How to become a radiographer

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There are two types of radiography – diagnostic and therapeutic. Both branches involve using state-of-the-art machinery to assist patients with medical concerns. Using radiation and the latest medical technology, you could either be treating patients’ cancer (therapeutic radiography) or using radiation for imaging purposes to determine what’s happening with a patient (diagnostic radiography).

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What does a radiographer do?

Some of the tasks involved in radiography depend on whether you’re a diagnostic or therapeutic radiographer. Some of the daily tasks you may encounter as a diagnostic radiographer are:

Performing radiographic exams
Producing and interpreting images in aid of diagnosis
Assisting with complex exams including surgery
Working with other medical professionals to develop treatment plans
Maintaining equipment and images at a high standard

As a therapeutic radiographer, your tasks might include:

Planning and providing appropriate doses of radiographic therapy
Working with cancer specialists to ensure the best treatment for tumours
Assessing, observing and supporting patients during and after treatment
Offering health advice and promoting awareness of signs of cancer

Reagrdless of whether you’re a diagnostic or therapeutic radiographer, you can expect to be required to:

Support and reassure patients
Keep staff and patients safe from dangerous levels of radiation
Maintain equipment, records and images at a high standard
Use complex technology

What’s it like to work as a radiographer?

Working as a radiographer can be highly rewarding as you’re helping patients to get answers for symptoms they’re experiencing or treating their illness. However, as with any medical profession, you’ll also be seeing patients who are very poorly, and it’s likely that some of your patients will be diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Typically, you’ll work around 40 hours per week, but it’s likely that you’ll be required to work some evenings and weekends.

What skills do you need to be a radiographer?

To succeed as a radiographer, you’ll need the following skills:

Compassion and empathy
Attention to detail
Understanding of anatomy and physiology
Technical skills
Understanding of potential side effects and their treatment
Excellent communication
Able to explain medical concepts in a way patients and families understand
Time management
Organisation

How much does a radiographer earn?

Radiographers are typically on Band 5 of the NHS’ payscale. As an NHS employee, you’ll also have benefits such as generous pension schemes and holiday allowances. You’ll also be able to access discounts for NHS staff which are offered across a wide range of different brands and services.

How to become a radiographer

To become a radiographer, you’ll need to study a course that offers accreditation from the Health and Care Professions Coucil (HCPC). There are, however, a few different routes to this accreditation.

Study a radiography degree

The most common way to become a radiographer is through studying an accredited radiography undergraduate degree. These degrees typically last three years, though you may have the option to study a longer degree course. On your course, you’ll typically do a mixture of theoretical learning such as lectures and practical lab work.

Both diagnostic and therapeutic radiography courses allow you access to the NHS Learning Support Fund, which offers you £5,000 per year throughout your studies as a training grant and doesn’t have to be repaid. Both diagnostic and therapeutic radiography are currently listed as areas which need additional recruitment, meaning you’ll get an extra £1,000 per year of study to encourage more students to take up these courses.

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Degree apprenticeship

Through NHS Jobs and Find an Apprenticeship, you may be able to secure a degree apprenticeship in diagnostic or therapeutic radiography. You’ll apply directly to the employer, and you’ll typically work for them four days per week and study for your degree one day per week. On this route, you won’t be eligible for tuition fee loans or grants, but your employer will fund your degree and also pay you a salary. In order to lead to qualification as a radiographer, the degree you’re working towards must be accredited by the HCPC.

Postgraduate courses

You may wish to study a postgraduate course in diagnostic or therapeutic radiography after completing your undergraduate degree in radiography. This allows you to further specialise in your field. These courses usually take one or two years to complete.

You may also wish to study a postgraduate course in radiography if you’ve done a different undergraduate degree. You’ll likely need a science-based undergraduate degree, and work experience will also support your application. These courses are known as graduate-entry pre-registration courses and allow you to qualify as a radiographer without studying it at the undergraduate level.