Meet the Team
Management Team
Director of Clinical Support Services: David Edwards
Imaging Service Line Manager: Joan Audas
Imaging Service Line Clinical Director: Vacant
Imaging Service Line Secretary: Contact plh-tr.imagingservicelineadminoffice@nhs.net
Radiologists
A radiologist is a qualified doctor who is specially trained to interpret diagnostic images such as ultrasound, x-rays, MRI and CT scans. If you have an interventional procedure (such as an angiogram or biopsy) this will usually be performed by a radiologist.
Radiologists provide a written report of the results of your examination which they will send to your referring doctor.
In our radiology department we have a team of over 40 consultant radiologists. We also have 50-60 specialist registrars who are qualified doctors training within the Radiology Academy to be consultant radiologists.
Radiologists do not wear a uniform, unless they are working in the interventional suites where they wear theatre scrubs.
Radiographers
A radiographer is a healthcare professional trained to carry out imaging examinations such as X-rays, CT scans, and MRI scans. During your examination, our radiographers will ensure you feel at ease and are always treated with dignity and respect.
Some radiographers are also trained in ultrasound scanning, these are known as sonographers. If you're having an interventional procedure, such as an angiogram or biopsy, a radiographer will be part of the specialist team looking after you.
We also have a number of advanced practitioner radiographers who have completed additional training. They are qualified to carry out certain procedures independently, such as breast biopsies.
Radiographers complete a three-year university degree in Diagnostic Imaging and must be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) before they are allowed to practise in the UK.
As a teaching hospital, we also support student radiographers during their training. They are always supervised by fully qualified staff.
Administration and Clerical
A receptionist will greet you when you arrive at one of our reception areas. They will check that we have the correct details for you before booking you onto our system.
Our admin and clerical team are responsible for booking appointments and answering queries, while our medical secretaries type reports and provide vital support to our medical staff and management team.
Nurses
Our Radiology nurses play a key role in providing high-quality nursing care to patients before, during, and after both diagnostic and interventional procedures. They also assist the Radiologist during certain procedures.
Radiology nurses complete a three-year nursing degree and must be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) to work in the UK.
You can usually recognise our nurses by their uniforms. However, when working in our interventional suites, they wear theatre scrubs for infection control and patient safety.
Health Care Assistants
The role of the HCA is to provide an excellent standard of nursing care to patients undergoing diagnostic and interventional Radiological procedures and to support the Radiologists and Radiographers.
Imaging Care Assistants
Our Imaging Care Assistants play an important role in helping your visit to the imaging department run smoothly. They work alongside radiographers and sonographers to support your care throughout your appointment.
They may help you get ready for your scan by assisting you to change into a gown, inserting a cannula (a small plastic tube used for contrast injections), or supporting you to complete any necessary paperwork or questionnaires. Their focus is on ensuring you feel comfortable, informed, and well looked after during your time with us.
IT Team
We have a highly skilled and dedicated team of 5 that looks after our Imaging computer systems, this includes a system for recording your personal details and a record of your examinations CRIS (Computerised Radiology Information System), as well as a separate system on which all x-ray and scan images are securely stored PACS (Picture Archive Communication System). Click here to find out more about how your images are stored.
Our IT team are responsible for transferring your images to other hospitals when required. Your images can easily be made available to you (at a small cost) if you move areas or even countries, we recommend that you ask for them if you are emigrating, because it helps doctors interpret your images if they have previous ones too.
All members of Trust staff take data protection and confidentiality very seriously. Access to the Radiology Information system is restricted to Radiology staff who have legitimate need to access clinical information. Requests for access must be made in writing and authorised by the staff member's line manager. All staff must sign and adhere to the data protection regulation form. Access to Pacs for Trust staff is granted upon receipt of a declaration stating they have completed online training and will adhere to data protection regulations. Access is also given to health care staff working within the South West upon appropriate authorisation and conformance to regulation.
