Still radiating: Angus Fitchet’s remarkable radiography journey

When Angus Fitchet left grammar school in 1974, he thought a civil service career might be the way forward. Six months later, he realised it wasn’t for him – and a hospital stay following surgery for Crohn’s disease set him on a path that would change his life.

During recovery, Angus met a trainee radiographer who told him about the Plymouth School of Radiography. Intrigued, he applied, and on 15 September 1975 began training at 8 Woodside, Plymouth. Three years later, he qualified as a radiographer and his lifelong career in X-ray began.

Early adventures in radiography

Freshly qualified, Angus worked locum shifts at Greenbank Hospital and Passmore Edwards Cottage Hospital in Cornwall. It was there that he helped arrange the transfer of a patient with a hip fracture to Plymouth – prompting the patient to later write to the Cornish Times to thank “that gallant young X-ray technician who hoisted my 13-and-a-half stone across the table”. No moving-top tables back then!

In July 1978, Angus moved to Southampton General Hospital as a paediatric radiographer on a salary of £2,823 per annum. He quickly made his mark – publishing an article in RAD Magazine in October about a radiography charity bed race in Romsey, followed by another piece the following year about lead rubber aprons for children.

A stint at Western Hospital’s cardiology department followed, where coronary angiograms were still recorded on 70mm film. In 1981, Angus attended the International Society of Radiographers and Radiological Technologists conference in Brussels, where a chance meeting with Jersey’s superintendent radiographer would later prove life changing.

From Southampton to Jersey 

In 1982, Angus took up a locum post at Jersey General Hospital and soon after secured a permanent role as a Senior II radiographer. At the time, the department consisted of just seven radiographers, one radiologist, three office staff, a secretary and a nurse – a far cry from today’s teams.

Over the years, Angus saw Jersey’s imaging service expand dramatically, introducing ultrasound, mammography, interventional radiology, CT and MRI. He trained in CT and earned a PGCert in Imaging (CT) from Bradford University in 1996. In 2012, he gained a BTEC Professional Certificate in Management Studies and went on to become CT modality manager in 2018 – leading the service through scanner upgrades and the challenges of the Covid pandemic. 

One of Angus’s proudest achievements during the 80s and 90s was being chairman of the Jersey Association for Crohn’s and Colitis, raising awareness and money to help purchase a fibre optic endoscope for the gastrointestinal unit.

Retirement… of sorts 

In 2021, after more than four decades of service, Angus officially retired – but radiography wasn’t quite done with him yet. He continues to work on a zero-hours contract, supporting the Jersey radiology department. In 2024, he received a Jersey Public Service award for 40 years of long service. And Angus’s impact hasn’t just been professional, he’s been the life and soul of the department – known for his quick wit, endless jokes and being sociable, including a legendary re-enactment of the video to Is This The Way To Amarillo.

Reflecting on his career, Angus credits teamwork, curiosity and a bit of good fortune for keeping him passionate about the profession. “Radiography has changed so much since those early days of manual film handling and no moving tables,” he says, “but the heart of the job – helping patients – has never changed.”

And with Angus still radiating enthusiasm after nearly 50 years, we think that’s a dose of positivity worth celebrating.