Consultant Radiographers Advisory Group
CRAG
CRAG
The consultant radiographer advisory group (CRAG) is constituted of 15 members who serve on the group. CRAG provide leadership and advice in the development and support of trainee consultant and consultant practitioner roles in clinical imaging and therapeutic radiography services. CRAG members serve a tenure with adverts for new members placed in synergy news, social media routes and synapse workspaces.
There is also a wider SoR consultant radiographer network space, available for trainee consultant and consultant SoR members. The network is hosted via online synapse software, including discussion boards. The network members are welcomed to work alongside CRAG, sharing knowledge, good practice, creativity and innovations in order to inform and influence the work of SoR and CRAG.
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To join a record of consultants | For access to Synapse |
For more general information, please see the: Consultant Practitioner Radiographers web page.
Membership
Consultant Radiographer Advisory Group members serving in 2022 are:
Stella originally trained as a diagnostic radiographer at the University College Suffolk, graduating in 2000 and started her career at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. In 2001, Stella moved to Dorset and held a position at Dorset Country Hospital (DCH), where she gained experience in general x-ray, fluoroscopy and CT. Throughout her training, Stella developed a keen interest in breast imaging and in 2005 gained the opportunity to train in mammography.
By 2012, Stella had completed post graduate qualifications in Clinical Breast Examination, Interpretation and Reporting in Mammography, Ultrasound of the Breast and Interventional breast procedures. A dissertation completed the MSc in Medical Imaging in 2014. During this period, Stella held two posts: in the symptomatic unit at DCH, and in the Dorset Breast Screening unit in Poole, first as an Advanced Practitioner, then trainee Consultant Practitioner, before being appointed as a Consultant Practitioner in 2014.
To supplement her development in the four core domains of Consultant Practice, Stella obtained a BTEC award in Principles of Management, Advanced Communication Skills qualifications and Acute Illness management qualification. She gained a place in the College of Radiographers 2019 Formal Radiography Research Mentoring scheme (FoRRM) where she was partnered with a very experienced researcher, which led to her contributing to an important publication regarding recruitment and retention of radiographer and later was added to the list of peer reviewers for the journal Radiography.
Stella has mentored students, apprentice associate practitioners, advanced practitioners and trainee consultant practitioners. In the academic arena, Stella provides an annual breast imaging lecture to Medical Sciences students at Exeter university and is working with the undergraduate radiography programme to improve education regarding advanced and enhanced practice. Along with two peers, Stella published the Third edition of Fundamentals of Mammography and has produced a series on mini-lectures on breast imaging to supplement clinical placements.
In 2019, Stella was approached to lead the Breast Imaging Service at Yeovil District Hospital. In this post, she became one of the first radiographers to lead a radiology service without the presence of a Consultant Radiologist. She works closely with the Breast MDT and is involved on local policy and workforce planning.
Stella is a member of the Somerset AHP faculty, South West Advancing Practice Faculty, and has been an active member of the SoR Consultant Radiographer group. As part of this group, she chaired a committee, who published the 2017 document “Consultant Radiographer – Guidance for the support of New and Established Roles”. She is currently leading the review of the document with plans to publish early 2022. She maintains a keen interest in current professional issues through her involvement the Consultant Radiographer Advisory Group. She also maintains her role a registered assessor for the College of Radiographers involved in the accreditation and approval of educational courses, assistant and advanced practitioner applications
Originally trained as a Diagnostic Radiographer at the University of Central England practising in Telford and Shrewsbury, Linda subsequently trained as a Mammographer at the University of Salford. She gained extensive experience within the field of breast imaging and trained further in interventional techniques, image reporting and breast ultrasound over the course of five years, finalising in completion of a master’s degree.
Linda created the first breast specialist advanced clinical practitioner role in her Trust and was part of a national taskforce to develop the role nationally. She was a guest speaker at University of Salford to promote the role to advanced practitioners. Linda became a consultant radiographer in 2019 where she contributed her knowledge and insight to the delivery of breast cancer services both locally and at a strategic level. Linda published her work that investigated the College of Radiographers voluntary accreditation scheme in 2017.
