UKIO 2026: ‘There’s nowhere else quite like it’

The SoR’s annual UK Imaging and Oncology Conference returned to Liverpool in June, with practical sessions, inspiring talks and cutting-edge tech. Synergy breaks down the highlights

The atmosphere generated by the crowd inside the Liverpool Experience Campus, gathered for day one of the UK Imaging and Oncology Congress, was electric.

Each year, members of the radiography profession, alongside expert speakers and industry specialists, gather in the city for three days of multiprofessional learning, cross-disciplinary sessions and an exhibition of the latest in imaging and cancer treatment technology.

UKIO 2026’s programme was bursting at the seams, each inspiring talk dedicated to the pivotal challenges and opportunities facing the profession today. Speakers covered advancements in AI, the evolving role of the radiographer, the importance of patient-centred care and much more.

Synergy reported live from the event across all three days of UKIO, which attracted hundreds of delegates and vendors to the Liverpool Experience Campus on 8-10 June.

Why SoR members attended UKIO

SoR member Ramadan Haram, a Diagnostic Radiographer at the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, was in attendance at UKIO. He shared how important the conference had been for his own learning and development, and recommended any interested radiographers attend in future.

“Attending UKIO 2026 was an inspiring experience and an excellent opportunity to learn from professionals across radiography, radiology, academia and industry,” he said. “The quality of the educational programme was outstanding, but equally valuable were the conversations between sessions, where ideas, experiences and perspectives were shared so openly.

“UKIO reminded me of the importance of remaining curious, embracing continuous professional development and engaging with the wider imaging community. I would highly recommend the conference to anyone working in medical imaging. Whether you are a student, newly qualified or an experienced practitioner, UKIO is an invaluable opportunity to learn, network and contribute to the conversations shaping the future of healthcare.”

To kick things off, UKIO president and interventional radiologist Dr Shah Islam welcomed the attendees to this year’s conference, and explained his philosophy for the “relentless pursuit of excellence” and how the four Cs – curiosity, challenge, change and community – formed his approach as president of the congress. “That’s what UKIO is,” he said. “A multidisciplinary community of radiographers, radiologists and more. There’s nowhere else quite like it.”

Dr Islam added that the growing attention on AI was one of the most significant developments in healthcare of the last few years, but the technology could never replace the human element. “Love and forgiveness are two of the most important facets of the fabric that makes us human,” he continued. “Regardless of the views and analysis of an algorithm, it will never see what we see: a person, a family. There’s no doubt the algorithm will get better. Let the algorithm master the image – we will master the patient.”

‘A new era is upon us’

With all the attention on the transformational power of AI, perhaps it was no surprise that this year’s conference was opened by a session on that very topic: Professor Shafi Ahmed’s plenary session: ‘Intelligent: The evolution of AI transforming healthcare.’ Professor Ahmed discussed the history of AI in healthcare, its development and its ability to affect the trajectory of humanity. “AI creates a lot of fear and anxiety,” he said. “We need to strike a balance between innovation and human agency. The best way to predict the future is to create it. How do we deploy AI for our patients in a way that is safe, effective and predictable?

“Healthcare isn’t ready [for AI]. It’s fundamentally broken – the systems don’t work. Can we open our minds to AI? We cannot be certain about our future with AI. Together, collectively, we need to figure out how to deploy it. How can we take control of our journey with AI as humans?”

The question of how to maintain the human element as autonomous scanning grows more likely remained a running theme throughout day one.

Professor Ric Khine delivered the prestigious SoR Martine Jackson Memorial Lecture on the topic ‘Shaping the future of cancer care – the expanding horizons of therapeutic radiography’, where he discussed the need to expand and improve radiotherapy services in the face of workforce crises and financial challenges, the need to centralise and simplify funding streams, and the changes in the healthcare landscape – namely, from treatment to prevention.

