Allied Health Professional (AHP) Transformation Project – Radiography results from a regional UK survey

Introduction:
In 2017 the Health Education England (HEE) AHP London network identified several key areas where professional groups needed to respond to the Five Year Forward View, to support the transformation of the workforce and optimise patient outcomes. This presentation focused on Advance Practice within the Radiography workforce and presented results from the first phase of the project, which aimed to:
• Identify AP profiles across the AHP network of professional fields
• Identify the skills, attributes and experiences of advanced practitioners

Methods and Materials:
A survey design was utilised to address the aims of the study. Ethics approval was obtained through the HSC School Ethics Panel at London South Bank University. Within a total population sampling framework an email invitation was sent via the HEE AHP network and social media asking participants to complete the online questionnaire.

Results and Discussion:
A total of n=129 Advanced Practitioners across London were included in the sample, this presentation focused on the results of the n=36 radiographers who participated in the survey. Results showed variations across their respective roles in terms of skills, knowledge and competence in relation to the four domain areas of: Research, Leadership, Clinical Practice, and Education. Less than fifty percent of respondents have a masters level qualification and most respondents’ education was funded by their employer. Preliminary findings also showed high levels of autonomous working and decision making, as well as high levels of support from their respective clinical departments in relation to their current role.

Conclusion
This study is first in identifying the Advanced Practice AHP workforce across London in terms of skills, competency and career pathways. It is anticipated that results from this study will inform future workforce development strategies and career progression pathways.