She has spoken at a CRAG education day and presented at Symposium Mammographicum 2021. She maintains a keen interest in current professional issues through her involvement in the Consultant Radiographer Advisory Group including revising the consultant guidance document.
Consultant Radiographer MSc, PG Cert, PG Dip, BSc (Hons).
I qualified as a diagnostic radiographer in 1997 from Salford University. I specialised into image reporting in 2005 and became the Lead Reporting Radiographer at Bradford teaching hospitals in 2005 where I implemented the trusts first radiographer reporting system. I have been a consultant radiographer since 2013 at the trust I currently work at which is The Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust. My main responsibility is to lead the reporting service and a team of advanced practitioners in delivering an immediate 7 day reporting service. I am also the clinical lead for the DXA (Dual Energy Absorptiometry) service and the osteoporosis lead for Radiology. I am an associate lecturer at Derby University on the DXA reporting module and the osteoporosis and falls module.
I am a member of the Consultant Radiographer Advisory Group (CRAG) at the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR) and a member of the Royal Osteoporosis Society. I have a keen interest in the prevention of fragility fractures in the elderly population and have written a chapter on DXA in the Clark’s special Procedures in Diagnostic Radiography 2020. I am also currently writing a new DXA textbook” Clark's Essential Guide to DXA in Clinical Practice” to help promote the use of DXA and highlight the importance of preventing fragility fractures. I am a huge advocate for promoting advanced and consultant practice in Radiography to improve patient outcomes and management. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, reading and watching rugby Union.
Val qualified as a Diagnostic Radiographer in 2001 from Cranfield University and has practiced as a general image reporting advanced practitioner since 2004. Val reports all areas of plain imaging and has experience working within a number of NHS trusts of various sizes and with progressive levels of seniority. Experience also in CT, Nuclear Medicine and Fluoroscopy has provided Val with a broadened set of knowledge and skills to perform as an expert.
Val’s passion for the radiography profession culminated in appointment as a Consultant Radiographer in 2014 at the University Hospitals of North Midlands. This role has given opportunity to push the boundaries of conventional thinking whilst performing the 4 core domains of advanced practice at consultant/MSc level.
Whilst providing expert opinion as part of a patient’s diagnostic journey Val works closely with the wider multi-disciplinary and senior management team’s clinically leading general and advanced practice imaging services. Teaching at undergraduate, postgraduate and radiology registrar levels is a key part of her role whilst actively researching and developing patient pathways using evidence based practice. Val is passionate about the education of the future workforce.
As a member of the SoR Consultant Radiographer Advisory Group working with other consultants from across diagnostic and therapy throughout the UK, Val actively contributes to the national direction of the radiography profession working closely with other institutions, unions and national NHS leads. Val sees her role as part of CRAG as key to help pave the way for the radiographers for the future whilst working hand in hand with the wider MDT ensuring patient centred change, developing educational opportunities for all.
Emergency care and rheumatology are key areas of interest of Val’s and she is currently working closely with ED and rheumatology MDT leads to achieve change and progressively improve the services we provide to our patients.
Two young children and an NHS working husband also never fail to keep Val on her toes.
Rob Milner trained as a diagnostic radiographer at the University of Leeds, qualifying in 2006. His career began in Liverpool and he has since worked at Doncaster, Worcester, Bradford, Wakefield and is currently at Rotherham.
Rob qualified as an MSK plain film reporting radiographer in 2009 and then in chest X-ray & abdomen X-ray reporting in 2013. He went on to complete his MSc in 2016. Rob was the first Allied Health consultant to be employed at the Rotherham Foundation Hospitals NHS Trust, taking post in April 2017.
Rob is jointly responsible for the direct management of plain film services at Rotherham, and he plays a key role in advanced and consultant practice, both within his own Trust and nationally. Liaising regularly with the Society and College of Radiographers (SCoR) to inform organisational practice at the highest level.
