“I never saw myself as a strategic leader, until I joined the group.”
This reflection from one of our members captures the quiet but profound transformation that can occur when radiographers are given space to lead, connect, and grow. Hosted by the UK Society of Radiographers, the Senior Strategic Leadership Specialist Interest Group (SSL-SIG) is a small but growing network of professionally registered radiographers working in substantive very senior management/ director level roles in the health and care system in the UK. It’s grassroots by design, profession-specific by necessity, and strategic in its ambition.
Radiographers make up one of the largest professions within the Allied Health Professions (AHP) umbrella, yet they remain disproportionately absent from the most senior AHP roles. For example, Eddison et al. (2023) found that radiographers were notably underrepresented in chief AHP roles, despite their scale and contribution across NHS services, when compared with other AHP professions. Yet strategic senior radiographer leaders are the linchpin between frontline imaging and system-wide transformation, blending operational insight with visionary thinking. Their patient care skills, rooted in empathy, precision, and communication, ensure that strategic decisions never lose sight of individual needs. Without their leadership, the NHS risks missing critical opportunities for integrated, equitable care.
Mizzi and Marshall (2023) similarly highlighted systemic barriers to leadership development for all AHP professions, while Harding et al. (2024) demonstrated the power of experiential learning in building AHP leadership self-efficacy. Most recently, Mills et al. (2025) conducted a scoping review that revealed fragmented and inconsistent access to leadership development across the radiography profession. Their collective call for structured, inclusive, and profession-specific leadership pathways directly supports the rationale for our group.
The SSL-SIG was formed in response to these gaps. Radiographers in senior strategic roles often lacked profession-specific support, visibility, and peer networks. Leadership can be isolating, especially when you’re the only radiographer in a senior forum. Our group was created to change that, from the ground up.
Who We Are
We are a peer-led, unfunded network of professionally registered radiographers working in senior strategic roles across the NHS and Arm’s Length Bodies. Our membership, though currently small, is diverse, influential, and growing. It includes divisional directors, national programme leads, heads of service, and policy advisors, radiographers who are shaping healthcare at regional and national levels. We span all four nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and represent a wide spectrum of modalities, from diagnostic imaging and therapeutic radiography to ultrasound, mammography, and nuclear medicine. What unites us is a deep commitment to our radiography roots and a shared belief in the profession’s strategic potential. We bring distinct clinical insight, operational expertise, and exceptional patient care skills to strategic leadership spaces. There is no hierarchy, no formal application, just a collective drive to elevate radiography through strategic influence, mutual support, and system-shaping leadership.
What We Do
We meet regularly to share insights, mentor emerging leaders, and discuss the challenges and opportunities of leading in complex systems. Our members have contributed to national consultations, shaped service redesigns, and supported one another through organisational change. We also collaborate with other AHP leadership networks to ensure radiography has a strong, unified voice in multidisciplinary forums. The SSL-SIG provides a psychologically safe space where senior radiographers can reflect, connect, and grow. It helps build leadership identity, confidence, and strategic visibility, elements often missing from formal leadership pathways. To inspire and inform our members, we also host guest speakers, including radiographers working at CEO level, who share their leadership journeys and offer invaluable insights into navigating executive roles.
Why It Matters
Initiatives like the Society of Radiographers’ Leadership Mentoring Scheme are already making meaningful strides in supporting radiographers’ leadership journeys. Yet, as more radiographers step into wider strategic senior roles that are beyond imaging or oncology service lead or consultant level, the SSL-SIG offers a complementary space tailored to the unique needs of strategic leaders, ensuring they’re not just prepared to lead, but empowered to shape the system.
Grassroots leadership networks have long been recognised as powerful drivers of change. Studies in nursing and midwifery (e.g., West et al., 2014) show that peer-led communities foster innovation, resilience, and leadership identity. Wenger’s (1998) theory of communities of practice also underpins the value of informal networks in professional growth.
The broader AHP leadership landscape is also evolving. Voices like Walsh et al. (2023) have explored how digital transformation and professional identity intersect for radiographers, highlighting the need for adaptable, future-facing leadership across professions. Their reflections complement the SSL-SIG’s mission by reminding us that strategic leadership isn’t just about structure or seniority, it’s about shaping systems with insight, innovation, and authenticity. Radiographers, by virtue of their professional requisites, scope, and skills, are uniquely positioned to thrive in this space as the insightful and innovative leaders the NHS needs.
We believe SIGs like this should be embedded into national health and care leadership strategies. They offer scalable, profession-specific development that reflects the diversity and complexity of modern healthcare. Health and Care organisations and policymakers must recognise the value of these networks, not just as communities of practice, but as engines of change.
Radiographers are ready to lead, not just clinically, but strategically. The SSL-SIG is here to help make that happen, from the ground up. We invite other professions to consider how similar models could support their own senior leaders. Profession-specific leadership networks like this can play a vital role in unlocking strategic potential, amplifying diverse voices, and shaping a more inclusive future for health and care.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to the UK Society of Radiographers for hosting this Specialist Interest Group and to Charlotte Beardsmore CBE FCR, Executive Director of Professional Policy at the Society and College of Radiographers, for Charlotte’s ongoing support of the group.
Authors
Dr Gareth Hill BSc (Hons) MSc PhD FHEA
Gareth is Associate Director for Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions and Lead Allied Health Professional at NHS Education for Scotland. A recognised leader in healthcare education, research and professional development, he provides strategic direction across Scotland’s Allied Health Professions workforce. Formerly Associate Director of Evidence at Healthcare Improvement Scotland and Head of Therapeutic Radiography at NHS Tayside, Gareth has extensive experience spanning clinical practice, academia, and health service improvement. He is a HCPC registered Therapeutic Radiographer and Co-founder and Co-Chair of the Senior Strategic Leaders Specialist Interest Group, hosted by the Society of Radiographers. A Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and active researcher in person-centred and inclusive cancer care, he champions evidence-based leadership and workforce excellence.
Dr. Janice St. John – Matthews DProf, MSc, PgC(TLHE), BSc (Hons), SFHEA, FIoL
Janice is a HCPC registered Diagnostic Radiographer and the co-founder and co-chair of the Senior Strategic Leaders Specialist Interest Group, hosted by the Society of Radiographers, a four-nation platform dedicated to advancing radiographer-led strategic leadership across the NHS through peer support, professional visibility, and system-wide influence. Her career spans clinical practice, academia, and policy, with a track record of building cross-sector partnerships and influencing executive-level strategy to improve service delivery and community outcomes.
Janice previously served as Clinical Fellow to the Chief AHP Officer in England (2021-2022) and has worked in the Office of the Chief AHP Officer most recently as a Senior AHP Advisor. Janice is a Fellow of the Institute of Leadership, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and an Associate Editor at the BMJ Leader.
Declaration of interests
We have read and understood the BMJ Group policy on declaration of interests and declare the following interests: None