He explained that a “new era is upon us”, and that cancer care needed to embed innovation that translated into high-quality care for patients. Fortunately, Therapeutic Radiographers are at the centre of this transformation. “Are we a future-ready workforce?” he asked. “The way care is delivered is evolving quickly. The education landscape is changing rapidly as well. What does that mean for our patients? For me, it provides assurance to our patients that radiotherapy is a valuable profession with highly skilled, trained experts who are adaptive, reflective, competent practitioners.”

But perhaps the highlight of the first day was the celebratory atmosphere around the SoR stand, when representatives from the British Institute of Radiology and the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine joined for the launch of the Collaborative Ultrasound Manifesto.

Together, the presenters explained that ultrasound as a specialty is evolving rapidly while involved with a broad range of patient pathways. Katie Thompson, president of the SoR, said: “Those of you working in ultrasound will be well aware of the challenges we are facing. We continue to face the absence of statutory regulation and a lack of funding for education and the workforce. The current model is not sustainable. We need a workforce that is supported in the face of the physical and emotional challenges we face every day.

“Statutory regulation matters. It enables more training routes into the profession, supports recruitment and retention and ensures patient safety. Not only must we recruit new sonographers, we must also support the workforce we already have. Too many colleagues are working under pressure, risking burnout or facing the risk of musculoskeletal injury. There is also too much inconsistency, regionally and nationally, around progression and promotion, and that creates inequity across the profession. That’s why this manifesto is so important.”

The Liverpool Experience Campus played host to this year's UKIO

Professor Ric Khine delivering a session on the future of cancer care

Joanna McNamara, Katie Thompson and Nama Julka-Anderson during a RadChat podcast recording

Benefit to the patient over financial return

An already-anticipatory crowd returned to the congress on day two after an evening of networking and celebration.

Tuesday’s programme opened with a panel of AI experts on the main stage for the ‘Signify Research Presents: The AI in imaging paradox’ plenary. The assembled speakers were asked one simple question: has AI in imaging been an expensive failure or a necessary prerequisite?

“Increasingly, we talk about the return on investment as the reason to purchase a new tech tool, particularly an AI tool,” said Catherine Jones, consultant radiologist at the I-MED Radiology Network, during the session. “But part of that return on investment is the benefit to the patient, not just a financial return. Why does a technology have to be cost neutral? Performing medical imaging for the right patient, with the right reason, at the right time, returns a health benefit.”

Catherine was joined on stage by Steve Holloway, co-founder and CEO of Signify Research; Simon Rost, chief marketing and strategy officer at GE HealthCare Germany; Chad McClennan, CEO of Koios Medical; Dr Rizwan Malik, managing director of SMR Health and Tech; and Graham King, AI Special Focus Group convenor at AXREM.

The speakers suggested AI adoption had ‘leapfrogged’ the impactful, low-risk uses of AI for the back-office functions, and was now leading to “shiny toy syndrome” by trying to find a use in radiology. Instead, they suggested, institutions should look into using AI for less visible elements of the patient pathway, such as billing and scheduling.

To kickstart the afternoon, consultant radiographer Dr Nick Woznitza led the second of the SoR’s eponymous lectures, the William Stripp Memorial Lecture.

Katie Thompson chaired the session and explained that William Stripp was well known for his orthopaedic work and his teaching skills. He wrote many scientific papers and practical guides.

Dr Woznitza provided an overview of the evolution of radiographic practice, ‘from Roentgen to robots’. He explained the process of discovery of X-rays, and the subsequent developments in healthcare that led to the creation of a new Allied Healthcare Profession: the radiographer.

He said: “The journey of the radiographer is one of the most dynamic in modern healthcare. We’re at the forefront of technology, and always have been. We are now in the fifth industrial revolution – that of artificial intelligence. Even though the pace of development is rapid, we are slowly starting to see adoption into practice. The requirement now is one of constant vigilance. We need to be the voice fighting for these changes.”

Day two of the conference closed with updates from the SoR on the impact of its leadership and research mentoring schemes – valuable programmes that give their applicants the chance to hone their skills as leaders or researchers under pillars of the radiography profession.

