The Trust took home these two very prestigious awards from the 2017 Society of Radiographer’s annual awards ceremony, which was held on the 6th of November, 2017 at the Law Society in London. Hilary Rose received the South West Radiographer prize, while the South West Team award went to the Trust’s Cross-Sectional Imaging Team.
“Every year the Society of Radiographers organise a competition with a number of categories,” Trust Diagnostic Imaging Manager Jackie Smith explained. “It’s usually big research teams and teaching hospitals that win these awards. We’d never even submitted a nomination before, so winning was just incredible.”
All submissions were assessed by a panel of independent radiographers who first determine regional winners, then national ones. Hilary was cited for her enthusiasm, self-motivation and teamwork, as well as her work in setting up a new induction programme for newly qualified radiographers. The judges were particularly impressed with Hilary’s dedication to producing quality images, which ultimately allows better diagnosis for patients.
“It’s really invigorating to see someone that still holds those initial values of your professional at the heart of what they do; the quality of the imaging we produce,” Jackie said.
The Cross Sectional Team were cited for their close working relationships and for being highly professional, multi-skilled, and, above all, holding the values of dignity, and respect of their patients as a priority in everything they accomplished.
“It’s also an acknowledgement from the Society that small teams are doing outstanding work,” Jackie said. “We are a small Trust, but the team truly works together to deliver our services at a standard that’s often better than those at larger organisations.”
Hilary was extremely touched to hear she’d been nominated, let alone that she’d won the award. And she was especially pleased about the team winning.
“It’s given us a real boost,” Hilary stated. “We have an amazing young team here, very open to new ideas. We’re doing good imaging; we’re helping patients. I just really enjoy my job.”
“I was absolutely bowled over,” Juttalie Cole, Trust Cross-Sectional Team Lead, said. “It was an honour to be nominated and to have our hard work recognised. And it’s not just the radiographers, it’s the wider team as well that allows us to perform and do what we do—the assistants, clerical staff, people working behind scenes.”
“It completely blew me away,” Alan Easthope, Trust MRI Lead, agreed. “Though we’ve had very good departmental feedback over the years, winning those awards has been the icing on the cake.”
( l to r: Charlie McCaffrey, Carestream Chief Executive; Alan Easthope and Juttalie Cole, 2017 South West Radiography Team of the Year winners; and Suzanne Rastrick, NHS England’s Chief Allied Health Professions Officer.)
( l to r: Charlie McCaffrey, Carestream Chief Executive; Hilary Rose, 2017 South West Radiographer of the Year winner; and Suzanne Rastrick, NHS England’s Chief Allied Health Professions Officer.)