Forensic Radiography included in the UK Register of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP)
January 5, 2008
Since it was established in 1999, The Council for The Registration of Forensic Practitioners (CRFP) has registered over 3000 practitioners and there are currently 2641 forensic practitioners on the register.
CRFP’s prime purpose is to serve the public interest, but it also provides its registrants with credentials to counter any challenge to their professional credibility in a Court, backed up by a robust process for professional governance assurance. The courts, and indeed other users and the public at large, have free access to this central register of qualified, competent and expert forensic professionals where the need for independent witnesses arises to provide accurate, reliable, evidence-based professional opinions that reflect current practice, when required.
The discovery of deficiencies in the provision of evidence leading to miscarriages of justice, particularly in the early 1990s, caused a decrease in confidence in the judicial system and provoked new thinking about quality assurance and risk management in the courts. In response, the forensic community, with the support of government, founded CRFP as a mechanism for defining quality standards and providing a robust assurance process for forensic practitioners in ensuring they are “fit for purpose” in providing evidence in court.
The newly established CRFP forensic radiography register was launched at the College of Radiographers/AFR Joint Forensic Radiography conference in London on Saturday 3rd November 2007. Dr Michael Goldstein the, Chairman of CRFP, attended this event and highlighted that with continuing advances in forensic science and its increasing use in bringing perpetrators of crime to justice, a robust process for ensuring that evidence derived from forensic means is accurate and reliable is crucial to prevent miscarriages of justice. Radiography will be placed in the already existing Medical & Healthcare Specialty Assessment Panel, which also encompasses, forensic anthropologists, odontologists, medical examiners, paediatricians, nurses, podiatrists and vets. Radiographers who regularly carry out forensic radiography practice will be eligible to apply for registration with the CRFP.
Emily Faircloth, Vice Chair of AFR said: “This is real progress in terms of providing a mechanism to set and maintain standards in forensic radiography practice as well as a centralised, accessible register of national expertise in this field.” She went on to say: “One of AFR’s main objectives has been to focus attention on the need to revise both routine and emergency planning radiography procedures and techniques increasingly in the forensic investigation. As such, radiography practitioners involved in the front-line production and analysis of forensic radiographs are especially encouraged to apply to ensure continuity of imaging services and encourage best practice throughout this rapidly evolving specialty. AFR recognises that applications for CRFP will be comparatively few initially, but evolving radiography practice means that the likelihood of radiographers presenting expert testimony in a Court of Law is also no longer unheard of; the support offered by CRFP by protecting its members from any doubt in their professional credibility as well as providing advice and training in court procedures will be invaluable. CRFP membership will also act as a tool for members to maintain their professional development.
CRFP, in partnership with AFR will act as forum for ensuring continuing professional development: members must not only demonstrate professional competence when they apply but are reviewed on a four-yearly basis to ensure their practice reflects current standards. Once assessed, CRFP members will therefore be in a position to provide clear evidence of continuing professional development. Further information on the Council for Forensic Practitioners can be found on www.crfp.org.uk
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