In early October, I took a trip with SoR staff to the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (ARI) in the Foresterhill Campus – home to the University of Aberdeen’s medical school – and Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin. The plan was to observe and interview radiographers working within NHS Grampian and find out more about their day-to-day life within the hospital.

A group consisting of myself, SoR head of external relations, marketing and communications Jess Reid, photographer Eva Slusarek and videographer Clark James spent two full days with radiography staff across the two hospital branches. Led by Julie Rankin – professional officer of Scotland – we were taken into the bowels of both hospitals, meeting radiographers across all modalities and units.

One of the stand-out experiences for me was visiting ARI’s mammography unit. Decked out in pink decor to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the unit was quiet on the day we visited. Regardless, the mammographers we spoke to were enthusiastic about sharing their experiences working in ARI.