Rad Chat

Trigger Warning: this episode discusses cancer, diagnostic imaging and cancer treatment. 

Bonus Episode in paid partnership with Ergéa. 

Description: In this episode, Naman Julka-Anderson and Jo McNamara sit down with Donna Hughes and Carol Scott.

Donna is an experienced therapeutic radiographer with a long and varied career in radiotherapy practice and service development. She currently works for Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as the Lead Radiographer for the radiotherapy satellite centre in Milton Keynes, supporting the delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care. Donna trained in England and spent the first half of her career working in Ireland before returning to the UK. Her clinical experience includes roles in neuro-oncology and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), as well as contributing to the implementation of an MR Linac service in the private sector. She is particularly passionate about patient care and the people she works alongside. 

Carol is a senior therapeutic radiographer and Radiotherapy Services Manager at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. She has extensive experience in radiotherapy service leadership, advanced radiotherapy technologies and stereotactic radiotherapy, and has held senior clinical leadership roles including Deputy Clinical Director for Oncology. Carol has played a key role in the development of innovative radiotherapy services at Oxford, including stereotactic and image-guided radiotherapy, and has contributed to radiotherapy development and commissioning at a national level through NHS England.

We discuss how the role of a managed equipment service supports staff by freeing up clinical time, supporting with recruitment and retention of staff, as well as sustainability and future proofing digital solutions. 

CPD Reflection Points:
Reflect on how the current management and maintenance of radiotherapy or diagnostic equipment affects your department’s efficiency, staff experience, and patient care. Identify one area where a managed equipment service could reduce downtime, delays, or administrative burden. What impact could this have on staff morale, workload, and the patient experience?
Consider how reliable, modern and well-maintained equipment could influence recruitment and retention within your service. Reflect on whether access to contemporary technology, effective technical support and a well-functioning working environment could make your department more attractive to current and prospective staff. What changes could help demonstrate that your organisation is investing in its workforce?
Reflect on the potential of managed equipment services to future-proof radiotherapy and diagnostic services. Consider how planned replacement, proactive maintenance, training and access to technical expertise could support staff to work confidently with evolving technology. How could this contribute to workforce development, job satisfaction and the delivery of safe, timely and high-quality patient care?
Complete this form for your accredited digital badge: Digital Badge Form.

Links from the Episode:
Ergéa
Clinical Managed Services including Managed Maintenance Services
Managed Services Guide
Rad Chat Links:
Rad Chat Website
Link Tree
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok
BlueSky
YouTube
Credits: Music and jingle credits: Dr. Ben Potts and Adam Cooke.

© Rad Chat 2025. All rights reserved.  
We (or our licensors) own all intellectual property rights in this podcast and all related content, online and offline.  
You may not use, copy, modify, download, archive, reproduce, distribute, display, publish, licence, create derivative works from or commercially exploit any part of our content unless we expressly agree in writing.  
You must not use any images, audio, video, graphics or clips separately from their accompanying context.  
Please acknowledge Rad Chat (and any identified contributors) clearly whenever referencing or sharing our content.

Trigger Warning: this episode discusses cancer, cancer treatment, benign conditions, side effects and long term conditions.

Episode 217: Part of the Education and workforce development series (part 72)

Description: In this powerful episode, Naman Julka-Anderson and Jo McNamara sit down with Dr. Richard Shaffer is a Radiation Oncologist and a prominent expert in the use of radiotherapy for treating benign disease, including Dupuytren’s, Ledderhose, plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, keloid scars, osteoarthritis, tendinopathy and bursitis. Since starting his practice in 2011, Dr. Shaffer has treated more than 3000 benign patients and provided training and mentoring to fellow consultants starting benign radiotherapy practices. He co-wrote the 2015 Royal College of Radiologists guidelines for benign conditions and is the founder and President of the International Society for Radiotherapy for Benign Conditions (www.iorbc.com).

This episode is a deep dive into Richard’s career, history of radiotherapy for benign conditions, dose and fractionation along with potential side effects.

CPD Reflection Points:
Identify common benign indications that can be treated by radiotherapy.
Understand appropriate dose and fractionation for benign conditions.
Recognise the risks and benefits of treating benign disease with ionising radiation.
Complete this form for your accredited digital badge: Digital Badge Form.

