Secretary - Claire Donaldson

Claire is a Diagnostic Radiographer qualifying from Queen Margaret University in 2005. They have been an advocate for general radiography as a specialty throughout their career.  In more recent years they have developed leadership and management experience, and like to use their empathetic leadership skills to support and develop the teams they manage.  

Claire has been involved with the Society of Radiographers throughout their career in various roles. They joined UK Council as a Scottish representative in 2014 and they were the first out non-binary president of their professional organisation in 2021/22. They have always been passionate about equalities and they have been involved in LGBTQI+ advocacy since their late teens and throughout their career. In addition to this they have been involved in work to make the SoR an anti-racist and truly representative organisation for its members and the population they serve. 

In addition to their commitment to equalities, they are interested in policy and governance, chairing the SoR’s Governance Short Life Working Group during their presidential year, and year as chair of UK Council.  They hope to bring this to their new role as secretary to support fellow elected Council members and the work of Scottish Council to best represent members of the SoR in Scotland.

Vice-chair - Ian Henderson 

Ian Henderson trained in diagnostic radiography at Dundee and practised at Dundee Royal Infirmary before moving in 1991 to Guy’s Radiography Education Centre, subsequently London South Bank University. In that period he was involved in varied educational developments as well as leading development in 1996 of one of the first musculo-skeletal reporting courses for radiographers. He became principal lecturer for radiography, heading up AHP postgraduate programmes before moving to Aberdeen Robert Gordon University in 2012 as professional lead for radiography. His main areas of teaching were in professional practice, aspects of radiographer reporting, and research methods.

Ian has been engaged with the Society of Radiographers virtually since qualifying. He was a rep during his time at Dundee, eventually chairing the Area Reps Committee, and sat on the London and Home Counties branch (subsequently London Regional Committee) from 1993. From 2000 he was elected UK Council member for London, serving as president between 2002-2003. 

Amongst the various initiatives he has been involved with he served a six month secondment in 2002 as CoR head of professional development, co-authored an initial scope of practice for assistant practitioners, chaired the development of the very first CoR career framework, chaired the 2004-6 joint professional bodies, the ultrasound professional regulation steering group, and was involved in the inception of the College’s Approvals and Accreditation Board, which he chaired until 2010. He sat on the Radiography journal editorial board from 2004 to 2010 and edited Synergy magazine from 2010 until 2013. He sat on the SoR Scottish Council from 2012, chairing the Council from 2017 until 2023.

Ian’s professional interests lie primarily in radiographer skill mix and workforce development, and he co-chaired with the Royal College of Radiologists development of the first edition of the document Team Working in Departments of Clinical Imaging (2007). He retired in 2016 and has maintained involvement with the profession through the Scottish Council, occasional consultancy and as a trustee for the World Radiography Education Trust Foundation. 

Managers forum - John Richardson

John has over 30 years of experience as a Diagnostic Radiographer with almost 20 years of experience as a reporting radiographer, after completing a BSc degree in geography/geology at the University of Glasgow in 1990. John originally trained as a radiographer at St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London, and Glasgow Caledonian University, qualifying in 1993. Post-qualification John gained experience as a radiographer and senior radiographer at Oldchurch Hospital in Essex, Rothesay Victoria Hospital, Inverclyde Royal Hospital, & Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow. 

John qualified among the first ever group of reporting radiographers in Scotland in axial and appendicular reporting, from Glasgow Caledonian University, in 2004. He completed his chest and abdomen reporting Postgraduate Certification and medical imaging MSc at the University of Bradford in 2010. He worked at Northumbria NHS trust from 2005 to 2022, where he was an SoR local and learning rep. During his time at Northumbria, John spent four years as a trust-wide clinical tutor/reporting radiographer in a teaching and educational role, working closely with Teesside and Cumbria universities. He became a member of the Higher Education Institute by completing a teaching & learning Postgraduate Certification through the University of Cumbria in 2017. John also spent five years as site lead radiographer at a top 20 lead UK emergency care hospital in Cramlington and at Hexham District General, in a lead management role. As a senior reporting radiographer, he started the first ever radiographer chest reporting service in Northumbria. 

Since September 2022 he has worked as a consultant radiographer for NHS Fife. John recently became secretary for the Reporting Radiographers Interest Group Scotland. He is now beginning PHD research through Bradford University. 

Allied Health Professions Federation Scotland  - Margot McBride

Qualifying at the Dundee School of Radiography as a Diagnostic Radiographer, Margot practised in Fife, Tayside, North and West Yorkshire, London and the Home Office, with her speciality being trauma radiography, CT, and forensic radiography. Her first academic post was at the General Infirmary School of Radiography at Leeds, and this was followed by her first research post at the University of Edinburgh, studying NMR versus CT in 1989. She was appointed a radiography lecturer at Queens College in 1990 and then Glasgow Caledonian University, and in 1998 was promoted to head of radiography. Margot took up a secondment to work for NHS Education for Scotland in 2004. This position was to develop the HNC Assistant Practitioners Diagnostic Radiography programme, which she then went on to deliver at Dundee College and in parallel developed and managed the MSc Advanced Practice for Radiography programme at the University of Dundee (2006-2015).

During her academic career, she has continued her research, which has included working with an industrial partner in Sweden to develop a remote-controlled X-ray system based on her patented invention, a computerised system of patient positioning. The latter was the subject of her 2003 PhD study. Over the past 12 years she has continued to work with them as clinical advisor, advising on the design features of a mobile X-ray unit which is suitable not only for hospitals but community, military and care home radiography. 

