ISRRT - International Society of Radiographers & Radiological Technologists

WHO Patient Safety Newsletter

Synopsis of Board Meeting – Hong Kong, July 2009 

The Board of the ISRRT met in Hong Kong during the third week in July. A plan of action was agreed and the main points are set out below.

The results of the Survey undertaken early 2009 were discussed in full by the Board. It was emphasised by the President, Robert George, that the Survey was requested by the Council of the ISRRT and it was important that member societies be given the opportunity to both see and comment on the findings and have to opportunity to discuss them.

The Board felt that it should be seen to be listening to any proposals made by member societies. However it was agreed that the Board would provide guidance relating to the possible way forward particularly with respect to proposals which may involve the expenditure of funds and with this in mind Board Officers will look at the Survey in detail to see how it may affect their areas of responsibility.
This information will be sent to member societies before the end of 2009.

An Open Forum will be held prior to the Council meeting in 2010 at which time a full discussion will take place which will be devoted to the Survey.

Many other items were discussed and below is a summary of the decisions taken.

The 50th Anniversary of the founding of the ISRRT takes place during the World Congress in Canada in 2012. A team will be initially set up facilitated by the present Director of Public Relations, F Peer, to look at possible celebrations to celebrate the anniversary. It was also agreed that a history of the first 50 years of ISRRT will be produced.

Regular communications between ISRRT Officers and Member Societies is important and this will be facilitated in the future by a blanket email every two months from Board Members to Societies in their Regions to update them on ISRRT activities.

The ISRRT has been involved in many workshops during the last five years and it is the intention to increase these during 2010. Board members were asked to inform the Director of Education regarding the need for workshops in their areas in order to ensure that all Regions benefited from these projects. This includes Radiotherapy, Ultrasound and Nuclear Medicine and Professional Practice.

The Director of Education agreed to consider the establishment of funds to be provided for research purposes on an international perspective. Maria Law, Vice President for Asia/Australasia, was made Chairperson and since the Board meeting the criteria for applying for the grant and a sum of money has been identified. The details will be published on the ISRRT website and in the Newsletter and the first award will be made in 2010. 

For some time now the Board has been considering the setting up of an international academic accreditation system. To further this, a working group is being set up which will be facilitated by the Director of Education, Cynthia Cowling. Progress will be reported during the Council meeting in 2010.

This year (2009) the ISRRT was accepted as part of the “Image Gently” campaign and are now actively promoting the excellent work done by that group.   In addition to radiation safety the Board is also concerned about environmental effects in general. The Director of Professional Practice will produce a policy document to demonstrate that the ISRRT is environmentally conscious and how this can be achieved and disseminated to members.
The cost of producing and distributing the Newsletter is increasing significantly on an annual basis and the hard copy also contributes towards environmental waste. The Board will produce a detailed document outlining the costs involved in the production and distribution of the Newsletter and the implications to Member Societies and Associate Members if the Newsletter is produced in electronic form instead of hard copy. Again a report and recommendation will be given during the 2010 Council meeting.

The Code of Ethics, which has been in preparation for more than two years, will be finalised and distributed prior to the next Council Meeting. The Board has asked that a small booklet should be developed and printed for use by Member Societies.

A document on The Role of a Professional Society was discussed and it was decided that a brief document be prepared giving details of the areas which should be considered from an International perspective. Since the Board meeting this has been finalised by the Director of Public Relations, Fozy Peer. The document is now on the ISRRT website. 

The website is continually under review and several Council members have suggested that there should be a “closed” section for members and this is being costed. The website “Search Facility” is also being improved..

The celebration of World Radiography Day on the 8th of November is now recognised in many countries throughout the world and the ISRRT is anxious to promote this. It was decided by the Board to produce a theme and a poster as a run up to the day. The theme decided on is,  “Radiographers Care About Your Protection” and the poster, produced by Fozy Peer, is now on the ISRRT website and has been sent to all Member Societies.