1. Membership Applications and Payments
1.1 Individual applications for membership may be submitted online, by phone or by paper form.
1.2 Submitting an application form online, by phone or by email has the same effect as signing a printed application form.
1.3 The British Institute of Radiology (BIR) reserves the right to re-grade an individual membership to a more appropriate level if the relevant information pertaining to the membership has not been received, or is proved to be inaccurate. Members will be informed of the re-grade and asked if they would like to continue with the application.
1.4 All information provided on the membership application must be true and accurate at the point of application. Individual members should notify the BIR of changes of job, contact details and training information which may affect their grading and subscription.
1.5 International applicants may apply for international membership, the fee for which may differ for members residing in any developing countries listed here. It is the responsibility of the applicant to declare their location when prompted to do so, otherwise the full amount may be charged.
1.6 Full-time students including postgraduate MSc and PhD students based in the UK and Ireland are eligible for student membership up to the end-date of their course. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide complete and accurate information about their studies when applying for membership. The BIR reserves the right to check the details provided with the applicant’s course provider.
1.7 Trainees on work-based training schemes can apply for Plan 2 membership for the duration of their training and upon qualification the BIR reserves the right to review and re-grade the plan according to the membership plan guidelines set out on the BIR website. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide complete and accurate information about their training. The BIR reserves the right to check the details provided with the applicant’s training provider.
1.8 Payment for your membership is due on receipt of your application. Where payment is being made by direct debit an invoice will be issued to your BIR account with an outstanding balance until payment is received. If we are unable to obtain payment authorisation from the issuer of your card or from your bank in the case of Direct Debit payments and a Membership has already been issued to you, we will require that you forfeit any benefits.
1.9 Members opting to pay for their annual subscription on a monthly direct debit payment plan are agreeing to pay a full annual fee equating to 12 monthly payments at the agreed rate. If a direct debit has failed or a member has cancelled their direct debit before the completion of the subscription payment without prior agreement with the BIR, the BIR may take action to recover the monies owed, and reserves the right to suspend membership until payment is received. Upon failure to make payment, subsequent re-instatement of the membership or any future application for memberships or other BIR products or services may be subject to the outstanding membership fees.
1.10 The British Institute of Radiology does not issue certificates of membership to individual members, but can send letters confirming membership to new or renewing members upon request and only once full payment has been received. Members who opt to pay monthly will need to have made their first payment. The letter will confirm the membership plan and start and end dates of the current term only
2. Membership renewals
2.1 Membership is annual from the point of joining. UK members will need to set up a direct debit mandate when they join online and payment for renewals will be deducted automatically on the subscription renewal date. Under some circumstance’s members may pay using instruments other than direct debit, by agreement with the BIR.
2.2 For members paying by direct debit, membership will be renewed automatically and subscription fee automatically deducted at the end of the membership period. Members will receive email notice of the payment via GoCardless in line with the direct debit guarantee.
2.3 For members not paying by direct debit, and whose membership period has come to an end, receipt of the correct membership fee will be deemed to represent application for a further period of membership.
2.4 Subscription payments not received within three months of the renewal date will result in the membership being lapsed and all benefits will be suspended pending payment. At the end of the three-month period the member will need to reapply for a new membership.
2.5 All student memberships will automatically upgrade to the Standard membership plan (Plan 2) according to the course end date provided to us by the member. It is the responsibility of the member to notify the BIR in writing if their training has continued and request a continuation of the student membership.
3. Membership cancellations
3.1 Renewing members may cancel their membership by giving no less than 30 days notice of cancellation prior to the renewal date, which is the date their current subscription term ends. Members who have a direct debit automatic payment taken will have a further 14-day period during which time they may cancel their membership and request a refund.
3.2 To cancel a membership you will need to notify us in writing either by letter or email. New members can apply for a refund within a Cooling Off Period of 14 days from the payment date. The direct debit guarantee applies to direct debit payments.
3.3 The BIR may recoup any discounts claimed for BIR products, services, events, or any other payments for which a member is entitled to a discount due to their status as a BIR member by a member who has cancelled or subsequently cancels their membership during the Cooling Off Period. The BIR may also recoup the difference between member and non-member prices for BIR products, services, events, or any other payments for which a member is entitled to differential pricing due to their status as a BIR member. The BIR may take action to recover these monies.
3.4 The BIR may take action to recover any outstanding membership fees.
4. Membership Benefits
4.1 It is the individual member’s responsibility to keep their Members’ portal logon credentials confidential. The BIR reserves the right to withdraw membership or to prevent a member renewing if the member is misusing the membership benefits (for example allowing someone else to use the benefits of their membership package).
5. BIR Group Membership Terms and Conditions
5.1 The British Institute of Radiology (BIR) Group Membership Scheme is open to hospital trusts, medical departments, corporate members and other organisations with an interest in radiology, imaging, radiation oncology and the underlying sciences.
5.2 The BIR Group membership allows the above organisations to pay the membership subscriptions on behalf of their staff as set out in 1.1. The minimum number of members for group membership is twenty, and this can be a mixture of Plan 1 or Plan 2 group members depending on salary/grade. The same policy applies to group membership as individual membership (Plan 1 is available for professionals earning above £50K and Plan 2 for those below that threshold).
5.3 Group members are eligible for the same benefits as individual members and the standard Plan 1 and Plan 2 event discounts apply depending on which group membership plan the individual is assigned to.
5.4 The group membership is owned by the subscribing trust or organisation and it is at their discretion to whom they assign the individual memberships they have purchased. Each awarded membership will stay with the individual for the term of the term of the current subscription. Changes of assignment to the individual memberships can be made at the organisation’s discretion at the time of the next renewal. In exceptional circumstances, and at the BIR’s discretion, it may be possible for the organisation to transfer an associate’s membership to another member of staff. It is the responsibility of the trust/organisation to contact us in writing and make a formal request if they wish to make such a change
5.5 If the group decides to add additional members during the subscription term, the organisation will be invoiced for the additional members at the standard discount group fee. The new members are subject to the same terms and conditions and fall within the same term end date of the overall group membership subscription regardless of the date they are added to the plan.
5.6 If a group member leaves the organisation the individual membership they have been assigned will continue until the end of the group membership current term, at which point during the renewal the owner of the group member will reserve the right to re-assign the membership to another associate. No refund for the remaining term of the subscription will be provided.
5.7 Organisations must nominate an individual who will be the contact person for the membership package and will oversee all payments and changes to the members of the group.
5.8 Renewals are invoiced at least 30 days before the group subscription end date and are due for payment on the renewal date.
5.9 Cancellations should be made in writing by the group membership owner no later than 30 days before the subscription end date.
