News
Briefing
Community Diagnostic Centres deliver 7 million tests since launch but still a ‘long way’ from goal
Rishi Sunak visits Oldham CDC in February 2023
Rishi Sunak visits Oldham CDC in February 2023
The Society of Radiographers has welcomed the news that Community Diagnostic Centres (CDCs) across the UK have delivered more than 7 million diagnostic tests since launching in July 2021.
Government goals of 17 million checks, scans and tests carried out in these community settings by March 2025 are still a long way off however, the Society has warned.
The latest stats on the number of tests carried out in community centres, released by NHS England on Thursday 14 March, revealed that there were a total of 2.3 million diagnostic tests carried out by the NHS in January 2024. Of these tests, around 194,000 (8.3 per cent) were carried out in Community Diagnostic Centres.
This brings the total number of scans carried out in community settings to 7,457,005 since the initiative was launched in July 2021.
If these Community Diagnostic Centres are to reach that 17 million target, their activity must increase by 6.5 per cent every single month between February 2024 and March 2025.
The average increase over the previous three months had been 6.28 per cent.
Obituary: Kim Sanderson
It is with great sadness that the Radiotherapy Department of Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth learned of the death of their friend and former colleague Kim Sanderson.
Kim passed away peacefully at home with her family by her side on Saturday 27 January 2024, aged 53.
After she trained as a Therapeutic Radiographer in Southampton, qualifying in 1992, Kim joined the radiotherapy team at St Mary’s Hospital, Portsmouth. She gained a master’s degree in 1997 from the University of Portsmouth.
As a senior radiographer, Kim was responsible for the procurement and commissioning of a new radiotherapy information system to the department in 1999.
After a brief secondment to South Tyneside as a service improvement facilitator, Kim returned to Portsmouth in 2005 to take up the role of radiotherapy services manager, a position she was proud to hold until her early retirement in 2021.
During that time, Kim was instrumental in the successful relocation of the radiotherapy department from St Mary’s to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in 2009. This was a massive undertaking, involving the procurement, installation and commissioning of all new equipment, all of which she oversaw whilst also managing the service delivery at St Mary’s.
Her tireless commitment to the project was a significant factor in the smooth transition from the old site to the new. Then 10 years later, she successfully delivered the equipment renewal programme.
Kim also qualified as a QSIR practitioner and was appointed clinical director for haematology and oncology in 2019.
Throughout her career, Kim’s professionalism and integrity, her dedication to patient care and her commitment to providing support and a good working environment for her team were widely recognised and she was hugely respected by her colleagues. Kim was always fiercely determined to be the best for her team and to encourage them to reach their full potential. She was a supportive manager to her staff, always happy to provide advice, support and encouragement to enable them to advance their careers.
In 2017, she decided to grow her hair long enough to donate it to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which makes wigs for children with cancer. She raised £1,000 in sponsorship when the time came to cut her hair, which was donated to the establishment of Sarah’s Garden, a place within the hospital grounds that cancer patients and their families can go to relax. The garden was the idea of one of Kim’s team, who sadly died of cancer herself before the garden was finished. Kim was instrumental in getting the garden agreed and built, and it was officially opened in October 2020 and was named Sarah’s Garden, in memory of the radiographer who started the project.
Staff who worked with Kim remember her witty sense of humour and her competitive spirit. She keenly organised the annual Christmas quiz, putting lots of effort into creating interesting rounds, as well as getting mince pies from a local bakery every year on Christmas Eve for staff and patients. She cared about her staff, defending them to others and always standing up for the wellbeing of the staff and patients. Her knowledge of the department and of all the ins and outs were beyond compare and she could always be relied upon for an answer and help. She is greatly missed.
Outside of the department, Kim was a passionate walker, particularly enjoying the Lake District and taking part in walking challenges.
She was also an avid fan of all things Duran Duran, Take That and Robbie Williams and was never happier than when she was singing and dancing at their concerts.
Kim was a much loved partner to Steve, sister to Penny and daughter to Dot, Pete and Wilf.
Some SoR members to see significant changes to NHS pension scheme
SoR members may see a “significant change” in their NHS pension scheme contributions from April 2024 as the second phase of changes delayed from April 2023 are put in place.
From next month, there will be only six contribution bands. Members will continue to only pay contributions on regular, pensionable pay, with the exception of part-time staff, where overtime is pensionable up to their full-time equivalence.
NHS pension scheme contribution rates from April 2024:
- Up to £13,259: 5.2 per cent
- £13,260 to £26,831: 6.5 per cent
- £ 26,832 to £32,691: 8.3 per cent
- £32,692 to £49,078: 9.8 per cent
- £49,079 to £62,924: 10.7 per cent
- £62,925 and above: 12.5 per cent
The thresholds have been raised in line with inflation, meaning fewer people will see a further increase in their contributions, and some may pay less than anticipated. The lowest band was frozen, to adjust for tax policy changes which could have left these scheme members with a higher tax liability.
