The lead head and neck therapeutic radiographer at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) will speak at a prestigious radiotherapy event in Spain this month.

Mitchell Hickman has been selected to present at the European Society of Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO) Conference, which takes place in Barcelona over 20 – 24 April 2018, and gives radiation oncologists, medical physicists, radiobiologists and radiation therapists the opportunity to engage with other oncology organisations with the collective aim of improving cancer treatment. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Innovation for Value and Access’.

Mitch manages the head and neck pathway for radiotherapy patients at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham (QEHB). He is involved in reviewing and managing their toxicities and wellbeing during treatment. For over a year, he has been conducting an audit based around mucositis, which is a side effect of radiotherapy to the head and neck. It is very debilitating, causes painful, thick secretions and can affect the patient’s quality of life.

“The purpose of the audit was to compare clinician and patient assessment of the severity of mucositis and how it interferes with patients’ daily lives,” he says. “The aim was to improve patient care and increase patient involvement in their care. We performed the audit throughout treatment and then at follow-up until the patient reported that the severity of their side effects had lessened.”

Mitch also recently underwent further training to become a non-medical independent prescriber, which means he is able to prescribe any medication within his scope of practice. He is one of only a few radiographers in the country to be qualified to do so. He says it has enhanced the service he is able to provide to all head and neck patients. “With the support of the head and neck team, I set up my own radiographer-led clinic, where I’m an independent prescriber. These prescribing rights have really helped patients’ access to medications.

“The legislation used to be that radiographers had to be a supplementary prescriber. Then the legislation changed a year ago, which means we can work independently within our own scope of practice.”

Post-ESTRO, the mucositis audit will continue and, hopefully, ensure the best tools for patient assessment of mucositis are used at UHB. “There’s no other project like this in the UK right now that I’m aware of. It’s amazing for us as a Trust, department and profession. It’s really exciting that all of this hard work is paying off.”