Energy and passion for the profession: how reps are steering the direction of the Society of Radiographers

The radiographer perspective

With more than 40 motions debated on the opening day of the conference, delegates discussed some of the key topics from across the radiography profession, ranging from civility to diversity and presidential terms. 

Tuesday marked the official opening of the conference by Susann McCracken, vice president of the SoR and chair of this year’s conference, Richard Evans, CEO of the SoR, and Marie Lloyd, regional officer for the North West.

Charlotte Beardmore, executive director of professional policy at the SoR, was glad to see members so engaged in the democratic process. “ADC is fantastic as ever,” she said. “The energy and passion in the room are incredible. It was concerning to hear so many motions related to incivility, but it reflects the SoR’s ambitions to introduce a campaign relating to this topic later this year. It’s good to know that delegates’ priorities are resonating with our own.

“There’s a very collegiate feel in the room, and everyone is very respectful of the speakers. It’s also good to see the spread of diversity in our delegates, and that everyone is so engaged in debate.”

Katie Thompson, president of the SoR, then took to the stage to greet delegates. “This event has been a highlight of my time at the SoR – getting to meet radiographers from every region. I was absolutely petrified of speaking at my first ADC. But ADC is a place for new friends and connections,” she said.

“How do we get others who are not engaged to engage? Tell your colleagues why they should attend next year. Write an idea for a potential motion for next year, a reflection on what you have learned. A union is strong when we work together, stand together and fight together. Be confident, be passionate, be bold and, above all, be respectful.”

Attendees also received an update on the Membership Engagement and TUED report by Dean Rogers, executive director of industrial strategy at the SoR. He shared headline figures around activity in the SoR, including that last year saw a 9 per cent growth in roles covered by reps, 167 new accredited reps and the fact that the society now has one rep for every 28 members.

Guest speaker Sarah Woolnough, CEO of the King’s Fund, followed on stage, exploring major themes gleaned from surveys of NHS staff members, including high levels of stress and burnout, racism and bullying in the workplace, financial challenges and why productivity is still struggling to match demand. She spoke on the challenge of ‘knitting together’ the national strategies put out by the government, and the need for a relentless focus on implementation and delivery.

Kickstarting day two

The second day of the SoR’s ADC saw plenty of debate on topics important to members, including NHS uniforms and paediatric cancer care. A total of 30 motions were debated on day two, alongside elections for key appointments within the society. 

Following on from the festivities of the Gala dinner the previous evening, delegates returned to the conference hall bright and early for day two. Proceedings opened with voting on conference elections, where several delegates put themselves forward for positions, including observers to UK Council and to the Delegates Conference Committee, which organises ADC. 

Following the elections, Isabelle Parsons was elected to the role of UK Council student observer. John Kelly and Ramadan Haram were elected as observers to UK Council. Comfort Ogunbanjo and Saraaz Khalil were both elected to the Trade Union Education Committee. For the Delegates Conference Committee, Annabelle Young and Nkiruka James were elected. 

Motons then got underway for day two. Motion 42, raised by delegates in the Northern Region, called upon UK Council to work with NHS Employers and national bodies to promote responsive, flexible and compassionate leave policies for reservists and immediate family members. This motion was carried. 

This motion was followed shortly after by motion 44 on the topic of pet bereavement leave, which sparked lively debate among delegates. Raised by the Northern Ireland delegation, the motion called for UK Council to advocate for health trusts and boards to introduce a period of paid, compassionate/bereavement leave as part of a bereavement leave policy. However, after much discussion, this motion was not carried. 

Motion 55 also raised another important topic for discussion on the training and education around care for paediatric cancer patients and their families. Raised by the Midlands region, this motion called for UK Council to work in collaboration with charities and patient experience groups to ensure that providers of undergraduate therapeutic radiography programmes include at least one lecture focusing on appropriate care for paediatric cancer patients and their families within the course. This motion was carried.  

Concerns around uniform policy

Staff uniforms were also a common topic throughout the second day. The London Region raised motion 46, which raised concerns about the cost of introducing new standardised NHS uniforms across England. The motion, which called for the UK Council to lobby NHS England to pause the proposed rollout, was not carried.

Motion 70 related to protecting people from harmful image-generating apps. Raised by SoR president Katie Thomson, the motion stated: “The safety and dignity of all must be protected in both physical and digital spaces. Image-based abuse is a serious safeguarding issue, with consequences for wellbeing, reputation and personal security. Regulation and accountability are essential, as voluntary measures by app and software developers have proven insufficient.

“UK Council calls upon conference to support advocacy for stronger legal and regulatory frameworks that address image-based abuse, digital manipulation and non-consensual content.”  This motion was carried.

The final motion discussed at this year’s ADC was motion 71, calling for the introduction of railcards for NHS professionals to support them in their commutes. This, this motion argued, would serve as a way to value NHS staff and help national environmental goals by promoting more sustainable transport methods. That motion was carried. 

Susanne McCracken, the SoR’s vice president and chair for ADC, opened up day two of the conference. “I was so nervous leading up to the event, but everyone tried to reassure me that it’s such a friendly conference, and it genuinely is,” she said. “The conversations have been interesting; the attendees have been amazing. It’s been a really enjoyable experience.”  

On her highlights for day two, Susanne said: “The pet bereavement debate was very interesting. That was always going to get some interest.

“I just really enjoy having a bit of a debate – that’s the best part of ADC for me.” 

The final item on the agenda to close out 2026 was the Benevolent Fund Raffle. The SoR Benevolent Fund is a registered charity that exists to help members, former members and their dependants when in need. This year’s raffle raised £706 to support the fund, with various prizes on offer. 

Richard Evans, CEO of the society, gave closing remarks as 2026 marks his final year as chief executive, before handing over to Charlotte Beardmore in the autumn. 

Find out more about ADC 2026 online here.