Chaired by the SoR’s executive director of professional policy, Charlotte Beardmore, the session focused on the impact of the society’s Formal Radiography Research Mentoring (FoRRM) and the Learning Mentorship Scheme (LMS).

Chidi Ollawa and Amanda Riley, recent graduates of the FoRRM and LMS schemes respectively, shared their first-hand experience of the programmes. “One of my main motivations for joining the scheme was the sense that opportunities within my current role felt increasingly limited, and at times misaligned with the type of work and impact I wanted to have,” said Amanda.

“I wanted to better understand what leadership or strategic roles might align with my values and preferred way of working, while also supporting a healthier and more sustainable work-life balance, so my objective is really centred around three areas: developing my confidence as a leader, exploring future opportunities beyond pure and clinical and building a clear understanding of my own leadership style, strengths and values.”

Recapping day two, Dr Emma Hyde, head of education and research at the SoR, said the atmosphere of the conference was “fantastic”, and recommended members come along whenever possible. “There’s a real buzz in the air, and the day has been really engaging and constructive,” she added. “There have been so many great discussions on where the profession is heading. This afternoon, I attended a session on education in the workforce that looked at generational differences, focusing on what everyone can learn from each other.

“We’ve had great engagement on the QSI review and the mentorship schemes, both for research and leadership. Anyone who wants to should come along and try out the conference. We might see you presenting next year!”

Attendees peruse the vendor stands on the exhibition floor

Charlotte Beardmore, executive director of professional policy at the SoR, on the SoR stand

‘We need to be forging our own path’

Patient voices

As the end of the conference drew near, attendees were keen to hear more about the SoR’s work on elevating the patient voice. Early on Wednesday morning, the final day of the event, listeners got an update on the refreshed ‘4Ps’ document: A Partnership between Patients, Practitioners and the Public.

Emma Hyde led the work to refresh the guidance and spoke during the session on the background, updates and key takeaways from the refresh. She explained that a broad range of research papers and patient feedback had gone into the rebuild of the guidance document to ensure that patient voices and experiences were amplified and elevated.

Dr Emma Hyde presenting the refreshed 4Ps guidance

Dr Emma Hyde presenting the refreshed 4Ps guidance

The audience also heard from Trish MacNeill, volunteer and lay expert of the College of Radiographers Patient Advisory Group, who shared her experience with breast cancer and the ways she felt her concerns had been dismissed and her voice minimised in the process of diagnosis.

Just before lunch, members gathered in the main hall for the third and final eponymous lecture of UKIO, the Stanley Melville Memorial Lecture.

Professor Julie Nightingale, director of the National Institute for Health and Care Research Allied Health Professional (AHP) Workforce Research Partnership and professor of diagnostic imaging education at Sheffield Hallam University, gave a talk entitled: ‘Save Our Staff: re-defining radiography through a workforce research lens.’

Her session focused on how applied workforce research can provide insight into workforce composition, skill gaps, recruitment and retention. “There is a lack of consensus on what the important questions are on AHP workforce research,” she said. “We need to be forging our own path. We know people are burned out, we know why people are burned out – now we need to move to the next stage: what can we do about it?”

Attendees listening at the SoR stand

Attendees listening at the SoR stand

Reflecting on day three, Charlotte said: “It’s been so busy in the exhibition hall today, with a lot of students in attendance. It’s good to feel that energy. I enjoyed Professor Julie Nightingale’s fantastic lecture on AHP workforce data, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the profession will respond.

“The patient voice is so important. Machines are efficient and effective, but we as radiographers care for people, provide support and inform them on the processes – we still need to take time for patients. We don’t want to lose that. There is so much work ongoing to support the population to have a successful imaging experience; those are all messages we can take forward.”

Professor Julie Nightingale delivering an eponymous lecture

More about UKIO

UKIO is an annual conference held at the Liverpool Experience Campus in Liverpool. It is a multidisciplinary event run collaboratively by the SoR | CoR, the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine and the British Institute of Radiology. It first ran as UKIO in 2019.

Find out more about SoR events here.

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