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The purpose was to develop an image verification passport for RTTs to streamline the training process, the passport is a training and competency document that allows the trainee to complete a training programme that is transferable to London radiotherapy centres. The objective was to better understand the current IGRT training and assessment needs in five radiotherapy departments in London.

Therapeutic Radiographers were purposively recruited from each radiotherapy department. An online survey with a five-point Likert scale was deployed to assess the needs IGRT training and assessment.  The data was collected and assessed using descriptive statistics and represented as percentages for favourable or non-favourable opinion towards the current training within the RTTs current department. There was also mean experience in years was given. The study approval was sought through the local department research and development.

66 RTTs from the five London radiotherapy departments of varying sizes participated. The median years qualified was 10 years. There was a favourable attitude to the current IGRT training packages in the five departments. However, there were some elements that could be improved. Current training and assessment methods are appropriate for training staff. 75% of those RTTs that had trained in other departments felt that the training in their current department was a repetition of their previous competencies. 53% of the RTTs felt the training was the correct length of time, whereas 32% felt it took too long. RTTs expressed a need for training and assessment packages to be broken down by anatomical cancer sites and training modified to match the existing experience radiographers. The development of the VIP will address the issues raised by the RTTS.

Current training practices in each of the five departments is favourable to a high percentage of the participants, the way in which the training is delivered and assessed is similar to that used in the VIP. The VIP aims to address the issues raised by the group about the repetition of competencies, by having a passport style system where the staff member can transfer their competencies from department to department without having to gain further IGRT competencies. It is recommended that the style of the VIP is delivered in a similar way to current practice as this is favourable to the majority of the RTTs. Future work will be to capture the RTTs opinions after the implementation of the VIP within the five departments. Success of the VIP could lead to a national IGRT training passport, training all RTTs to the appropriate level and reducing training burden in departments.