images/isrrt/Newsletter Nov 2009.pdf

ReportSynopsis of ISRRT Board MeetingHong KongJuly 2009Report by Sandy YuleThe Board of the ISRRT met in Hong Kong during thethird week in July. A plan of action was agreed and themain points are set out below.The results of the Survey undertaken early 2009 werediscussed in full by the Board. It was emphasised by thePresident, Robert George, that the Survey was requestedby the Council of the ISRRT and it was important thatmember societies be given the opportunity to both seeand comment on the findings and have to opportunity todiscuss them.The Board felt that it should be seen to be listening toany proposals made by member societies. However it wasagreed that the Board would provide guidance relatingto the possible way forward particularly with respect toproposals which may involve the expenditure of fundsand with this in mind Board Officers will look at theSurvey in detail to see how it may affect their areas ofresponsibility.This information will be sent to member societiesbefore the end of 2009.An Open Forum will be held prior to the Councilmeeting in 2010 at which time a full discussion will takeplace which will be devoted to the Survey.Many other items were discussed and below is a summaryof the decisions taken.The 50th Anniversary of the founding of the ISRRT takesplace during the World Congress in Canada in 2012. Ateam will be initially set up facilitated by the presentDirector of Public Relations, Fozy Peer, to look at possiblecelebrations to celebrate the anniversary. It was alsoagreed that a history of the first 50 years of ISRRT willbe produced.Regular communications between ISRRT Officers andMember Societies is important and this will be facilitatedin the future by a blanket email every two months fromBoard Members to Societies in their Regions to updatethem on ISRRT activities.The ISRRT has been involved in many workshopsduring the last five years and it is the intention to increasethese during 2010. Board members were asked to informthe Director of Education regarding the need for workshopsin their areas in order to ensure that all Regions benefitedfrom these projects. This includes Radiotherapy, Ultrasoundand Nuclear Medicine and Professional Practice.The Director of Education agreed to consider theestablishment of funds to be provided for research purposeson an international perspective. Maria Law, Vice Presidentfor Asia/Australasia, was made Chairperson and since theBoard meeting the criteria for applying for the grant anda sum of money has been identified. The details will bepublished on the ISRRT website and in the newsletter andthe first award will be made in 2010 (see notice on right).For some time now the Board has been consideringthe setting up of an international academic accreditationsystem. To further this, a working group is being set upwhich will be facilitated by the Director of Education,Cynthia Cowling. Progress will be reported during theCouncil meeting in 2010.This year (2009) the ISRRT was accepted as part of the“Image Gently” campaign and are now actively promoting theexcellent work done by that group. In addition to radiationsafety the Board is also concerned about environmentaleffects in general. The Director of Professional Practice willproduce a policy document to demonstrate that the ISRRTis environmentally conscious and how this can be achievedand disseminated to members.The cost of producing and distributing the newsletteris increasing significantly on an annual basis and the hardcopy also contributes towards environmental waste. TheBoard will produce a detailed document outlining the costsinvolved in the production and distribution of the newsletterand the implications to Member Societies and AssociateMembers if the newsletter is produced in electronic forminstead of hard copy. Again a report and recommendationwill be given during the 2010 Council meeting.The Code of Ethics, which has been in preparation formore than two years, will be finalised and distributed prior12 ISRRT Newsletter