Both these moves have been welcomed by unions.
The government has also confirmed their experiment in adjusting pay bands in line with pay awards has been abandoned. Future changes will instead happen in April every year, linked with inflation.
Members with any questions or concerns about pensionable pay, please email TUIR@sor.org and the SoR’s regional and national officers will offer support.
New Quality Standards for Imaging mark aims to ‘elevate standards for better patient care’
The Royal College of Radiologists and the College of Radiographers have launched a new Quality Standards for Imaging Quality Mark scheme to help raise the level of patient care.
According to the Colleges this scheme, which launches from 1 July 2024 has been designed specifically with the needs of busy front-line teams and their patients in mind.
They explained their approach is led by and for imaging professionals – and it marks a “significant departure” from traditional accreditation methods, promising a “more effective and sustainable path” to quality improvement in imaging services.
The Quality Standards for Imaging (QSI) sets national quality criteria for imaging services. It is a collaboration between The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) and The College of Radiographers (CoR), to improve the quality of care for people attending an imaging service.
It represents the judgments of panels of lay representatives, radiographers, radiologists, medical physicists, and sonographers who have overseen its creation and revision, and sets out best practice to improve patient care and outcomes.
The standard will be launched at an in-person event at UKIO on 10 June, where attendees can ask questions about the scheme and how their service can get involved.
QSI Leads will be hosted at the RCR on 11 July, registration for which will open shortly on the RCR website.
Find out more about the new QSI scheme here.
Could you be the next editor of Imaging & Oncology?
An exciting opportunity has opened to be the editor of the Society of Radiographers’ renowned Imaging and Oncology publication.
Imaging & Oncology is a prestigious publication produced annually by the SoR, which features 10 to 12 thought-provoking articles affecting and/or influencing radiography professions.
The current editor, Professor Ruth Strudwick, has done an outstanding job during her tenure as editor and her term of office is drawing to a close.
The SoR is therefore seeking an experienced member of the profession, with both publication and reviewing skills, to join our publications team with effect from September 2024.
Working with publisher Wonderly you will complete a digital issue of Imaging & Oncology, each year in time for an annual launch at the UKIO conference.
You will be responsible for identifying suitable topics and commissioning authors and will liaise with, and report to, the SoR executive director of professional policy Charlotte Beardmore
For specific information about the role please contact Charlotte Beardmore, executive director of professional policy CharlotteB@sor.org
Please submit your expression of interest, detailing your experience and why you feel you would be suited to this role, to ShelleyW@sor.org.
Closing date for receipt of applications: 31 May 2024.
Interviews will take place virtually: early June 2024.
SoR launches two calls for expressions of interest around enhanced and advancing practice
The Society of Radiographers has launched two calls for expressions of interest around projects related to enhanced practice and advancing practice.
As part of projects into these areas, the Society is looking for individuals or consortiums from the UK to support its existing work.
As part of the first project, the SoR has put out a call for expressions of interest for a national scoping study and gap analysis of radiography education provision and clinical service need in relation to enhanced, advanced and consultant level practice.
Outcomes from the scoping project will be used to inform the College of Radiographers (CoR) work relating to postgraduate programme approval and professional body guidance around enhanced and advanced level education. The findings will also support the implementation of the recently published CoR Education and Career Framework.
Alongside this work and following the publication of the College of Radiographers (CoR) Education and Career Framework (ECF), the Society of Radiographers wishes to support and promote the implementation of enhanced-level practice in radiography. The scope of this work will also include socialisation of the NHS England Enhanced Clinical Practitioner (ECP) Apprenticeship Schema.
The timeline for both of these projects is May 2024 until March 2025.
Please email expressions of interest to pande@sor.org by midday Monday 15 April, 2024.
SoR calls for radiographers to contribute to survey on AHP public health strategy
As the 2019-24 UK Public Health Strategy Framework comes to an end, the SoR is calling for radiographers to speak up and tell the Society where their priorities are.
The Allied Health Professional (AHP) strategic public health framework is seeking the opinions of constituent members – including radiographers, physiotherapists, paramedics, and more – in support of the next edition of the strategy.
The current strategy will end in December, so the framework is seeking consultation with NHS England national and regional colleagues, AHP professional bodies, the AHP Public Health Expert Advisory Group, AHP Health Inequalities Network founding members, and colleagues from education and research.
Radiographers interested in contributing can share their thoughts here.
The survey will close to submissions from 6pm on 19 April.
Image credit: Getty Images News/ WPA Pool
Getty/ Monty Rakusen/DigitalVision
Built with Shorthand