Celebrating the vital work of radiographers: the Radiography Awards 2025

A prestigious ceremony at Vintners’ Hall gave radiographers across the country a chance to recognise exceptional practice. Synergy celebrates the winners

By Will Phillips

By Will Phillips

Every year, the Society of Radiographers welcomes members to its most prestigious of ceremonies: the Radiography Awards, sponsored by Philips. 

All too rarely are radiography professionals recognised for their efforts, when so often they go above and beyond for patients. But on Thursday 6 November at the glamorous Vintners’ Hall in London, the society took the opportunity to celebrate the nominees from across the country and fields of practice. 

The gathered hopefuls were welcomed into the hall, which sits near Southwark Bridge on the Thames, for drinks in the drawing room. They were then invited downstairs to join the celebration of the teams, individuals and students from across the UK who have made a positive difference to patient care or service delivery or who have excelled academically.

By Will Phillips

By Will Phillips

Every year, the Society of Radiographers welcomes members to its most prestigious of ceremonies: the Radiography Awards, sponsored by Philips. 

All too rarely are radiography professionals recognised for their efforts, when so often they go above and beyond for patients. But on Thursday 6 November at the glamorous Vintners’ Hall in London, the society took the opportunity to celebrate the nominees from across the country and fields of practice. 

The gathered hopefuls were welcomed into the hall, which sits near Southwark Bridge on the Thames, for drinks in the drawing room. They were then invited downstairs to join the celebration of the teams, individuals and students from across the UK who have made a positive difference to patient care or service delivery or who have excelled academically.

Richard Evans, CEO of the SoR, first took to the stage to greet members and emphasise the importance of lauding the achievements of everyone in the profession – not only those who had been nominated, but radiographers across the country. “It’s great to see everyone in this rather splendid room,” he said. “We’re all here to celebrate outstanding achievement by radiographers, who stand at the heart of modern healthcare. We make a difference to patients every single day.

“The Radiography Awards recognise dedication, innovation and leadership. Everyone here is already a winner for being exemplary. We’re able to hold these awards thanks to the generous support of Philips, which will be helping to build and develop the awards over the next few years.”

Richard was joined onstage by Rob Emery, regional director at Philips and a College of Radiographers’ trustee. He emphasised the vital nature of the radiography profession, and how glad he was that the team at Philips was able to support their work in providing an excellent patient experience. “It’s a massive privilege to be here,” he said. “Everything you do gets taken for granted, and it’s really important to recognise that the work of radiographers is vital. We at Philips are here to support the profession with solutions during this difficult time in the NHS through continued investment and responsible research and innovation. 

“If new technology can take the burden off of you, it’s being used in a responsible and impactful way. Our role is as an enabler to you and your teams. You all have an impact on people’s lives, and today we are recognising that. Congratulations to everyone here, and everyone who helped you get here!”

Katie Thompson, president of the SoR, spoke of the important work being done by members in their departments: “I stood for president because I wished to make a difference in the profession, and that’s what the nominees here tonight are being celebrated for. Improving people’s experience, removing barriers to service improvement and, when people ask ‘why change?’, answering ‘why not?’

“I am proud of all the work members do every day to provide excellent, person-centred care. Thank you.”

Finally, Sally Edgington, CEO of trade association for imaging AXREM, spoke of her own experience with radiographers, adding that, in the ever-changing world of healthcare, the values extolled by members in ensuring patients are treated right is more important than ever. “It is a true honour to stand before you at this celebration, recognising people who have gone above and beyond,” she said. “When I was younger, I underwent 17 maxillofacial operations. More than anything, I remember the radiographers. You treated me not as a patient, but as a person.

“AXREM is committed to aligning with the values demonstrated by radiographers every single day – compassion, equality and a human-centred approach. In a world of rapid change, we must never lose sight of the human-centred stories at the heart of healthcare. 

“Thank you to every radiographer across the country for your skill, your empathy and your unwavering dedication.”

