Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists
Report by Dr Jerome Coffey, Dean, Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists
The Faculty of Radiologists and Radiation Oncologists is the professional and academic body for radiologists and radiation oncologists in Ireland. Its key roles include postgraduate training and examinations in diagnostic radiology and radiation oncology and administration of the professional competence scheme for these specialties. This year brought the sad news of the passing of Professor Barry Kelly, former Dean of the Faculty (2012-2014), Consultant Radiologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, former Chair of the European Society of Radiology Audit and Standards Subcommittee, and Professor in Radiology at the University of Ulster. Professor Kelly was widely respected for his warmth, expertise and wit, and will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know him.
The Faculty has had a busy year, contributing to the development of the HSE National Radiology Strategy 2025-2029, currently under review by the Department of Health. Pending funding, the strategy will lead to a significant expansion of consultant posts. This will require immediate expansion of the training programme and the Faculty worked closely with the HSE National Doctors Training and Planning (NDTP) team on workforce planning for 2025-2028. These efforts were informed by the workload document from the Faculty, data from the National QI Programme in Radiology 2024 and the ESR publication Guidelines and Recommendations for Radiologist Staffing, Education and Training.
With support and funding from NDTP, the Faculty has initiated a new rotation model for radiology trainees from July 2025. This enables post-exam, Year 2 or higher trainees to rotate to Model 3 hospitals, facilitating expansion of the training programme and, in the longer term, improving recruitment and retention of Consultant Radiologists outside the Model 4 hospitals. The rotation offers trainees exposure to varied clinical environments, work practices, consultants and departments.
The Faculty’s Annual Scientific Meeting took place in September 2024, at which Honorary Fellowships were conferred upon Professor Jonathon Leipsic (University of British Columbia), Professor Philip Poortmans (Iridium Netwerk, Belgium), Associate Professor Paddy Gilligan (Mater Misericordiae University Hospital) and Professor David Palma, (London Health Sciences Centre, Ontario).
As part of the ongoing accreditation cycle of our training sites, the Faculty conducted successful visits to the Radiation Oncology department in Cork University Hospital in November 2024, and to the Radiology departments in Tallaght University Hospital and University Hospital Waterford in May 2025. These remain valuable opportunities to engage with hospital management, assess training environments and receive direct feedback from trainees and trainers.
The Faculty’s achievements are made possible by the dedication and support of the Faculty Board members, committee chairs and members, national and local training coordinators and the Faculty staff.
