetic Resonance Advisory Group (MRAG)
Radiotherapy Advisory Group (RAG)
Radiographic Informatics Advisory Group (RIAG)
Research Advisory Group
Ultrasound Advisory Group (UAG)

Successful applicants must be in good standing with the SoR and be held in high esteem by their peers. They also must be enthusiastic about the radiography profession and be able to devote time to the group, which will include attending two meetings per year.

The SoR is also seeking Insight reviewers in the following areas:

Therapeutic Radiographers
Nuclear medicine
Mammography
Ultrasound
Quantitative researchers

The deadline for applications is Friday 1 May at 5pm. To express your interest, fill out the application form here.

If you have any questions, contact the SoR’s professional and education administrators at pande@sor.org.

SoR features in national media coverage over fracture liaison services delay

SoR president Katie Thompson was featured in national news media last month, appearing in The Mail on Sunday and DailyMail.co.uk.

The article focuses on the SoR’s opinion that the government is not working to deliver its pledge to implement universal fracture liaison services by 2030.

On 22 February, Katie Thompson told The Mail on Sunday that members of the SoR are concerned about delays to the rollout of more fracture liaison services, which will be required to meet demand.

“Our members have become increasingly worried about the delay to the promised rollout. Calculations show that unless the rollout starts by this summer, ministers will find it impossible to meet their 2030 deadline.

“These clinics can’t be set up overnight. They require time and planning to launch so they can become fully staffed, including the radiography workforce.”

The SoR has spoken up about staffing woes before, more recently in reference to the government’s National Cancer Plan.

Registrations open for the 2026 Annual Radiotherapy Conference

ARC returns in September (picture by Eva Slusarek)

ARC returns in September (picture by Eva Slusarek)

SoR members are being encouraged to apply for the upcoming Annual Radiotherapy Conference 2026.

Taking place on 18-19 September in the Birmingham Conference & Events Centre, the conference promises two days of insightful therapeutic radiography learning, with panels and keynote speakers across the programme.

The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Pathways with Purpose’. The sessions are designed to follow the full radiotherapy care pathway, from initial patient contact and planning to living with cancer and beyond.

Conference highlights include:

Panel discussion: Smarter Systems and Assistive Technologies
Proffered session: From Scan to Plan: Imaging Quality and Planning Excellence
Proffered session: Going for Gold: Sustainable Radiotherapy
Proffered session: The Front Door: Access, Pathways and First Contact
Radiotherapy for the Future

An optional three-course dinner and social event will take place from 7-10pm on day one.

Two-day delegate passes for ARC 2026 cost £380 for SoR members and £506 for non-members. ARC 2026 is also CPD Now endorsed.

To view the full programme, click here. Register for your ticket here.

Government accepts ‘critical’ recommendations from SoR for NHS pay award

The government has confirmed a 3.3 per cent pay rise for Agenda for Change staff – but the SoR has warned that there is still so much to do.

Taking effect for all Agenda for Change pay points from 1 April, the pay rise is above the prediction of 2.2 per cent for 2026-27 made by the Office for Budget Responsibility. But it is also under current inflation of 3.4 per cent.

Pay was one of the issues the SoR emphasised in its Pay Review Body (PRB) evidence, which it submitted in September 2025. The society was the only AfC union to submit evidence to the PRB.

But member pay has fallen around a quarter in relative value to average pay across the rest of the economy, meaning that an uplift of 3.3 per cent is not likely to close the pay gap, which ranges between 22 and 32 per cent.

“This is not a sustainable strategy if the government is serious about having a positive workforce plan for the NHS,” said Dean Rogers, the society’s executive director of industrial strategy and member relations.

Workforce planning needed to ensure National Cancer Plan success, SoR says

The Society of Radiographers has welcomed the publication of the government’s National Cancer Plan, but the professional body warned that workforce planning must be prioritised to ensure the plan’s success.

Published on World Cancer Day (4 February), the National Cancer Plan outlined the current state of cancer care in the UK. One of the priorities outlined in the plan is to address healthcare inequalities, with a £200m fund planned to overhaul screening uptake and screening inequalities in deprived areas.

Wes Streeting, secretary of state for health and social care, said: “Our National Cancer Plan unashamedly puts patients first. It sets out how we will fight cancer on all fronts so that more people become cancer free like me and fewer people get cancer in the first place.”

While the plan was largely welcomed by Richard Evans, CEO of the Society of Radiographers, he pointed out that it does not address workforce planning. “The plan barely mentions radiographers, despite our key role in diagnosing cancer and planning and delivering radiotherapy,” he said.

The AI healthcare revolution must be led by expert clinicians, say professional bodies

A joint statement from the SoR, the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM) has argued that expert clinicians must be at the forefront of the AI healthcare revolution.

The statement demands that the AI healthcare revolution is led by a workforce that is properly trained and funded, and is regulated clearly and consistently.

“Across our professions, there is clear consensus that AI must enhance, not replace, clinical expertise,” the statement reads. “Our members deploy and assure AI systems daily and see both their benefits and the risks when evidence, governance or workforce capacity are insufficient.”

Together, the SoR, RCR and IPEM represent those responsible for ensuring that AI is implemented safely across diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy. Three regulatory priorities were outlined in their statement:

End-to-end assurance across the AI lifecycle
Workforce capacity as a patient safety requirement
Clear system-wide accountability