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SoR celebrates sonography as part of #MUAM

Join us this month in celebrating the role of sonography in patient care, with 2023 marking our sixth year celebrating Medical Ultrasound Awareness Month (MUAM).

Since 2018, the SoR has dedicated the month of October to MUAM - an initiative aiming to raise the profile of sonographers, the experts in ultrasound scanning, interpretation, and diagnosis.

Sonographers are highly skilled, and they work across a wide range of areas from pregnancy scanning to abdominal, cardiology and gynaecology, veins and arteries, muscles and tendons, lumps and bumps, and so much more.

The SoR Ultrasound Advisory Group, first championed MUAM to take place in the UK six years ago. They play a key role in steering the strategic direction of the profession and advise on ways to improve ultrasound services and education of practitioners. #SoRUAG will be celebrating all things ultrasound across our social channels throughout October, so be sure to follow us @SCoRMembers to get involved.

Click here to read about the first degree apprentices in medical ultrasound

Radiographers celebrate award for diversity and inclusion initiatives

A London trust has taken home a prestigious award for its work promoting diversity and inclusion.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust was recognised for its work at the prestigious Healthcare People Management Association Awards, held at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds in September.

The trust scooped the Mills and Reeve Award for Leading in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, an acknowledgement of the work that has been going on inside the organisation in response to staff feedback.

This included the founding of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network, which helped promote other individual inclusivity networks that already existed within the trust, and held regular meetings with senior management to ensure staff feedback reached the top of the organisation.

Amanda Ayee, Society of Radiographers rep and trust chair of Staff Side, said: “Winning the Mills and Reeve Award was the thrilling reward for much hard work over the last few years.

“We know we have made an enormous amount of progress - doubling our representation of minority groups in senior roles, maintaining London living wage accreditation and receiving our Disability Confident Employer accreditation - but winning the award does not mean we are stopping there.”

(l-r): Jackie Keizer, education events supervisor, Giovanna Leeks, associate director of Workforce, Meera Nair, CPO, Eric Pirozzoli, associate director of workforce, Amanda Ayee, radiographer and Chair of union staff side, Makayla Mundle, EDI lead.

Professor Ric Khine takes up new role

Therapeutic radiographer Professor Ric Khine FCR has taken up a new education role at Queen Mary University of London this month.

Professor Khine, who was previously head of school for the health and social care professions at Buckinghamshire New University, has taken up a new position as professor of medical education and deputy director at the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE).

Professor Khine said: “I am extremely delighted to have joined the IHSE. I am very much looking forward to contributing to the work of the IHSE in delivering a first-class medical education and bringing in my expertise and experience of healthcare education. Equally I am excited by the University’s overall vision, mission, and academic ambitions.”

Charlotte Beardmore, executive director of professional policy at SoR, congratulated Professor Khine on his appointment: “This is fantastic news. We look forward to continuing to work with you in your new role on key areas of education, practice and research relevant to the development of the radiography workforce.”

Professor Khine has been a passionate advocate of therapeutic radiography during his more than 20-year career, representing the profession in activities for the SoR | CoR, European Federation of Radiographer Societies and Health Education England. He is a senior fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Academy of Medical Educators.

Dr. Rose Thompson | Image credit: Lindsay Thompson

A celebration of life and legacy of Dr. Rose Thompson

Obituary

Dr Rose Thompson

Rose Thompson was a therapeutic radiographer in London and the Midlands for 26 years, founder of the CIC Social enterprise BME Cancer Communities, and founder/CEO of the charity B'Me Against Cancer.

Rose was a multi-award winning campaigner, whose vision was to contribute to ending, or at least reducing, cancer health inequalities. She was the author of two BME prostate cancer reports launched in the House of Commons and was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Social Sciences from Nottingham Trent University in 2017.

Her career in cancer services began in 1977 at Westminster Hospital radiotherapy department in central London, having qualified at the Nottingham School of Radiography the year before, three months after losing her mother to advanced breast cancer. Her twin sister also died of breast cancer and Rose herself was a two times survivor of the disease.

From 2003 to 2007, Rose was Black and Minority Ethnic cancer information specialist at Europe’s leading cancer information charity Cancerbackup, since merged with Macmillan Cancer Support.
She was honoured by Nottingham City Council with a Goose Fair Award for "the city's best," in recognition of the numerous cancer-focused community initiatives she had led throughout her career.

Alison Hewitt, friend and radiographer, remembers Rose

I first met Rose in 2008 at a women's event in London organised by 'Different Women' and when she mentioned during her talk that she was a radiographer, I made a beeline for her after the event finished.

We found that we had a lot in common including mutual friends in Nottingham, radiology, Jamaican heritage and academic networking. She shared with me her campaign to reduce the breast screening age to below 50 and I received my first letter aged 47!

My son and I attended her 60th birthday party and when he lost a toy there, Rose replaced it with some gifts from Hamleys.

I kept encouraging her to write a book about her life. She's gone now because her work is done but she has passed on several batons to women, cancer patients and campaigners, Jamaicans and her close knit family members and friends. I will miss her dearly.

There will be a celebration of Rose's life at the Albert Hall in Nottingham on 14 October 2023. Full details here or click the link below.

Welcome to our new Quality Improvement Partner Glenda Shaw

Diagnostic radiographer Glenda Shaw is a new addition to the QSI team, as part of the joint initiative from the SoR and The Royal College of Radiologists.

Glenda was previously QSI lead for the Royal Cornwall Hospital, looking after the acute site and eight community hospitals across the county, before joining Katherine Jakeman in taking on the national remit of the SoR/RCR role.

One of Glenda's first tasks was to write the regular QIP Tips article for this month's Synergy magazine, giving her ten tips for radiographers starting a new role. Click here to read more about Glenda and her take on QSI success.

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