'Shining example' Leah bags Welsh Radiography Professional of the Year crown
7.11.2023
A Glan Clwyd Hospital radiographer, with a wealth of experience and passion for innovation, is the best in Wales according to her professional body.
Leah Cox, lead review radiographer within the North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre, said she was “surprised and delighted” to be named Welsh Radiography Professional of the Year by the Society of Radiographers.
It means her name now goes forward to compete for the UK award in Westminster, London, on November 8 – where she will also receive her Wales title.
“I will have to come back because I have a clinic the next day,” she revealed. “I’ve got to look after my patients.
“This professional award means a lot, everyone wants to feel appreciated. I appreciate my work colleagues, so I’m honoured to receive it on behalf of our whole department.”
In a glowing tribute, when putting Leah forward for the award, radiotherapy services manager Patricia Evans highlighted the professional attributes which impressed judges enough to give Leah the edge.
She said: “Leah has been behind a number of service improvements and innovations.
“She consistently pushes boundaries to learn and innovate by working above and beyond what is expected – always with a passion to put patient care at the heart of everything she achieves.
“Leah is a shining example of how one person can transform a service, demonstrating all health board values.”
Day to day Leah’s job is to support patients affected by head and neck or colorectal cancers, making sure they receive the best treatment possible.
She has a wealth of experience around trying to improve those who need radiotherapy across the whole of Wales.
She is also the only non-medical cancer multi-disciplinary team (MDT) lead (for head and neck cancers) across the Health Board.
After qualifying in 1991 Leah worked in Canada as a radiation therapist in Toronto and Calgary, then on returning to the UK worked in Charing Cross, Royal Marsden and Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals, in London.
She then made the decision to join the radiotherapy team at North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre and start making a difference to the lives of patients in or region.
Leah has worked with consultants from Liverpool on weekends, after they stepped in to help keep patients treated at a time when there was a severe shortage of oncologists.
“It just had to be done,” she said. “We tried our best to bridge the gap but it was very stressful, as referrals kept arriving and our capacity was only one weekend day.”
She has also built strong relationships with teams in Manchester and Cardiff, meaning the referral process is smoother for patients.
Leah has worked on proton therapy, a form of radiation treatment which sends beams of high energy to target tumours more precisely than X-ray radiation.
She was the first North Wales Cancer Treatment Centre therapy radiographer to become a non-medical prescriber of drugs to help people cope with the side-effects of treatment – and a non-medical referrer for medical imaging.
Leah has worked with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), helping to develop head and neck cancer guidelines, and worked as a joint deputy lead for the Welsh Cancer Network.
She remained a NICE expert advisor on head and neck cancer, before going on to co-write and launch the optimal pathways for treating it.
Leah has also worked on the trans-oral robotic surgery (TORS) pathway, which enables surgeons to identify the precise locations of cancers inside the throat, reducing and sometimes removing the need for chemo or radiotherapy.
The list of her achievements goes on, not least arranging North Wales’ first head and neck cancer education day last year, in order to highlight all the positive work done by the multi-disciplinary team.
Due to overwhelmingly positive feedback from the event, a second one is planned this month.
Patricia Evans summed up Leah’s qualities, when she said: “Leah has been clear and focused in finding solutions and keeping patient care and experience at the heart of all she has done.
“In essence, I cannot think of anyone more worthy of the award.”
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