Margot also studied radiation physics at the University of St, Andrews, and has an MBA in entrepreneurial studies (University of Dundee) and an MSc in Combined Studies (Glasgow Caledonian University).

She was awarded an enterprise fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2005 for her research work in radiography and in 2020 a Fellowship of the College of Radiographers (by Portfolio) for her contribution and achievements in clinical and academic practices. 

Margot joined IBEX Innovations in 2021 as clinical advisor and is supporting their clinical research in applying AI software to diagnose early signs of osteoporosis.   

In 2023 Margot graduated from Lancaster University with a PhD in Cushing syndrome and disease which focused on diagnosis, treatment, quality of life and patient-centred care. She has 21 publications, has contributed to four textbooks, and has presented at many radiology conferences since 1994. Between 2022/23, she presented at 9 European Endocrinology and Osteoporosis Congresses, and UKIO 2023.

She has been a member of UK Council and currently represents Scottish Council as a member of the Allied Health Professions Federation for Scotland. Other memberships include the University of St Andrews Impact Advisory Board and the Pituitary Foundation. Margot is a College of Radiographers Programme Assessor and a PhD supervisor at the School of Health Sciences, University of Dundee.

Student - Catherine MacKay

Catherine is currently a fourth year BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Imaging Student at Glasgow Caledonian University. Originally from the Highlands, Catherine was always interested in science subjects throughout school. After loving her work experience in the radiology department, she knew a career in diagnostic radiography was for her. Since beginning the course, Catherine has been a member of the GCU Radiography Society and is the current president for the 2023/2024 academic year. During this, she has dedicated much time to creating and running CPD events for members, visiting local high schools to promote a career in radiography, and was delighted to be offered the opportunity to be a student representative on this year’s Scottish Council. Catherine has a true passion for radiography and promoting the career, and this is something she hopes to continue doing as a newly qualified radiographer. In her spare time she is a keen viola player, and has played in Highland, Scottish and British Orchestras. 

Kelsey Normand

Kelsey Normand qualified as a Therapeutic Radiographer in 2012. She worked for seven years at the Edinburgh Cancer Centre, where she completed her Master’s project in the radiotherapy information needs of GPs through Queen Margaret University. In 2020 she made the move to the radiotherapy department at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, taking up the new post of Advanced Practitioner in Education and Development. Initial work in post centred around the digitisation of IR(ME)R entitlements and clinical competencies which she presented nationally. She subsequently completed a NES AHP Fellowship in 2021, focused on developing technology-enabled resources for Therapeutic Radiographers. Then in 2022, she completed the NES/University of the Highlands and Islands Technology-Enhanced Learning Train the Trainer Programme. 

Active in the Society of Radiographers since qualifying, first as an industrial relations representative, now as a learning representative, Kelsey has acted as both Delegate Lead and Deputy Delegate Lead for Scotland at the SOR’s Annual Delegate Conference. 

Diane Smith 

Diane graduated as a Diagnostic Radiographer from Robert Gordon University Aberdeen with a BSc (Hons) in 2011, postgraduate certificate in mammography from Queen Margaret University in 2013, and an MSc from the University of Exeter in 2021, working in both paediatrics and breast screening. For the past 10 years, Diane has specialised in DXA scanning and bone densitometry in Aberdeen, publishing related research in clinical journals, international conferences and special interest groups. An identified lack of a specialist support network for DXA operators throughout the UK led to the formation of a Special Interest Group for DXA operators, under the umbrella of the Society of Radiographers, along with a closed social media platform to allow exchange of information between areas and individuals with an interest in DXA and bone health. Diane is the current chair of the Scottish DXA operators network, offering CPD opportunities relevant to DXA, and is mentor for both the Royal Osteoporosis Society national training scheme for bone densitometry course and the DXA reporting course. 

Laura McKessick 

Laura is a Diagnostic Radiographer with 20 years of experience in general radiography, fluoroscopy and CT. She graduated from RGU and since then she has worked in the private sector. She is RPS for her site and currently interim Clinical Lead to cover maternity leave.

She enjoys the variety that radiography has to offer and the ability to develop the future workforce by having students on clinical placements.

She attended the ADC for the first time last year, and wanted to find out more about our profession. She joined Scottish Council to gain a better understanding of what goes on in the background of decision making within radiography.

Professional officer for Scotland and Radiation Protection UK - Julie Rankin

Julie qualified as a registered veterinary nurse where she was involved in acquiring conventional images of a wide variety of small and large animals. This sparked her interest in radiography as a profession. She became a mature student and a member of the SoR, graduating as a Diagnostic Radiographer. She started work at a major regional hospital and worked in a variety of departments, revelling in the diversity and scope of practice. Julie has trained as a radiation protection supervisor, and as a practice educator. 

However, as a student, she loved her CT placement and eventually moved to work full time in CT. In 2016 she returned to university, this time as a lecturer where she then became course lead, and eventually academic team lead trained as an MSK reporting radiographer, completing her MSc in 2021. Part of her lecturing role was to deliver information on policy and procedures which increased her interest in all things SoR. In 2022 she was successful in her application to become the professional officer for Scotland and also shares SoR UK-wide responsibility for radiation protection with Lynda Johnson.