How to become a locum radiographer in the UK
Guide to locum radiography work in the UK: HCPC registration, IR(ME)R competencies, modality specialism, reporting radiographer premium, and teleradiography contracts.
A locum radiographer covers clinical work on a session-by-session basis for the organisations that need them, as a self-employed professional rather than a salaried employee. This guide walks through everything you need to do to start, in order, and the common pitfalls that catch people in their first year.
Prerequisites: HCPC registration as a Diagnostic or Therapeutic Radiographer, and the right to work in the UK. Regulator: Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).
Typical UK locum radiographer rate (2026): Band 6 agency £32–£42/hr, Band 7 CT/MRI £40–£52/hr, reporting radiographer £50–£70/hr.
Step-by-step
- 1
HCPC registration + modality focus
HCPC registers Diagnostic Radiographers and Therapeutic Radiographers as separate titles. Modality matters for locum rate: CT and MRI are the premium. Therapeutic radiography has a thin locum market and is NHS-dominated.
- 2
Complete preceptorship before going locum
Most agencies and trusts will not book a radiographer without a completed preceptorship in an NHS trust. This is effectively year one post-qualification and gives you the competency sign-offs you’ll need.
- 3
For reporting radiographer work: PgCert / MSc
Reporting radiographer locum pay sits £50–£70/hr at Band 7 and grows with scope of practice. The route is a PgCert or MSc in reporting, then a local scope-of-practice sign-off at your first employer. Insourcing weekends for MRI reporting blitz pays £600–£1,200/day.
- 4
Keep IR(ME)R competencies current and portable
Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations competencies must be signed off locally per machine or protocol at many trusts. This is a real locum friction point – you can arrive for shift and not be cleared to operate the scanner. Ask in advance.
- 5
MRI safety re-orientation at every trust
MRI safety training is usually trust-specific and not always paid. Budget for an unpaid induction session at each new MRI booking. Keep a personal file of every MRI safety certificate for context.
- 6
Register with AHP agencies + NHSP
Globe Locums, Sanctuary Personnel, Medacs, and Athona run radiographer desks. Trust-direct bank work pays less than agency but builds local relationships and modality sign-offs.
- 7
For teleradiography: apply to Medica, 4Ways, Everlight
Teleradiology reporting providers hire senior reporting radiographers on per-report or hourly contracts. These are typically Ltd Co contractor arrangements (more genuinely outside IR35 because the client is a reporting provider, not a public sector body). Discrepancy audits are rigorous.
Documents to have ready
- HCPC registration certificate
- SoR (Society of Radiographers) membership
- Preceptorship completion confirmation
- Modality-specific competency evidence (CT, MRI, mammography)
- IR(ME)R training certificates
- MRI safety training certificate
- Mammography QA certificate (if relevant)
- Enhanced DBS
- Occupational health + radiation dosimetry history
- Indemnity certificate
Keep expiry dates tracked. Sessional sends reminders 30 days before each document lapses.
Common first-year pitfalls
- Local IR(ME)R sign-off delays on arrival. You lose the day’s fee because you can’t operate the scanner
- Scope creep in reporting work. Being asked to report outside your signed-off scope is a real medico-legal risk
- Unfamiliar PACS / RIS systems slowing throughput. Trust books 30 patients, you get through 18
- Building a career plan around therapeutic locum work alone. The market is structurally thin
- MRI safety training unpaid at each new trust. Build it into rate negotiation
Keep the admin painless from day one
Sessional tracks every session, invoice, expense and document so you spend your evenings with family, not spreadsheets. Free to start.
Related
Last reviewed April 2026. Rates and regulator details change. If something looks off, let us know.