Maureen Beange, chair of the NHS QIS Therapeutic Radiography Practice Development Network, reports on the radiotherapy study day in Scotland...
The Network for Therapeutic Radiography, which is funded by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, enjoyed a well attended study day in Stirling on 21 March 2009.
Over 70 therapy radiographers attended. Attendees heard about the use and application of IMRT/IGRT, 4DCT and respiratory gating, as well as presentations about specialist radiography roles in both paediatrics and neuro-oncology.
A presentation on palliative imaging demonstrated the importance of this area and attendees also heard about further role developments for radiographers in managing a fast track malignant spinal cord compression process and in supplementary prescribing.
Delegates also heard about how to make the most of opportunities for advanced practice in radiotherapy and how to obtain accreditation for radiographic advanced practice from the College of Radiographers.
Following the success of the study day, it has been suggested that this should become an annual event.
NHS Quality Improvement Scotland are in the process of recruiting a new chairperson for this group and, as the retiring chairperson, I would encourage applications.
This is an excellent opportunity for CPD. I took on this role after suggesting to QIS that therapy should have their own network after being part of an inactive one that covered radiographers as a whole. The job itself is not necessarily onerous. There are two meetings a year with the other AHPs and other meetings as you or the group decide are required.
The group already exists with representatives from each of the departments. QIS have a budget for our network and as a profession we have been given an opportunity to share practice through this, such as on the study day.
• I would like to thank Anne MacIntyre, Margaret Spalding, Christine Blyth, Carole Hornsby, Anne Wilson, Martin Rudge, Maureen Thomson, Marie McCabe, Maria Murray and Lesley Forsyth, the Practice Development Representatives for all their support and work done over the past two years. Thanks also to the QIS staff Michelle Miller and Linsey Rodgers for their help in arranging the study day. Thanks also go to Claire Tester for all her help and support, and her Introduction to QIS and Practice Development on the day. Appreciation to Maureen Thomson, Marie McCabe and Linda Goodall for their excellent chairing of the sessions, and of course to Aileen Duffton, Margaret Omand, Joanne Roberts, Melanie Moore, Aoife O’Regan, Maria Murray, John Burton, Vicky Doughty and Martin Rudge for their excellent presentations on the day.
• The Practice Development Network at NHS QIS aims to support allied health professionals in Scotland by providing a national focus for practice development for AHPs, and supporting an infrastructure which will develop and promote strategies to improve the quality of patient care.
The network does this by:
• Ensuring best practice is recognised and shared across the country;
• Learning from ideas and experiences generated from local projects and innovation, and sharing these with national organisations and groups;
• Focusing on key clinical topics to identify best practice and opportunities for improvement in patient care;
• Facilitating knowledge transfer across specialities, professions and organisations.
Practice development network chairs and regional representatives
Ten uni-professional chairs are seconded to NHS QIS for one day per month and act as the key point of contact for their profession’s network. Over 100 AHPs represent each of the uni-professional networks from NHS Boards across Scotland to:
• Act as a practice development network contact for their profession and their NHS Board;
• Cascade information to their colleagues to and from the network;
•Identify local and professional initiatives to share across the Network
•Work on a set of objectives, and
meet with other AHPs to share information and initiatives.
www.nhshealthquality.org/ahp
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