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                                                What is Radiography?

 

 

For those of you who are not a part of the Shrivenham Radiographers and have found this page this part describes exactly what radiographers are and the roles we play within modern medicine.

 

What does a radiographer do?

 

                   Radiographers are at the heart of modern medicine. There are two types of radiographers Diagnostic and Therapeutic.

 

Diagnostic radiographers employ a range of sophisticated equipment to produce high quality images to diagnose injury or disease. They use a range of techniques including:

 

X-rays, Ultrasound, Fluoroscopy, CT (computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), RNI (Radionuclide Imaging) and Angiography.

 

Therapeutic radiographers are part of an oncology team that treats patients who have cancer. Some cancers are vest treated with drugs, some with surgery and some respond well to precisely targeted doses of radiation.

 

A therapeutic radiographer is usually involved in every aspect of the treatment, including pre-treatment preparation, planning, the treatment itself and the review or follow up stages.

 

 

Why Become a Radiographer?

 

Both diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers provide essential services every year to millions of people. Radiography is the fulcrum around which the rest of medicine revolves.

 

For example, without detailed, high-quality images of what is happening inside the body, diagnosis would be significantly more difficult, treatments would not be as effective and valuable time may be lost. The skills of a diagnostic radiographer are used to identify a broad range of injuries and diseases, including cancer.

 

Radiographers are responsible for equipment that would not be out of place in an episode of Star Trek. Departments in larger hospitals can have huge capital expenditure budgets. The top of the range machines cost more than a million pounds. Promotion opportunities are excellent with a grading structure that sees the radiographer's salary increase as s/he moves up the profession. British radiographers are recognized as being among the best in the world.