Radiology National Clinical Network

The National Radiology Network (NRN) was established in 2024 as part of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora’s National Clinical Network programme.

The NRN is targeting improved access and standardised service quality as it embarks on a raft of initiatives to lead improvements across the health system.

The Network’s core function is to establish standards and models of care to reduce variation in access to health services and ultimately improve New Zealanders’ health outcomes. It will also be the clinical partner to Health NZ’s broader focus on radiology across New Zealand.

Prior to the Network being established, the National Radiology Advisory Group had been in place for 10 years, and experts from that group supported the transition.

Network members

Name	Title / Role	Organisation/Location
Sharyn MacDonald	Clinical Co-Lead	Health New Zealand Te Waipounamu Waitaha Canterbury
Charlotte York	Clinical Co-Lead	Health New Zealand Te Toka Tumai
Jash Agraval	Northern Clinical Lead (Radiology Clinical Director)	Health New Zealand Waitemata
Ryan Walkin	Te Manawa Taki Clinical Lead (Consultant Radiologist/Head of Department)	Health New Zealand – Taranaki
Sarah Caswell	Te Manawa Taki Co-Lead (Service Manager)	Health New Zealand – Taranaki
Richard Cooper	Central Clinical Lead (Consultant Radiologist/Head of Department)	Health New Zealand – Hawke’s Bay
Karen Coleman	Central Co-Lead (Radiology Manager)	Health New Zealand – Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley
Jill McConachie	Te Wai Pounamu Clinical Lead (Te Waipounamu Regional Change Coordinator Radiology)	Health New Zealand - Te Waipounamu
Jenny Taylor	Te Wai Pounamu Co-Lead/Operations Lead (Radiology Operations Manager)	Health New Zealand - Nelson Marlborough
TBC	Rural General Practitioner	TBC
Stuart Barnard	Digital Workstream Lead	Health New Zealand – Counties Manukau
Alistair Rumball-Smith	Data Workstream Lead	Health New Zealand – Capital & Coast
James Entwisle	Workforce (Medical) Workstream Lead	Health New Zealand – Capital & Coast
Jill McConachie	Workforce (MIT/Allied Health) Workstream Joint-Lead	Health New Zealand - Te Waipounamu
Cathy Rewiri	Interim National Quality Manager (Te Waipounamu Radiology Quality & Service Excellence Manager and Quality Coordinator Radiology)	Health New Zealand - Canterbury

Objectives

Develop models of care and service standards for radiology services in Aotearoa with the central goal of eliminating inequity and unwarranted variation for users of radiology services. 
Work with regional radiology networks and key stakeholders to achieve consistency across Aotearoa.
Identify and support key programmes of work that require national planning and implementation. 
Support and lead national workforce development initiatives.
Develop and maintain processes to monitor progress in system change, delivery and outcomes for users of radiology services. 
Maintain networks across the sector that support productive relationships with consumers, whanau, and health professionals that use radiology services, along with our people working in radiology services.

Meet the Network Co-leads

Sharyn MacDonald

Sharyn is a Christchurch-based consultant radiologist with over 20 years of clinical experience working for Health NZ Waitaha Canterbury and in private practice.

A graduate of the University of Otago medical school, she completed her radiology training in Christchurch before undertaking further specialty training in cardiothoracic imaging at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, Greenlane Hospital in Auckland, and Vancouver General Hospital.

Sharyn is currently the Chief of Radiology at Waitaha Canterbury and the clinical lead for the South Island radiology regional service. She has also provided leadership via the former National Radiology Advisory Group, and as a co-chair/founder of the Australian and New Zealand Society of Thoracic Radiology and chair of the Intersociety and Global Outreach committee of the Society of Thoracic Radiology, USA.

Over and above her clinical work, her experience spans service development, improvement, and innovation, both within radiology and at organisation level.

Sharyn’s leadership area of passion is setting up radiology services to succeed with delivering quality, safe and timely imaging and interventional care.

She has a particular interest in how production planning processes from the manufacturing industry can be used to help align capacity and demand and plan service delivery in health care.

Sharyn is looking forward to continuing to collaborate with her radiology colleagues and others across the health system to enhance the radiology services available to our communities.

Charlotte York (Ngāpuhi)

Charlotte has a career spanning nearly a decade at Te Toka Tumai Auckland and has developed a multifaceted experience within Medical Imaging. Since 2014, she has served in various roles, including Clinical Specialist, Clinical Practicum Supervisor, and currently as MIT Team Lead for Starship Radiology.

In her current position, Charlotte has been instrumental in engaging significant equity improvement projects and her commitment to fostering a culturally responsive environment is an ongoing, ever-evolving direction of hers.

As a driven individual with a multicultural background (Māori, Chinese, and English), Charlotte is passionate about addressing inequities and advancing representation within Radiology in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Charlotte is very much looking forward to learning from and collaborating with her colleagues both in and outside of Radiology and most importantly, delivering an equitable service for all.

Contact us

If you have any questions about the Radiology National Clinical Network, please contact radiologynetwork@tewhatuora.govt.nz