Radiographers on strike for the first time in 110 years. Me as senior (HEMS) Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Radiographer at the Royal London Hospital Whitechapel.
For the first time in it's 110 year history the Collage of Radiographers have gone on strike to try to improve working conditions, recruitment and retention and to get a fair days pay, I am 100% behind the strike.
Having been a Radiographer for 30 years before retiring I have experienced all the issues discussed within this fabulous profession. Falling recruitment levels and retention in the profession being a major problem, especially when you consider a newly qualified Radiographer after studying in university for 3 to 4 years getting payed less than stacking shelves in a supermarket and after gaining a Superintendents position, in charge of imaging services for A/E and all unplanned admissions orthopaedics, mobiles, theatres, ITU, DSA, out-of-Hours services, in house training, CPD and lecturing and all the responsibilities this brings and getting paid the same as a Bank Clerk!
Radiographers are the eyes an ears of the NHS performing x-rays, ultrasounds, CT and MRi scans, Radioisotope imaging, Cardiac Angiography and other interventional work, working in the operating theatres and out on the wards with mobile imaging, breast and cancer screening, nights and unsociable hours and many many more responsibilities.
I remember being in charge of a three room A/E x-ray department, all trauma and unplanned admissions, daily fracture and orthopaedic clinics, paediatrics including emergency outreach and trauma all mobile and theatre cases with 4 to 5 Radiographers, all rooms full and lists morning and afternoon.
I clearly remember one month in the summer at St Mary's Paddington being in charge, working a long day, thats 08.00 to 20.00 and due to sickness, holidays and just not having an adequate staffing level going straight into a full night, then again due to sickness going into another full day, getting home at 23 00 to have a nights sleep until the first train back to London at 06.30 and having to do it all over again. Missing my daughters birthdays and never having Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Years off for 4 years, missing family holidays, working over 70 hours a week, nights and weekends and in my department having myself, one more full time staff member and the rest agency who did not know the equipment or the hospital! No wonder why getting people to join the profession is failing and radiographers are leaving in droves for far easier and better payed jobs.
ER was the program to watch with smooth George Clooney. "Cosmo" magazine did a series called the "Real ER" at the Royal London Whitechapel. Here are two pages from the run with me as the Senior Trauma Radiographer at the time running the trauma imaging service and the trauma calls when a patient came to us on the London Air Ambulance. I am in the bottom left hand corner positioning the x-ray head ready to do the trauma series on a RTC brought in by HEMS
Radiographers on strike for the first time in 110 years. Me as senior (HEMS) Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Radiographer at the Royal London Hospital Whitechapel.
For the first time in it's 110 year history the Collage of Radiographers have gone on strike to try to improve working conditions, recruitment and retention and to get a fair days pay, I am 100% behind the strike.
Having been a Radiographer for 30 years before retiring I have experienced all the issues discussed within this fabulous profession. Falling recruitment levels and retention in the profession being a major problem, especially when you consider a newly qualified Radiographer after studying in university for 3 to 4 years getting payed less than stacking shelves in a supermarket and after gaining a Superintendents position, in charge of imaging services for A/E and all unplanned admissions orthopaedics, mobiles, theatres, ITU, DSA, out-of-Hours services, in house training, CPD and lecturing and all the responsibilities this brings and getting paid the same as a Bank Clerk!
Radiographers are the eyes an ears of the NHS performing x-rays, ultrasounds, CT and MRi scans, Radioisotope imaging, Cardiac Angiography and other interventional work, working in the operating theatres and out on the wards with mobile imaging, breast and cancer screening, nights and unsociable hours and many many more responsibilities.
I remember being in charge of a three room A/E x-ray department, all trauma and unplanned admissions, daily fracture and orthopaedic clinics, paediatrics including emergency outreach and trauma all mobile and theatre cases with 4 to 5 Radiographers, all rooms full and lists morning and afternoon.
I clearly remember one month in the summer at St Mary's Paddington being in charge, working a long day, thats 08.00 to 20.00 and due to sickness, holidays and just not having an adequate staffing level going straight into a full night, then again due to sickness going into another full day, getting home at 23 00 to have a nights sleep until the first train back to London at 06.30 and having to do it all over again. Missing my daughters birthdays and never having Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Years off for 4 years, missing family holidays, working over 70 hours a week, nights and weekends and in my department having myself, one more full time staff member and the rest agency who did not know the equipment or the hospital! No wonder why getting people to join the profession is failing and radiographers are leaving in droves for far easier and better payed jobs.
ER was the program to watch with smooth George Clooney. "Cosmo" magazine did a series called the "Real ER" at the Royal London Whitechapel. Here are two pages from the run with me as the Senior Trauma Radiographer at the time running the trauma imaging service and the trauma calls when a patient came to us on the London Air Ambulance. I am in the bottom left hand corner positioning the x-ray head ready to do the trauma series on a RTC brought in by HEMS