The Scottish Radiological Society

THE SCOTTISH RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Standing Scottish Committee

Role Development for Radiographers, Assistant Practitioners and Radiography Support Workers within Scotland: NHS Education for Scotland (NES)

Update for Royal College of Radiologists Standing Scottish Committee - 10 June 2005

The role development project was commissioned of NES by the Scottish Executive and has been running since Spring 2004. There was preparatory information gathering prior to this scoping the extent of Radiographer Role Development at that time in Scotland, and the underpinning education framework.

The project objectives have been to identify implementation sites and to develop a plan to implement role development within these. These are Glasgow (Diagnostic), Fife (Diagnostic) and Highland (Diagnostic and Therapy).

Further objectives have been to develop postgraduate curricula accessible in a flexible format, to ensure that the project reflects the values of the profession and patients and to facilitate an increase in support for role development from key stakeholders.

The work programmes which have been developed following the analysis of the current profile have reflected the objectives. The project infrastructure has been multi disciplinary and multi agency in order to be robust.

The emerging themes from the analysis of the Scottish profile was that there was a broad range of role development across Scotland but variable uptake. There was limited specialist Postgraduate educational support for role development but provision was accessed from a number of higher educational institutes in the UK (14 for Radiography and 4 for Radiotherapy). In addition, for unregistered staff, there was limited role development opportunity and the use of support workers in Diagnostic. Radiography was wide spread but of limited scope mainly around clerical, IT and film processing. There was emerging use in Therapeutic Radiography. For radiographers, priority areas for development have been identified and pump priming curricula of development is ongoing. Detail cannot be released as contract meetings are still in progress with Higher Education Institutions. In the case of Radiography Assistants, Higher National Certificates in both Diagnostic and Therapeutic Radiography have been commissioned and curricula are being developed with SQA. Assistant Practitioner competency frameworks have been developed and finalised for both Radiotherapy and Diagnostic Radiographers and are on the NES website.

The project has been taken forward with a guiding principal that the developed roles should be recognised as appropriate and within clinical governance by the various professions and stake holders and also the patient and wider public in relation to patient safety.

The project has been informed by formal engagement with Medical Directors, Radiologists, Oncologists, Radiographer Managers and Radiography staff including support staff. Analysis of an Oncologist/Radiologist survey has informed the project. Advantages of role extension have been perceived as being increased professional standing for radiographers, better recruitment and retention, best use of manpower, increase service flexibility, reduced pressure on service and reduced waiting times. Anxieties reflect the impact on Specialist Registrar training, Medico Legal responsibilities, Radiographers recognising their own limitations, dilution of Radiologist skills and clinical governance issues.

There have been events engaging Radiography Managers and staff in relation to advanced Practitioners and Assistant Practitioner competencies.

Project plans are being developed for the implementation sites. In summary, the project aims to achieve clarity regarding the extent of role development in Scotland. This Scottish Executive commissioned project is to dove tail with the ethos of the National Framework which will report in May 2005, the Centre for Change and Innovation and the Waiting Times Unit. This cannot be achieved without support from key stakeholders and credibility of the project.

It is difficult to encapsulate the magnitude, scope and complexity of the project in a short report and encouragement is given to visit the NES website where further detail is available. (www.nes.scot.nhs.uk)

Elizabeth Robertson
June 2005