Altnagelvin radioteam win major gong

The Western Trust Radiography Team will be named the Society of Radiographers’ Northern Ireland Team of the Year at a glittering ceremony at the House of Commons in November.

The six strong team supports the Cardiac Catheterisation Laboratory Service which performs coronary angiography, including percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) - a procedure to open narrow coronary arteries.

“The laboratory started doing PCI in January 2010 and since that time more than 700 cases have been completed,” said Tracey McIvor, Western Trust acting radiography manager at Altnagelvin Hospital, who nominated the team for the award.

“Previously, local patients had to incur significant travel and inconvenience as PCI was carried out in Belfast, some 70 miles away. The service will soon be further enhanced with an extra two PCI sessions, bringing the total to five per week. This ensures timely treatment and return to better health and lifestyle for patients.”

Care is delivered with a high degree of professionalism supported by common sense and humour and many patients have remarked how previous anxieties have been reduced by the radiographers’ polite, pleasant greetings.

“The team have a heavy work commitment outside the cath lab and it is to their credit that a high standard of angiographic excellence has been created and maintained,” says Tracey.

“These radiographers are fine ambassadors for the profession and their expertise is frequently sought and appreciated.”

“We are delighted to have been nominated,” said team leader and Western Trust radiographer, Paul Smyth, “This award reflects the importance of multidisciplinary working.”