Having a passion for education, Rob has lectured on undergraduate and postgraduate radiographer programmes at local universities, and on at a UK reporting radiographer academy. Rob is involved in the teaching of a multitude of professional groups within his own NHS Trust and externally and has been a regular speaker at national study days for several years, winning the Alan Nichols Memorial Award for the best paper proffered at The UK Radiological Congress (UKRC) in 2015.
Rob is actively involved in audit and research at his current NHS trust and has published several peer reviewed journal articles, winning the 2016 SCoR Editors’ Choice Award for the best paper in Radiography journal. Additionally, he is a reviewer for several international peer reviewed journals.
CoR Accredited Consultant Practitioner (Radiotherapy)
Neill Roberts is a Consultant Therapeutic Radiographer (CTR) at The Leeds Cancer Centre & Sheffield Hallam University (SHU). He was appointed to the post in April 2015 becoming the first CTR in the UK to specialise in breast radiotherapy.
Neill qualified from The University of Leeds in 2001. He has held various positions within radiotherapy and in 2005 took up a seconded Research Radiographer role with the Yorkshire Cancer Research Network.
In 2012 he completed an MA in Public Health at Sheffield Hallam University. His scope of practice includes taking direct referrals for patients requiring breast radiotherapy, through to discharge. Neill’s academic role at SHU includes lecturing on the postgraduate breast cancer radiotherapy and advanced practice modules and acting as supervisor for MSc students completing the dissertation module. He is also actively engaged in research and development acting as local Principle Investigator on a number of badged trials involving breast radiotherapy.
At a national level Neill maintains his involvement with BRIG (Breast Radiotherapy Interest Group) and has been engaged with the Royal College of Radiologists and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence in the development of national breast radiotherapy guidelines. He also sits on the trial management group for the PRIMETIME study.
Neill’s enthusiasm for advanced practice has seen him work closely with Health Education England and oncology centres in Yorkshire & North East to develop and promote ACP & CTR training roles across the region.
Originally trained as a Diagnostic Radiographer at the University of Cumbria, Lancaster, Barry has been practising at Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust since 2011 where he has progressed from a newly qualified radiographer to consultant radiographer.
During this period he has helped to implement and has also initiated service delivery improvements. He has gained extensive x-ray image reporting experience over the last 6 years from full-time NHS reporting and ad-hoc private reporting. He obtained his Masters qualification in 2017 from Birmingham City University.
He has a keen interest in teaching technical skills and pathological appearances on x-ray images to radiographer colleagues and students, and medical students. His main research interests are image interpretation studies relating to reporting and preliminary clinical evaluation in which he has authored various publications, and also peer reviews for two professional journals.
Barry maintains his role as a registered assessor for the Society and College of Radiographers involved in the accreditation and approval of advanced practitioner applications. He also recently attained his College of Radiographers’ Accredited Consultant Practitioner status in February 2021.
CoR Accredited consultant practitioner (Radiotherapy)
Yat is a registered Therapeutic Radiographer in the United Kingdom since 2002. He completed his MSc in healthcare informatics in 2006 and his PhD by published work in 2018. He obtained the Fellowship of the College of Radiographers (FCR) by Portfolio in 2019 showcasing his positive contributions on advancing the radiography profession nationally.
In his current role as an accredited consultant therapeutic radiographer, Yat acts both as a clinical and technical expert to lead and coordinate his institution's specialised radiotherapy service.
In addition, he holds the position of Associate Professor (Clinical Academic Careers) at London South Bank University to support the delivery of clinical-academic career provision for healthcare professionals outside of medicine within the Institute of Health and Social Care.
His executive committee memberships of UK Stereotactic Ablative Body Radiotherapy consortium and National Cancer Research Institute Clinical and Translational Radiotherapy Research Working Group have enabled evidence-based practice and research to be introduced into clinical practice.