Tell me about your journey with Alliance Medical – where did it start, where are you now?

Alliance Medical supported and sponsored our diagnostic Radiography recruitment fair in 2017 and it was there that we discovered their graduate scheme - which we are very happy to promote to the Leeds Radiography students. We also discovered the extent of their role in some of the NHS trusts used by our programme for clinical placements. We are now looking at making them an official partner for the training of graduates in CT, MRI and PET – with our programme accrediting the teaching and learning provided by Alliance in those key specialist areas. 

Alliance Medical are currently a partner for undergraduate placements on an optional module, but in 2021 we are looking towards making Alliance a permanent placement provider for our undergraduate students in the Yorkshire region.

How do Alliance Medical and Leeds work together to deliver the best experiences for graduates and support them with their career?

We have an excellent relationship with the team at Alliance Medical, holding very similar views on placements and learning within specialist areas - which is helping us to deliver a programme that provides our students with exciting opportunity to be placed in specialist Alliance Medical departments. This is currently as part of an optional module to afford them the chance to look at the graduate scheme and what is on offer to them. Alliance Medical also continue to support our annual recruitment fair, allowing Leeds students to discuss the scheme and applications with staff from Alliance Medical.

Do you believe that graduates have the opportunity to move in different directions within Alliance Medical; or gain experience in a range of areas?

Yes, currently our students have benefitted from CT, MRI and PET-CT placements. PET-CT is especially valuable, as it’s somewhat limited within NHS placements. They are also able to move around different regions as opposed to being based solely in Yorkshire.

How important are graduates to the field of radiography?

Hugely. There is a shortage of Diagnostic radiographers and the Government have listed them as an area of concern due to the growing need for imaging services. Therefore, the use of cross -sectional imaging such as CT and MRI is advancing quickly and the pathway through the NHS for further training is somewhat limited. 

During the COVID pandemic in 2020, it has shown that radiographers have been very much in demand and on the frontline. As a HEI we are constantly being approached by Health Education England to increase our capacity in training numbers to match the need by the medical world.

What are Leeds and Alliance Medical planning to/ doing differently to other universities and partners?

We are looking to form a formal partnership to accredit the learning and teaching carried out in-house by Alliance Medical, in order to allow the graduate scheme to be a university matched course with formal learning outcomes and aligned to our university strategy. We are also looking to make Alliance a formal partner for undergraduate placements in the North where there is currently a lack of provision.