Our reasons for taking strike action on our own for the first time ever are straight-forward: fewer radiographic professionals leads to longer waiting times which leads to significant concerns over patient safety as they wait and over colleagues’ wellbeing as they work long hours under increasing stress.
Our solutions to the problems are straight-forward too, including: a starting salary which attracts people to join the profession and pay progression which encourages them to stay and thrive, and so reduce the 10% shortfall in the workforce and ease existing colleagues’ workload and pressure.
Yet the Government refuses to act on our calls for investment now. Radiography professionals have been undervalued for 15 years and while average earnings have risen 55% since 2008, pay for our workforce has gone up by less than half that.
As a diagnostic radiographer from Liverpool says: “I’m 30 years old, and I live with my parents. That’s not really where I wanted to be now. But that’s just the reality of where we are. Even as a senior radiographer, I would find it very difficult to purchase my own home. People are working for 10 or more years to buy their own home.”
We are not asking for a huge pay rise right now, but we are asking for pay restoration over a realistic period of time. Otherwise we’re going to continue the vicious circle of training then losing professionals as they burn out from long hours and low pay.
Our members deserve better, our patients deserve better.
Get involved
If you'd like to support us there are a range of things you can do, including:
- Write to your MP and ask why key NHS workers are underpaid, overworked and undervalued.
- Make a donation to the Benevolent Fund, which helps radiography professionals and their families during times of hardship.
- Follow us on social media and share our content to help raise awareness about our profession
- If you are a Society member, join us for an online rally on Monday 24 from 18:00 - 18:30.