How do I become a radiographer in the UK?
By Gemma Raw
Currently, there’s a national shortage of radiographers in the UK, making radiography an accessible practice area for international applicants. If you’re wondering, the most up-to-date figures show that there is a 10% vacancy rate across the UK, meaning the need to recruit has never been greater.
So, how easy is it to find the right position and what steps must you take to relocate to the UK?
Why become a radiographer in the UK?
Before we jump straight into what steps you need to take to become a radiographer in the UK (in this case England and Wales), it’s worth exploring your earning potential.
As you’d expect, the amount you earn (your pay band) all depends on your experience and qualifications. So, a newly qualified radiographer can earn a starting salary of £24,907 (Band 5), whereas a more experienced radiographer can earn between £31,365 and £37,890 (Band 6).
There are plenty of opportunities to progress your career in radiography, with Band 8a consultants earning over £50,000 per year.
Money aside though, the UK is a rewarding place to work. After all, the NHS leads the way in many fields of radiography. From a career point of view, this makes the UK a great place to develop your skills and learn new techniques.
What radiographer vacancies are available?
There are two main types of radiography jobs you could apply for – diagnostic and therapeutic. Diagnostic radiographers help diagnose traumatic injuries, acute and chronic illnesses, and other diseases. Typically, they work in national screening, ultrasound or acute hospital radiography.
Therapeutic radiography, as the name suggests, is quite different. Rather than focusing on diagnosis, it is designed to deliver curative and palliative care for cancer patients.
Both are equally as rewarding and offer excellent career progression.
How do you become a radiographer in the UK?
To work as a radiographer in England and Wales, you must register with the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC), who regulate a number of different healthcare roles. However, the application route you take will depend on whether you trained overseas or in the UK.
One of the first things the HCPC will want to know is whether your experience and qualifications meets their ‘Standards of Proficiency’ to care for patients. Therefore, you’ll want to include as much information as you can.
If you qualified as a radiographer abroad, you’ll need to show the HCPC:
A certified copy of your qualification certificate
Translation of the certificate (if required)
Proof that you’ve passed the English Language test
Certificate of your professional status (from the regulator in the country you last worked)
Thankfully, the HCPC understands that some training courses may be broader than others. Where this is the case, you may be able to make up for shortfalls in training with your experience.
Crucially, you’ll also need to prove that you have a good working knowledge of the English language. Therefore, you must pass the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam with an average score of 7.0 with no element below 6.5. Or you may choose to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Internet Based Test (IBT). However, you must take this test before you arrive in the UK.
Also, you’ll also need to arrange a UK Visa and other documents, which our pastoral team is more than happy to help you with.
Where should you start?
Whether you’ve already registered with the HCPC or not, we recommend talking to our international recruitment team.
Along with finding you a great radiography job, we’ll take you through the entire relocation process. We’ll help you with your registration, interviews, VISA application, looking for and agreeing on a place to live, and arranging flights. We’ll even pick you up from the airport, take you shopping and help you settle in – all for free!
Our job is to make your journey to the UK as easy as possible.
Dreaming of moving to the UK but unsure on the requirements for overseas workers? We're here to help. Get in touch with our international team today.
