My story - Rachel Williams

Rachael is the Deputy Superintendent Radiographer at St George's University Hospitals in London

HCPC registrants are playing a pivotal role in supporting patients and NHS services. Radiography, for exmaple, plays a vital role in aiding the diagnosis of conditions such as cancer and coronary artery disease, and the treatment of injuries. Rachel Williams, Deputy Superintendent Radiographer, told the story of how she aided in the reconstruction of a man’s tibia, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“During the pandemic, I helped set up a walk-in orthopaedic outpatient fracture service and I also carried out hundreds, if not thousands of mobile x-rays. However, the biggest memory for me was working with a team to implant a bespoke orthopaedic implant.

Following an initial surgery, I performed a CT scan which enabled a team in the US to create a bespoke implant to replace part of a man’s tibia, which had been broken during an unfortunate accident involving Christmas lights. I then worked with a team to perform a six hour surgery to put the implant in place. In these strange Covid-19 times, this work offered a small amount of normality, and a chance to see how the work we do on an everyday basis, really makes a difference in people’s lives.”

Read more of Rachel's story on the Society of Radiographers wesbite. 

You can also read more about how to apply our standards at this time, and in particular what you need to know about scope of practice  and managing risk: infection prevention and control.