ADVOCACY

During his radiography degree, Ben Potts was selected for the Council of Deans of Health’s Student Leadership Programme (#150Leaders). This programme served as a catalyst for his co-founding of SSHINE, a student-led initiative aimed at enhancing support for neurodivergent students in nursing and allied health professions. In 2022, SSHINE co-authored the NHS England Guide to Practice-Based Learning (PBL) for Neurodivergent Students. Subsequently, the team developed the SSHINE e-learning module, funded by NHS England in collaboration with the Florence Nightingale Foundation.

Focusing on the unique needs of neurodivergent student radiographers, Ben created a visual reference guide for radiographic positioning, which was published and distributed by The Society of Radiographers in 2022. This guide has supported hundreds of students in their education and clinical practice.

Ben has published academic articles, appeared as a guest on podcasts, and delivered presentations on neurodiversity to universities, professional bodies, and NHS trusts and organisations. Initially, his work concentrated on supporting neurodivergent healthcare students. However, as reflected in his doctoral research, his focus has shifted towards improving the care of neurodivergent patients in diagnostic imaging services.

His contributions have earned him several prestigious awards, including the UK Student Diagnostic Radiographer of the Year 2022 from the Society of Radiographers and the Forder Memorial Award from the College of Radiographers, which recognises the best student paper presented at the UK Imaging and Oncology (UKIO) Congress.