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The Annual Radiotherapy Conference 2024 came to a close on day two (Saturday 5 October), with attendees hearing from experts on wellbeing, research and innovation.
Radiographers were welcomed back to the main hall by Spencer Goodman, professional officer for radiotherapy at the SoR, and Dr Laura Charlesworth, professional officer for education and accreditation.
Dr Charlesworth said: “This conference has covered the entire breadth of radiotherapy, from technology to person-centred care. There’s so much to take from this – the conference has been sorely missed. It’s great to be back with this unique community.
“The highlight has been seeing all these connections happen in front of my eyes. Everyone is sharing their experiences and their knowledge, and going back to their departments with connections that will drive their practice forward.”
Sessions of the day
ARC day two kicked off with a talk from Therapeutic Radiographer Lizzie Smith, who had herself been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma – a type of blood cancer – in 2022. She shared her experience, as someone who has been on both sides of the treatment.
“You spend the whole treatment period looking for the end of this tunnel, and then when it comes, it's such a feeling of joy,” she said. “But it’s so easy as a Therapeutic Radiographer to get carried away with the race to get the next patient in. They are all individuals. It’s all about grounding yourself, asking how they are, and listening to the answer they give.”
Conference-goers then split off into breakout rooms to hear from the various proffered papers.
Dr Rachel Harris, head of professional practice andedducation at the SoR chaired 'The Patient/Carer Voice: How loud is it?', exploring how the patient/carer voice can be a powerful driver of service improvement.
Meanwhile Melanie Clarkson, senior lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University, presented 'Empowering Individuals through Workforce Development', with speakers explaining how workforce development is crucial for the success and growth of any organisation.
Finally Suzanne Jordan, head of radiotherapy at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, shared the latest research on staff’s psychosocial wellbeing, in 'Caring For Our Professionals: Wellbeing Underpinning Service Delivery'.
Julie Hendry, St George’s, University of London professional lead section head, asked about what factors could prevent Therapeutic Radiographers from reaching their full potential.
“Why can’t we care?” She said. “The culture can stop people, it can hinder you. You’re authentic and you want to care, but sometimes there are so many barriers in the way.”
Latest advancements
An overview of the existing national radiotherapy skincare guidelines, followed by a discussion of the purpose and work of the Radiation Induced Skin Reactions (RISR) special interest group, greeted attendees upon their return from lunch.
Dr Rachel Harris and Dr Heidi Probst explored the impacts and work of the group and took questions from the audience, sharing their perspective on what efforts are needed to improve patient-centred skin care.
Claire Powlesland, advanced clinical practitioner at South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, then took the stage to explain her journey towards a PHD focussed on co-designing services to support those living with the adverse late effects of pelvic radiotherapy.
Finally, attendees broke into separate sessions once more, for proffered papers on 'Getting Ahead in Radiotherapy: Operational and Strategic Leadership', 'The Impact of Radiotherapy: Examining Late Effects', and 'Recruitment & Retention Strategies'.
The Annual Radiotherapy Conference returned in 2024 after a four-year hiatus, taking place at the Hilton Doubletree by Hilton Brighton Metropole hotel in Brighton from 4-5 October.
Find out more information about the Annual Radiotherapy Conference here.
(Image: Photo by Eva Slusarek)