NHS Grampian has several hospital sites throughout Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray that provide a Diagnostic Radiography service. The service offers a variety of modalities to assist in accurate and timely diagnosis, including
- General Radiography
- CT
- MRI
- Ultrasound
- Nuclear Medicine
- DXA
- Fluoroscopy
- Mammography
- Interventional/Cardiac
Aberdeen and Elgin perform the bulk of specialist examinations, with community sites focussing on, but not exclusively, general radiography.
I would like to become a Diagnostic Radiographer
Universities providing degree studies in Diagnostic Radiography, encourage potential students to arrange work placement in a radiography department. This can be done through a school’s Career Advisor, who would then liaise with NHS Grampian’s Work Placement Team.
NHS Grampian works closely with Robert Gordon University who offer a BSc (Hons) in Diagnostic Radiography. However, Glasgow Caledonian University and Queen Margaret University (Edinburgh) also offer a BSc (Hons) in Diagnostic Radiography.
I am currently training to be a Diagnostic Radiographer
Your studies will have already exposed you to various radiography sites. They may even have given you an idea as to what type of hospital you’d like to work in, or what modality you’d like to specialise in. Radiography Managers and Superintendents throughout NHS Grampian would welcome radiography students, from all universities, to discuss options for elective placements, or informal visits.
I am a qualified Diagnostic Radiographer and considering a move to Grampian
The Grampian region is diverse in its culture, geography and population. It can equally offer its residents a variety of social and personal activities. Also, as mentioned, there are several hospital and clinical sites throughout NHS Grampian providing diagnostic radiography services. It is hoped that one of them can offer you the career opportunity, in the location you desire.
Vacancies are advertised on the NHS Grampian website and the SHOW website
All radiography vacancies state the interested parties are invited to contact radiology personnel for discussion, or to arrange informal visits.
I am a qualified Diagnostic Radiographer but it’s been some years since I practised. Am I able to return to work?
NHS Grampian welcome enquiries from Diagnostic Radiographers who have allowed their registration to lapse or have had a career break. We are happy to support you to regain registration through supervision and an assessment of your clinical competencies. NHS Grampian Radiography Managers and Superintendents recognise the difficulties lapsed registrants have in attaining competencies, and are working with Health & Care Professions Council looking at ways to support a return to practise.
Flying Start
Flying Start NHS® is a national development programme for newly qualified nurses, midwives and allied health professionals. It aims to support your learning and build your confidence during your first year of practice in NHS Scotland. It will do this by assisting you to navigate to the Foundation gateway of the NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework 'Agenda for Change'. After completing Flying Start NHS® newly qualified practitioners would be expected to participate in ongoing Continuing Professional Development.
Benefits for newly qualified practitioners include:
- Offers a learner-directed solution to finding information and making sense of a complex environment
- Guides and supports the transition from student to qualified practitioner
- Links to the NHS KSF development review cycle
- Supports the development of skills for lifelong learning and CPD
- Offers practical advice on how to manage portfolios and PDPs within NHS Scotland
- Gives access to up to date material, useful websites and national policy and developments
- Decreases feelings of isolation through the on-line forum, Flying Start Community and Ask a Mentor functions
- Draws and builds on the learning skills developed as pre-registration or undergraduate student
- Increased understanding of the role of other health and social care professionals and partners
Effective Practitioner
Effective Practitioner is a national initiative providing work based learning resources and support for nurses, midwives and allied health professionals in Scotland. It assists Practitioners and Senior Practitioners to deliver the 2020 vision and meet the Quality Ambitions of Person Centred, Safe and Effective Care. The Effective Practitioner website provides the online foundation for wider work-based support.
Senior AHP Framework
The Senior AHP Framework website provides support and guidance on the education and development needs of Senior AHPs who are leading and managing services or teams. It provides information and support for Senior AHPs at level 6 of The Career Framework for Health, and those aspiring to this level, who have leadership components within their role e.g. Team Leaders.
It also allows Knowledge and Skills Framework reviewers and managers to guide and assist the planning and implementation of leadership skills for their staff and help them develop Personal Development Plans (PDPs).
Skills Maximisation Toolkit
The Skills Maximisation Toolkit allows AHP staff to examine their unique contributions to the patient journey, and to ask which aspects could best be managed by others. The exercise has been developed into the skills maximisation process. It can be used by AHPs and other staff to identify adjustments that make optimum use of staff with various levels of qualification.
The toolkit guides you through 3 stages:
- Clarifying the patient journey
- Capturing uniqueness
- Creating improvement