From working on London’s first CT scanner to scanning a sick sheep – Shelagh retires after 47-year career
Our Chief Operating Officer (COO), Shelagh Smith (pictured), retires this week after a 47-year career in healthcare, 42 of them in the NHS.
Having helped lead us through the Covid-19 pandemic, Shelagh made the decision to retire and spend more time with her family, including two sons and two grandchildren, and travel with her husband, Graham, when restrictions allow.
She said: “The pandemic really put things into perspective for me. Like a lot of people I’ve worked constantly through it and it’s been fulfilling, however, I’ve also seen so many people get sick and become incapacitated. I’ve realised there are things I want to do while I’m able.”
Having wanted to be a radiographer since undergoing an X-ray aged ten and was fascinated by being able to see inside her body, Shelagh started her career as a diagnostic radiographer at St Bartholomew’s Hospital.
She was privileged to work on one of the first CT scanners in London and throughout her career, has seen technology change from hard-film X-rays to a completely digitised system. She led the roll-out of faster, ‘helical’ CT scanning at the Royal Free Hospital, helping develop advanced imaging techniques, before spending five years in the private sector.
She added: “As I liked teaching I worked for a company which sold scanners. I would travel the country teaching teams to use them. It was on a trip to Stornoway, Scotland, that I found myself scanning a sheep.
“With not so many people as in central London (but lots of sheep!), there was a day when there was no one to scan. When I’d teach teams to use scanners, getting as much experience for them as possible was key, so when a radiographer’s husband called about a sick sheep, to see if we’d scan it, we did!”
Despite the excitement of scanning farm animals, Shelagh decided her heart was with the NHS and worked at the Royal Marsden as radiology business manager and principal radiographer. It was from here that she was seconded to return to our Trust (having worked with us as a radiographer from 1987 to 1995), in 2007 to support our Radiology department.
Shelagh, 63, said: “In my 14 years here I’ve led several services, and worked as Director of Operations at King George Hospital before moving into my current role.
“I’m proud to have become a COO in a trust I’m passionate about and which serves my family and friends. It’s also been great to be a role model for my profession, as only a handful of radiographers have followed this career route. I never had ambitions to be a board director, but if you live for what you’re doing and see where it takes you, there’s no ceiling, never assume there are limits on your career.”
Despite her pride at her career path, from radiographer to executive director, Shelagh, who lives in Brentwood, feels her greatest achievement has been playing her part in getting us through the pandemic.
She added: “Our community had the biggest prevalence of Covid-19, despite that, we worked hard to give the best care we could.
“I remember coming in with no idea how we would manage. However, every step of the way, there was someone who just knew what to do. The camaraderie and ‘we’ve got this’ attitude was amazing and made such a difference when things were tough. People were pushed to their limits and it was humbling to see how everyone pulled together.”