The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has created new excellence awards to recognise and celebrate individual contributions to the RCR’s COVID-19 response.
The COVID-19 Outstanding Contribution Award is a one-off award category that represents the RCR's gratitude to individuals who have worked hard to help us provide timely support and guidance for our members during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Their efforts have enabled the seamless continuation of training through support for recruitment, examinations, curriculum adjustments and the Annual Review of Competence Progression.
The RCR would like to express our appreciation and thanks to the award winners, as well as all Fellows and members who have volunteered their valuable time and expertise to support our work.
Although these awards recognise specific contributions to the RCR, we remain deeply grateful to the very many oncologists, radiologists and other healthcare professionals whose hard work, professionalism and innovation has helped to maintain NHS services and healthcare systems across the world.
COVID-19 Outstanding Contribution Award winners
Clinical oncology
Pippa Lewis | Professional support | Led the development of the RCR CO COVID document repository supporting clinical best practice across all tumour types during unprecedented clinical events |
Charlotte Coles | Professional support | Catalysed the uptake of hypofractionated breast radiotherapy at the start of the pandemic by instigating national discussions via on-line RCR fora and sharing data from the FAST-Forward trial quickly and widely. This led to RCR COVID guidance for all tumour sites |
Louise Hanna | Training | Co-led the rapid change of approach to national recruitment following the cancellation of recruitment at the start of the first lockdown |
Karen Tipples | Training | Co-led on rapid change of approach to national recruitment following the cancellation of recruitment at the start of the first lockdown |
Kyle Crawford | Training | As ORF chair, was part of the team reshaping recruitment, supported the work on curriculum adjustments, and provided a clear and effective link to trainees throughout initial COVID surge |
Peter Bliss | Exams | Led the reshaping of the 2B exam to move the orals online and convert the clinicals to an effective format that could be delivered online without relying on patients |
Peter Ostler | Exams | Provided strong support for the reshaping of the 2B exam |
Simon Pledge | Exams | Provided strong support for the reshaping of the 2B exam |
Ganesh Radhakrishna | RCR Learning | Contributed huge amounts of time and made rapid decisions allowing the RCR to provide continued high-quality online CPD support in an uncertain environment |
Clinical radiology
Mike Weston | Professional support | As the editor of Clinical Radiology, he developed the rapid publication of COVID-19 papers despite receiving multiple manuscripts initially from China and then Europe as the pandemic spread. He reviewed most of these manuscripts himself (over 200 by the summer), given the amount of pressure all of his editorial board and reviewers were under at work. The COVID-19 section of the journal contained highly relevant and useful publications in a timely manner |
Muaaze Ahmad | Training | Led on the change of approach to national recruitment for 2021. This has required significant negotiation with the recruitment team |
Sam Fossey | Training | As JRF chair, ensured the trainee voice was heard. Supported the work on curriculum adjustments, doing a huge amount of work including providing reassurance to trainees across the country, but she also fed problems and ideas through to the RCR |
Mary Roddie | Exams | As FEB chair actively oversaw and directed the reshaping of the 2B exam and move online of all parts. In parallel developed many practical supporting resources for existing examiners and support to a new approach to training new examiners. Provided a main link between the exams team and heads of school |
Dave Salvage | Exams | As Chair of the 2B exam, led the redevelopment and in particular worked closely with the staff team on the operational delivery aspects of the exam |
Tom Taylor | Exams | Strong support for the redevelopment and in particular worked closely with the staff team on the operational delivery aspects of the exam, as Deputy Chair of 2B |
Ash Chakraborty | Exams | Played the major role in the reshaping of the 2B exam to move the orals online, effectively designed the new approach and put in a huge effort to train all examiners. In parallel also maintained his role as PLD Chair, with all the changes to programmes that entailed |
John Curtis | RCR Learning | Proposed and led the creation of the trainee webinar series as a very rapid response to the loss of training opportunities |