Clinical Scientist - Radiotherapy Physicist (XR07)

Applications are invited for a permanent Band 7 Radiotherapy Physicist position in St James's University Hospital, Leeds. The post will ideally suit candidates who are state registered as a Clinical Scientist or will achieve registration within 12 months of taking up the position.

The successful candidate will be highly motivated to support a broad range of radiotherapy physics activities, including treatment planning, dosimetry, imaging, equipment QA, as well as teaching of radiotherapy staff undergoing training. Research and innovation are at the heart of the service, with opportunities to be a part of many ongoing projects, including the development of high-dose rate FFF VMAT, equipment QA, extra-cranial SABR (inc spine and hepatocellular), HDR and LDR Brachytherapy, Gamma Knife ICON SRS, imaging for radiotherapy as well as a large portfolio of local and national clinical trials.

The post offers excellent scope for gaining or broadening radiotherapy physics experience and for developing state-of-the-art radiotherapy.

Expected Shortlisting Date: 25/11/2024
Planned Interview Date: 05/12/2024

Main duties of the job

The post holder provides Medical Physics scientific support in a range of areas of work related to the day-to-day running of radiotherapy and brachytherapy. Functions include treatment planning, dosimetry, research and development, commissioning, quality assurance, imaging in radiotherapy, providing medical physics advice to clinical oncologists, radiographers and others, teaching and other support to the provision of radiotherapy as required. He or she is also expected to participate in the training programme of the department.

This post is based within the Gamma Knife Physics group of Radiotherapy Physics, but the post-holder is expected to be flexible, within their interests and the requirements of the service. Physicists can provide support to external beam, Gamma-Knife and/or brachytherapy treatment planning, as required. In that role the post holder is responsible for checking the accuracy of patient treatment plans and also liaises between clinical oncologists, radiographers and planning staff to ensure that the patient receives the best available treatment.

About us

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest and busiest acute hospital trusts in the UK. We are committed to delivering the highest quality and safest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our staff helped to define the values and behaviours that we should work to so that we can achieve this vision. This has become known as The Leeds Way, and forms the foundation of our culture, our ethos and how we work every day.

The radiotherapy service in St James's treats over 7500 new radiotherapy patients per annum. The centre is equipped with the latest technology, including 12 Versa HDs, RayStation treatment planning, a Flexitron HDR remote afterloading platform for advanced image guided brachytherapy, I-125 prostate brachytherapy service and Gamma Knife ICON. The managed equipment service was recently renewed, ensuring equipment replacement and comprehensive support for the next 15 years.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job description
Job responsibilities

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY (Some of these areas)

Treatment Planning

• To be part of the team providing external beam treatment planning service to radiotherapy.
• To undertake treatment planning.
• To check on the work of dosimetrists and physicists as appropriate.
• To provide Medical Physics advice to other professionals involved in radiotherapy, on treatment methods and on individual patient treatments.
• To work as part of teams for specialist techniques, e.g. TBI, IMRT, VMAT, IGRT, SABR involving technique development, planning calculations, in vivo dosimetry, etc.
• To assist in system management/administration, e.g. for one of the Treatment Planning Systems.
• Specific training will be given in local systems and approaches.

Equipment and Treatment Dosimetry and QA

• To carry out routine daily calibrations of radiotherapy treatment machines.
• To take part in the quality assurance and commissioning rotas for linear accelerator radiotherapy treatment machines.
• To assist in the development of dosimetry and QA procedures appropriate to new techniques.

Clinical Service Development

• To assist in developing and implementing new and improved techniques, e.g. functional imaging, 4DCT, IMRT, VMAT, IGRT and SABR.
• To liaise with the relevant section head/s with regard to development programmes, and to participate in physics and multi-disciplinary development teams for the development and evaluation of new equipment, accessories, imaging, techniques and highly complex specialist radiotherapy software.

Brachytherapy

• To perform dosimetry calculations and any other necessary duties relevant to individual brachytherapy treatments.
• To take part in the calibration of radioactive sources, including the checking of calibrations performed by other staff.
• To take part in brachytherapy operating theatre procedures, including imaging, planning and checking radiotherapy treatments for anaesthetised patients and preparing sterile radioactive seeds for implanting into patients.
• To ensure that the jobholder or any person working under their supervision works within the appropriate ionising radiation regulations and in particular obeys the local rules.

