Radiographers were honoured at this year’s AHP & Healthcare Scientists Awards ceremony, held in London.
Hilary Harris, clinical lead radiographer at James Cook University Hospital, and her colleague Geoffrey Naisby, a consultant radiologist, won the ‘Innovation in patient or client services’ category, as well as the overall award winners’ prize.
Along with their colleagues, Hilary and Geoffrey designed the HILINA device which halves the time of x-ray guided breast biopsy in patients who are suspected of having breast cancer. This resulted in improved workflow and reduced waiting times.
The device fits onto the tube housing of the Novation/Nova with Opdima digital stereo biopsy unit, and allows direct digital capture of core biopsy images during breast compression. This shortens the breast compression time and allows rapid termination of the biopsy procedure.
The judges selected Hilary and Geoffrey as the overall winners because the device is already making a difference to patient comfort. It is likely to vastly improve the patient experience of breast biopsies in the next few years.
Additional units are now being produced by the hospital medical engineering department and it is expected that the device will be offered to other radiology departments in the UK soon.
Hilary comments: “Dr Naisby and I were surprised and delighted to receive this award, particularly as the standard was so high. We were not aware that so many health professionals identify ways to improve their service by taking action outside of their normal working practice and hours of work – it was gratifying to have that recognised.
“We spent over two years developing our device, which started as a sketch on paper and culminated in a device offering an improvement to patients undergoing stereo breast biopsy. We were pleased to work with a wide range of professionals as part of the team, and very soon we hope to see the benefit it has brought to breast patients in our Trust extended to patients in breast units across the UK.”
“As an AHP, often referred to as one of the ‘Cinderella’ professions due to lack of public knowledge and recognition, it was a wonderful opportunity to go to the ball!”
Specialist radiographer Pauline Humphrey and deputy head of the radiotherapy physics unit Helen Appleby, both of whom are based at Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, were shortlisted in the ‘Joint working between allied health professionals and healthcare scientists’ award category.
They were credited for their work in setting up a new service, which included therapy radiographers and medical physicians, to deliver high dose rate brachytherapy for patients with prostate cancer.
Pauline comments: “Unfortunately, the team didn’t win the award for their category, but we thoroughly enjoyed the event.
“We were delighted to see radiographers well represented at the awards, especially with the success of the overall winners.”
The award winners were presented with their trophies by the awards’ sponsors and special guest speaker Professor Raymond Tallis at the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington.
