S8E1 Leading the Way: Charlotte Beardmore on the Future of Radiography

good i'm glad that's a highlight that you can remember so um the society of radiographers has significant influence across health care education and government as we've discussed so where do you see the biggest policy opportunities in the next kind of 12 to 24 months

a really good question isn't it with a new prime minister how many weeks are we in sally three are we in three weeks about that yes yeah and

now it's summer recess so obviously everything kind of well it's not stopped but it's gonna get slower

yes and a new secretary of state and some new minister ministers as well you know i think we've already seen haven't we a signal of policy change perhaps to more regionalization andy burnham's um thinking of you know how the mayor's devolution that's the word i'm looking for devolution how that will impact what we're doing as as professionals how health is delivered but also his focus on social care as well i think we're in a pretty strong position in terms of the community diagnostic centers and how you know they are emerging and i can really see greater emphasis potentially on on those community diagnostic centers and probably seeing some growth in terms of how As well, they might support social care.

I mean, I suppose they are because they're in the community already.

So maybe there's going to be more expansion of community diagnostic centres, which, of course, poses opportunities, I guess, for your industry colleagues, members, but also challenges for us in terms of how we grow the workforce.

So I'm very keen to get to the table with some of these influential people to try and influence them.

And I think coming in as a new CEO, you've got that opportunity, haven't you? I would like to meet with you to do it.

So, and obviously taking my trade union colleagues and my professional body expertise into those meetings, I think becomes really important.

And we know that the trade union has a very strong relationship through social partnership forum in England with government as well.

So I think we're going to need to see how those relationships emerge.

I am attending the trade union Congress in September.

So I'm hoping there's some great networking opportunities there.

So I think policy wise, I think, We thought we knew the direction of travel.

I still think technology to AI is going to have a big impact, obviously.

I think we're still waiting to see what the workforce plan is going to say.

Maybe that workforce plan is being rewritten.

We don't know at the moment.

And the community, I think, is going to play a big part.

But I'm also really keen to support the cancer agenda as well.

We know we need more investment in cancer services, particularly in radiotherapy services.

So how we work with at the Royal College with the Institute of Physics and Engineering Medicine and bringing that collaborative professional voice forward is really important to me.

So I think all of those things over the next 12 to 18 months become critical, Sally.

For me, it's about engagement.

It's being out there.