Links from the Episode:
Theralife clinics
Dupuytrens UK
Joint pain practice 
Radiotherapy Academy for Benign Conditions
International organisation for radiotherapy for benign conditions
Research links from the Episode:
Recommendations for using radiotherapy for benign disease in the UK
Radiotherapy for benign disease; assessing the risk of radiation-induced cancer following exposure to intermediate dose radiation
Rad Chat Links:
Rad Chat Website
Link Tree
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok
BlueSky
YouTube
Credits: Music and jingle credits: Dr. Ben Potts and Adam Cooke.

© Rad Chat 2025. All rights reserved.  
We (or our licensors) own all intellectual property rights in this podcast and all related content, online and offline.  
You may not use, copy, modify, download, archive, reproduce, distribute, display, publish, licence, create derivative works from or commercially exploit any part of our content unless we expressly agree in writing.  
You must not use any images, audio, video, graphics or clips separately from their accompanying context.  
Please acknowledge Rad Chat (and any identified contributors) clearly whenever referencing or sharing our content.

Trigger Warning: this episode discusses healthcare.

Episode216: Part of the education and workforce development series (Part 72)

Description: In this educational episode, Naman Julka-Anderson and Jo McNamara sit down with Christopher Tuckett, a senior NHS leader and physiotherapist with a career spanning clinical practice, service improvement and strategic AHP leadership. He has led across acute, community and national settings, with a strong focus on quality, value and workforce optimisation. Christopher is currently undertaking a PhD exploring the acceptability of healthcare interventions, including digital models of care, bringing fresh insight into how technology, behaviour and service design intersect to improve outcomes and productivity.

This episode is a deep dive into life as an AHP, career development, leadership and research into digital models of care. 

CPD Reflection Points:
What is one aspect of your work that creates significant value, but is currently difficult to measure or demonstrate? How could you make that value more visible?
How has the episode changed your thinking about productivity in healthcare? Identify one measure of activity in your service that could be better linked to quality, outcomes or patient impact.
What is one thing you could do differently when communicating the value of your role, or service to senior leaders, or finance colleagues? What will you do differently as a result?
Complete this form for your accredited digital badge: Digital Badge Form.

Links from the Episode:
Christopher Tuckett
Digital Services for Integrated Care
Rad Chat Links:
Rad Chat Website
Link Tree
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok
BlueSky
YouTube
Credits: Music and jingle credits: Dr. Ben Potts and Adam Cooke.

© Rad Chat 2025. All rights reserved.  
We (or our licensors) own all intellectual property rights in this podcast and all related content, online and offline.  
You may not use, copy, modify, download, archive, reproduce, distribute, display, publish, licence, create derivative works from or commercially exploit any part of our content unless we expressly agree in writing.  
You must not use any images, audio, video, graphics or clips separately from their accompanying context.  
Please acknowledge Rad Chat (and any identified contributors) clearly whenever referencing or sharing our content.

Trigger Warning: this episode discusses cancer, cancer treatment, sex, infertility and late effects.
​​
​​Episode 217: Part of the living with and beyond cancer series (Part 76)
​​
​​Description: In this insightful episode, Naman Julka-Anderson and Jo McNamara sit down with Steph Davies. She is the founder of Life after Cancer, a UK not-for-profit supporting adults after cancer treatment through coaching, peer support, expert sessions, workshops and community connection. After her own experience of Hodgkin lymphoma, she created Life after Cancer to help others navigate the often-overlooked challenges that can follow treatment. A trained coach and NLP practitioner, she combines professional expertise with lived experience. Steph has collaborated with organisations including NHS England, UCLH, Macmillan and Nuffield Health, and is passionate about improving support and helping people rebuild confidence, identity and wellbeing after treatment.
​​
​​CPD Reflection Points:
​​What aspects of post-treatment care are currently underrepresented in your practice?
​​How might fear of recurrence, identity loss, or reduced confidence present in patients you see?
​​What changes could you make to better acknowledge these needs?
​​How do your current communication styles support or limit patient empowerment?
​​Can you identify a recent interaction where a coaching approach might have improved the outcome?
​​What small communication changes could you trial in your next clinical shift?
​​Are you confident in your knowledge of post-treatment support services?
​​How often do you initiate conversations about life after treatment?
​​What barriers might prevent effective signposting in your role?​​
​​Complete this form for your accredited digital badge: Digital Badge Form.
​​
​​Links from the Episode:
​​Life after cancer
​​Rad Chat Links:
​​Rad Chat Website
​​Link Tree
​​Facebook
​​Instagram
​​LinkedIn
​​TikTok
​​BlueSky
​​YouTube​​
​​Credits: Music and jingle credits: Dr. Ben Potts and Adam Cooke.
​​
​​© Rad Chat 2025. All rights reserved.  
​​We (or our licensors) own all intellectual property rights in this podcast and all related content, online and offline.  
​​You may not use, copy, modify, download, archive, reproduce, distribute, display, publish, licence, create derivative works from or commercially exploit any part of our content unless we expressly agree in writing.  
​​You must not use any images, audio, video, graphics or clips separately from their accompanying context.  
​​Please acknowledge Rad Chat (and any identified contributors) clearly whenever referencing or sharing our content.

