As we are celebrating Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) Day, we’re sharing the inspiring stories of our incredible AHP team and the positive impact they’ve made across our services at Hampshire Hospitals.
Meet Kevon Strachan, Deputy Lead CT Radiographer at Hampshire Hospitals: 
- Tell us about your profession and what inspired you to choose this career path?
My motivation to become a Radiographer stemmed from my love for the life sciences, technology, and my yearn to become a health-care professional during my teenage years. The profession is greatly influenced by technological advances and given its multi-faceted nature, requires professionals to have a vast understanding of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, all whilst being patient facing and having a vast impact on the journey of holistic healthcare for numerous patients.
Diagnostic Radiography, the profession should be viewed as ‘’the eyes’’ of medicine. The profession focuses on the usage of non or minimally invasive technologies and procedures to diagnose patients. Utilizing technologies such as X-rays, Computed Tomography (CT), Ultrasound, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
- How do you support and deliver care to patients in your daily practice?
As a CT Radiographer, I support and care for numerous types of patients in various CT examinations. The CT department cares for patients from A&E, wards and hospices, Outpatients, both urgency and routine care.
Patients are prepared and properly informed before the scan. During the scan, they are reassured and guided through the procedure. After completion, the scan is reviewed for quality, and the patients are monitored for any allergic reactions if an injection was given.
- What are some of the most rewarding moments or experiences in your career?
Radiographers often get minimal time with a patient as imaging is often completed within minutes. We are usually the first professionals to identify the patient’s likely diagnosis and are typically asked for some level of feedback.
It is highly rewarding when you can make a positive impact on a patient’s care journey despite the short time spent. For example, identifying the patient’s potential diagnosis often leads to enquiries with the Consultant Radiologist regarding further imaging which will improve the patient’s overall care pathway or one may inform the referring clinician of a potential significant finding in patients seeking acute medical care.
Providing support and comfort for patients who are in pain and scared, with the knowledge that imaging will likely aide in the improvement of their care journey.
- One of the key shifts in the 10-Year Plan is ‘Analogue to Digital’. How has the move from analogue to digital imaging changed the way you deliver radiology services to patients?
Radiology has been an area where the ‘’Analogue to Digital’’ shift began several years ago.
The movement from plain film to computed radiography and now to direct digital Radiography has significantly improved the efficiency and productivity of the department.
Radiology reporting is now being supported by AI technology, this is utilised in the Lung Cancer Screening program and The Rapid Stroke pathway. These systems will highlight the areas of anomalies, subsequently, simplifying and reducing the time of the reporting process for the Consultant Radiologist.
- How do you find the move from analogue to digital imaging improve care and efficiency?
Patients receive an overall lower dosage of radiation with digital equipment. The time taken for examinations are significantly less with digital imaging, which undoubtedly increases overall imaging capacity. Patient imaging data can be accessed across several Trusts or sent virtually. Hence, reducing the time taken to get specialist opinion or to plan for intervention elsewhere.
Digital imaging gives the operator/reporter the ability to utilize certain tools after imaging, e.g. zoom, edge enhancement etc. These tools amongst others can be used to alter the image appearance and has proven to be quite useful in reporting and reducing the overall need for repeat imaging.
