22 February 2019
BIR President, Dr Jane Phillips-Hughes was among guests at the official opening of a multi-million-pound training academy called National Imaging Academy Wales in Pencoed on 11 February.
Opened by Minister for Health and Social Services, Vaughan Gething, the Academy was established with £3.4m of funding from the Welsh Government and will train the next generation of radiologists, radiographers, sonographers and imaging professionals. The Academy has been created to meet the demand gap for the imaging workforce as well as help address the rising demand and expectations of imaging services.
The Academy will pursue and offer advanced practice opportunities to healthcare professionals including radiographers and sonographers.
The first tranche of 14 trainees began their five-year training programme in August 2018 when the Academy first opened its doors. Nearly all radiology trainees spend time at the Academy to take advantage of this bespoke facility.
Dr Jane Phillips-Hughes said “As a radiologist who trained in Wales, I’m delighted to see the capacity for radiology training in Wales grow and see this as a catalyst for further service improvement in the area.”
Image: (Left to right) Dr Craig Parry, Training Programme Director of the South Wales scheme, Dr Jane Phillips-Hughes, President of the BIR, Consultant Radiologist, Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust and Training Programme Director, Dr Siân Phillips Head of School of Radiology, Dr Phillip Wardle Academy Director and Dr Sara Harrison Associate Academy Lead.
