“Investing in education appears to be at the bottom of the Department of Health’s priority list,” says group
Changes to how radiography students are trained risk reducing the quality of graduates and undermining patient safety, a group of clinical tutors has warned.
The National Clinical Practice Tutor (CPT) Radiography Committee – part of a wider group of over 40 tutors responsible for guiding students through their radiography placements in hospitals around the country – also raised concerns that the lack of a career progression pathway in their roles is leading to issues in recruiting and retaining these educators.
Under plans to raise the number of training places in key health and social care professions, the Government has committed to increase radiography student intake in courses in UCD, UCC and Trinity College Dublin.
In a white paper outlining the changes, the committee said that it has had ‘no meaningful consultation’ on how proposed student expansions will be supported in clinical sites, despite plans to create additional placement in Dublin, the north-east and south-east of the country.
The expansion plans come alongside significant changes in radiography training, including a reduction in clinical assessments by one-third, a cut in clinical placement hours, and the use of simulated learning instead of in-person teaching.
“CPTs fear these changes dilute the quality of graduate radiographers at a time when clinical risk is rising,” the white paper said.
Pointing to a 2008 WHO review which identified some of the most common errors that lead to incidents of potential patient harm, the committee noted that many of these mistakes are linked to insufficient knowledge or inexperience.
“It cannot be emphasised enough that more mistakes are happening than can be detected,” the paper added.
“If people are not educated well enough, they will not see or recognise the error. This underscores the need for experienced CPTs to supervise students and protect patients.”
Speaking to Irish Medical Times, a member of the committee questioned why radiography training places are increasing while the infrastructure needed to educate them adequately is not being invested in, and recent graduates are struggling to be hired in public hospitals.
Referring to the two-year postgraduate radiography course carried out by UCC, she said that students can receive HSE funding of €5,000 per annum to go towards the cost of the programme, subject to them committing to working in the public hospital system for two years after they graduate.
However, many recent graduates struggled to find jobs in the public sector, leaving some to work in private hospitals or abroad.
“Are we training these students to go abroad? Are we training them in the HSE setting for the private sector?” she asked.
Meanwhile, as student numbers begin to grow, universities and the HSE are struggling to find enough clinical placements to meet demand, according to the committee member.
In its White Paper the committee also criticised the lack of opportunities for career progression among CPTs, which is leading to many moving on to more senior positions outside of clinical education.
“There is no pathway for career progression within the role. The only way to advance is to leave, which is disappointing,” the White Paper noted.
“Investing in education appears to be at the bottom of the Department of Health’s priority list.”
CPTs are now seeking a regrading of their role to reflect its complexity, and a clear career progression pathway to be developed for CPT radiographers.
Discussions around these issues are set to take place between the HSE and trade union SIPTU in the Workplace Relations Commission in the coming months.
In a statement the HSE said that, through its national Health and Social Care Professions (HSCP) office and regional HSCP Teams, it is “working with radiography services managers and the Radiography Services Managers group of the professional body, the Irish Institute of Radiographers and Radiation Therapists, in relation to additional placement requirements arising from the increase in student numbers, as well as with the universities.”
See also: The Radiographer – Ensuring Safe, High-Quality Radiation Practice Through Excellence in Education
