Royal College of Radiologists (RCR)

The Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) is the professional body for clinical radiology and clinical oncology (= radiation oncology) in the United Kingdom, and is responsible for the clinical radiology and clinical oncology curricula and assessment of clinical radiologists and clinical oncologists who wish to gain Fellowship of the College (FRCR). 

History

The British Association of Radiologists

In 1934 approximately 100 radiologists met and formed The British Association of Radiologists. The first President was J.FJF Brailsford, a radiologist from Birmingham and a world authority on bone radiology. One year later The Society of Radiotherapists of Great Britain and Ireland was established by physicians who employed ionising radiation and radium in the treatment of disease. 

Faculty of Radiologists

In 1939 the two bodies merged to form The Faculty of Radiologists which received a Royal Charter in 1953. The first President was R. E.RE Roberts. The Faculty initially had their offices at - but were never part of - the Royal College of Surgeons in London. In 1975 another Charter permitted the name change to The Royal College of Radiologists ¹. The first President of the new College was Sir Howard Middlemiss.

Committees

Junior Radiologists Forum (JRF)

The Junior Radiologists Forum (JRF) is a committee of the RCR, its purpose is to provide a route of communication between clinical radiology trainees and the Faculty of Clinical Radiology and the College. Each training scheme has an elected JRF representative and there are also 'less than full-time trainee' and 'academic trainee' representatives. A small executive committee is responsible for coordinating the work of the JRF and represents trainees at many other RCR committees, for example, the Specialty Training Board. 

Junior Oncologists Forum (JOF)

There is also a Junior Oncologists Forum (JOF) which provides an analogous route of communication between the clinical oncology trainees and the Faculty of Clinical Oncology and the College.

Officers of the Royal College of Radiologists

Presidents

1974-75 Sir Howard Middlemiss CMG1975-77 Eric C Eason CBE*1977-80 Robert E Steiner CBE1980-83 John W Laws CBE1983-86 William M Ross CBE*1986-89 E Rhys Davies CBE1989-92 J Oscar M C Craig1992-95 Sir Christopher Paine*1995-98 Michael J Brindle CBE1998-01 Peter Armstrong2001-04 Dan Victor Ash *2004-07 Dame Janet Husband DBE FMedSci2007-10 Andreas Ntinou Adam OBE FMedSci2010-13 Jane M Barrett OBE*2013-16 Giles F Maskell2016- Nicola H Strickland

NB: By convention, every third President of the College is a clinical (=radiation) oncologist (indicated by an * above), the first and second Presidents in each of these three president cycles is a radiologist.