Trigger Warning: this episode discusses cancer and cancer treatment. 

Episode 214: Part of the Living with and Beyond Cancer Series (part 75)

Description: In this inspiring episode of the Living With and Beyond Cancer series, Naman Julka-Anderson and Jo McNamara are joined by Anne-Marie Ball, a Clinical Exercise Practitioner, researcher and Cancer Exercise Specialist, to explore the transformative role of exercise throughout the cancer pathway.

Anne-Marie holds an MSc in Cancer Care and has extensive experience delivering exercise rehabilitation programmes across both hospital and community settings. Her research focuses on multimodal exercise interventions and how they can optimise health-related outcomes for people affected by cancer. Throughout the episode, she explains the science underpinning exercise oncology, dispels common misconceptions surrounding exercise during treatment, and highlights the importance of integrating personalised exercise into routine cancer care.

Whether you are a healthcare professional, student, researcher, exercise practitioner or someone living with and beyond cancer, this episode offers evidence-based insights into one of the most impactful supportive interventions available to people affected by cancer. It highlights why exercise should be considered an essential component of personalised cancer care, rather than an optional extra.

CPD Reflection Points:
Critically evaluate how exercise is currently integrated into the cancer pathway within your own area of practice. To what extent does your service reflect the contemporary evidence for exercise before, during and after treatment? Consider the barriers and facilitators to embedding exercise as a standard component of personalised cancer care.
Despite strong evidence demonstrating the benefits of exercise for improving physical function, reducing treatment-related side effects and enhancing quality of life, implementation remains inconsistent. Reflect on your own confidence, knowledge and professional responsibility in discussing exercise with people affected by cancer. How can healthcare professionals move beyond signposting towards actively integrating exercise conversations into routine clinical practice while maintaining person-centred care?
Identify one evidence-informed improvement that could be implemented within your own organisation to strengthen access to exercise or rehabilitation. Justify your proposal using current evidence, national guidance or policy, and reflect on how you would evaluate its impact on patient outcomes and experience.
Complete this form for your accredited digital badge: Digital Badge Form.

Links from the Episode:
Prehabilitation and cancer treatments 
Education podcast 
Implementation of exercise prescription 
Research links from the Episode:
Exercise, Diet, and Weight Management During Cancer Treatment: ASCO Guideline
Movement Is Medicine: Structured Exercise Program May Lower Risk of Cancer Recurrence and Death for Some Colon Cancer Survivors
Rad Chat Links:
Rad Chat Website
Link Tree
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
TikTok
BlueSky
YouTube
Credits: Music and jingle credits: Dr. Ben Potts and Adam Cooke.

© Rad Chat 2025. All rights reserved.  
We (or our licensors) own all intellectual property rights in this podcast and all related content, online and offline.  
You may not use, copy, modify, download, archive, reproduce, distribute, display, publish, licence, create derivative works from or commercially exploit any part of our content unless we expressly agree in writing.  
You must not use any images, audio, video, graphics or clips separately from their accompanying context.  
Please acknowledge Rad Chat (and any identified contributors) clearly whenever referencing or sharing our content.