The winners

Regional winners

Professional of the Year

The Radiography Professional of the Year award recognises an individual’s remarkable contribution to improving patient care, service delivery or raising the profile of our role in healthcare. This year’s winners are:

Eastern Radiography Professional of the Year:

Paul Newman

South East Radiography Professional of the Year:

Mike Jones

London Radiography Professional of the Year:

Amanda Webster

Midlands Radiography Professional of the Year:

Natalina Milazzo

Northern Radiography Professional of the Year:

Philippa Bird

Northern Ireland Radiography Professional of the Year:

Noelle Clerkin

North West Radiography Professional of the Year:

Lisa Ashmore

Scotland Radiography Professional of the Year:

Jacqui Thorpe

South West Radiography Professional of the Year:

Adam Prout

Wales Radiography Professional of the Year:

Ailish Mcgrail

Yorkshire and North Trent Radiography Professional of the Year:

Saraaz Khalil

Learner of the Year

This award recognises a student or apprentice who has demonstrated passion for the radiography profession. They have excelled academically and clinically, delivered high levels of patient care and contributed positively to the student cohort, working environment and wider radiography community. This year’s winners are:

Eastern Radiography Learner of the Year:

Connor Parish

London Radiography Learner of the Year:

Zoulika Mahmood

Midlands Radiography Learner of the Year:

Erin Graham

North West Radiography Learner of the Year:

Zain Almahmood

South West Radiography Learner of the Year:

Alice Denslow

Yorkshire and North Trent Radiography Learner of the Year:

Lamiya Khokon

Radiography Team of the Year

Teams that have used innovative practices to improve service delivery or radiography education, or demonstrated exceptional multi-professional collaboration, and are committed to delivering outstanding patient care, can receive the Team of the Year award. This year’s winners are:

Eastern Radiography Team of the Year:

The Student Radiographer Podcast

London Radiography Team of the Year:

Radiotherapy UK

Midlands Radiography Team of the Year:

Cardiac radiographers at Kettering General Hospital

North West Radiography Team of the Year:

Christie Radiotherapy Clinical Trials Team

Northern Ireland Radiography Team of the Year:

Prostate Radiotherapy Prehab Team at Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Northern Radiography Team of the Year:

MRI team at Sunderland Royal Hospital

Scotland Radiography Team of the Year:

National Ultrasound Training Programme at NHS Scotland Academy

South East Radiography Team of the Year:

Radiotherapy team at Royal Surrey Cancer Centre

South West Radiography Team of the Year:

Peninsula Quality, Governance & Service Improvement Team

Wales Radiography Team of the Year:

DXA team at County Hospital

Yorkshire and North Trent Radiography Team of the Year:

Radiography (diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy and oncology) team at Sheffield Hallam University

Overall winners

UK Radiography Professional of the Year:

Lisa Ashmore

UK Radiography Learner of the Year:

Connor Parish

UK Radiography Team of the Year:

Christie Radiotherapy Clinical Trials Team

Educator of the Year

The Educator of the Year award honours educators who are committed to improving the learning experience of students and radiography apprentices, promoting inclusive learning environments and using innovative teaching methods to inspire their students. This year’s winner is Bethany Isle, radiography clinical Educator, King's Mill Hospital.

Patients Choice

Awarded by the Patient Advisory Group, this award recognises one radiography team and one radiography professional who go above and beyond to enhance the patient experience. They exceed expectations in advocating for patient-centred care and champion the patient voice. 

Team award:

Cardiac radiographers at Kettering General Hospital

Individual award:

Amanda Webster

Fellowship of the College of Radiographers:

Gill Holroyd

Katie Thompson, president of the SoR, said: 

It is my pleasure to present the Fellowship of the College of Radiographers for 2025, awarded to Gill Holroyd.

Gill qualified as a Diagnostic Radiographer in 1978 and has devoted her entire career to imaging services across Cheshire and Merseyside. Over nearly five decades, she has shown consistent leadership, professionalism and a deep commitment to patient care and to her colleagues.

Her experience spans all imaging modalities, though her heart has always been in CT. In 2000, she became radiology service manager at St Helens and Knowsley Hospitals, where she fostered collaboration and continuous improvement, helping the department achieve an Outstanding CQC rating.

For 10 years, Gill served as a Quality Standard for Imaging assessor, promoting high standards and best practice across the UK. As clinical collaboration lead for the Cheshire and Merseyside Radiology Imaging Network, she guided service transformation and workforce development across the region.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was seconded to the NHS England Imaging Transformation Team, supporting national imaging coordination and equipment delivery for the seven Nightingale Hospitals.

Gill went on to co-author the North West Imaging Workforce Strategy and Implementation Plan, uniting NHS and university partners to strengthen the imaging workforce.

Now, as clinical imaging professional Lead for the North West Imaging Academy, Gill continues to mentor and inspire the next generation, developing new education and leadership opportunities across imaging.

She has been described as a “radiographer’s radiographer” — someone who quietly leads by example, supports others, and never loses sight of the patient at the centre of care.

It is therefore with great pride that the Fellowship of the College of Radiographers is awarded to Gill Holroyd