Universities and NHS collaborate to tackle ultrasound workforce shortage

More than £1 million has been awarded to the Universities of Cumbria and Salford to support the education of new sonographers in north-west England through a virtual North West Ultrasound Academy. Funding has come from the newly created North West Imaging Academy, a government initiative set up to tackle shortages of trained sonographers regionally. It is an expansion of an Ultrasound Academy launched by the University of Cumbria in 2020.

The funds will be used to enhance and expand training facilities within both universities and to create additional dedicated ultrasound training rooms in hospital trusts throughout the region. It will also support dedicated posts for clinical educators and two regional clinical coordinators.

Professional lead for the University of Cumbria medical sciences group Charles Sloane said: “Universities often work in competition with each other for students and clinical partners to support health courses. This is not always in the best interests of the NHS workforce and patients, particularly when training resources are very limited. It has been so refreshing to take a collaborative regional approach to tackling this issue by working with colleagues from the University of Salford.”

Coordinators from both universities will ensure all stakeholders work together effectively in utilising the regional educational resources available to maximise training opportunities for a range of professional groups who use this medical imaging technology. Since some departments have not been able to regularly commit to training students, the collaborative approach is intended to create a network of clinical training sites, allowing a pipeline of sonography graduates to be available each year to enter the workforce.

University of Salford head of radiography Dr Claire Mercer added: “This is a fantastic opportunity to bring together the skills of both university teams, working collaboratively, to address and support the workforce in ultrasound across the region. We are delighted to have the opportunity and support to work in such an innovative way.”

Lead picture: Diagnostic radiography students practising their skills in the medical imaging facilities at the University of Cumbria Lancaster campus.

Published on page 8 of the March 2022 issue of RAD Magazine