General

• To be aware of the safety and reliability aspects of medical devices or other equipment with which they may be involved and take appropriate action to deal with any discrepancies including maintaining records and reporting the situation to relevant members of staff, in particular for the TPS which the post-holder acts as system manager.
• To ensure that safe working practices are employed at all times by themselves and any personnel who may come under their supervision.
• To produce and update written work instructions and procedures that are relevant to the jobholder's own area of expertise.
• To contribute to the general departmental organisation when required.
• To liaise with senior clinicians, senior clinical scientists and other users of the technology in order to ensure that their work is consistent with clinical and technical requirements.
• To liaise with equipment manufacturers and different NHS Trust employees as part of their normal duties.
• To report unresolved issues to the relevant Section Head.
• To undertake other duties appropriate to the grade as requested by the Head of Radiotherapy Physics, or by a Section Head.

Teaching and training

• To provide teaching and training of students, radiographers, physicists, clinical oncologists, other clinicians, management and members of the public on relevant aspects of radiotherapy as required, including:
• participating in the provision of University degree programmes as appropriate (e.g. Medical Physics MSc),
• participating in teaching and training of clinical oncologists as part of the FRCR course.
• assisting in training and supervision of trainee physicists.

Research and Development

NHS service research and development is necessary for continuous improvement of radiotherapy and for the implementation and development of the potential of new equipment and facilities and the development of new treatment techniques and methods. This is a significant role for Radiotherapy Physicists, in particular:

• Perform highly complex, clinically relevant, radiotherapy research and development.
• Publish research in internationally recognised peer reviewed research journals and to communicate research through national and international conferences.
• To liaise with clinicians, other physicists, etc. to support and participate in the Directorate and Departments research and development programme, with the aim of continuous improvement of the clinical service.
• To supervise junior physicists and research students from time to time.

Professional

• To participate in the IPEM Continuing Professional Development scheme.
• To prioritise and manage own work.
• To keep abreast of the latest technical and scientific developments and their applications in medical and associated fields.
• To attend suitable seminars and courses as part of training and personal development and to further the work of the Department.

COMMUNICATION & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The postholder works alongside other users of clinical technology and radiotherapy dosimetry data, including clinical service managers, clinicians, clinical scientists, radiotherapy physicists, clinical technologists and radiographers. There is frequent liaison with clinicians and other clinical scientists and radiotherapy physicists to ensure that services are consistent with clinical, scientific, technical, legislative and quality requirements. It is necessary to communicate complex information on a daily basis, for example regarding patient treatment plans. Work in the clinical development and treatment groups can involve close contact with patients, radiographers, anaesthetists, theatre staff and radiation oncologists.

Liaises with clinicians, other physicists, etc. to support and participate in the Departments research and development programme, with the aim of continuous improvement of the clinical service.

Gives presentations at research meetings (local, national, international) and provides lectures.

The post also involves collaboration with external NHS organisations, Leeds University, other radiotherapy and radiotherapy physics departments and organisations, professional and scientific bodies, external companies (e.g. TPS), patients and relatives.

Person Specification
Skills & behaviours
Essential

• To act at all times in a professional manner, showing courtesy and respect for other staff and patients.
• Maintain patient dignity and confidentiality.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Ability to cope with large and variable workload.
• Ability to make decisions quickly and accurately in a stressful situation, e.g. about a patient in pain or anaesthetised.

Experience
Essential

• Qualifications, knowledge and experience to act as an Operator under IR(ME)R within the field of radiotherapy.
• Specialist knowledge and practical experience of main areas of radiotherapy physics.
• Understanding patient progress through radiotherapy and the requirements of a radiotherapy physics service to ensure that it is performed in a safe and accurate manner.
• Detailed understanding of patient and staff risks arising from the use of ionising radiation for radiotherapy.
• Understanding of relevant legislation, national standards, codes of practice, professional and other guidelines.

Desirable

• Qualifications, knowledge and experience to act as Referrer and Practitioner for concomitant doses.

Qualifications
Essential

• Good (1st or 2nd class) honours degree in a relevant subject.
• MSc or equivalent in radiotherapy physics [or equivalent field].
• State registration as a Clinical Scientist, or working to achieve registration within 12 months of recruitment.
• Appropriate post-grad training within structured programme including radiotherapy physics and/or imaging for radiotherapy (MR an advantage) e.g. IPEM Clin Scientist Training Scheme or MSC or STP.

Desirable

• PhD.
• Corporate Membership of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM).

Employer details
Employer name
Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Address
St. James's University Hospital
Beckett Street
Leeds
LS9 7TF

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