Senior Therapeutic Radiographer

NHS; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 60,000

Job description

We are looking for a hardworking team player to join us in the friendly Proton Beam Therapy team. We have been operational for several years, have an excellent new starter induction package and great opportunities for training and development across the service. These include encouragement for personal development alongside our specialist education team and opportunities to attend/present at our Proton School. There are many more! This position enables a high level of multidisciplinary working including close working with anaesthetics, nursing and physics teams. The Band 6 position is a key member of the treatment team and is encouraged to contribute towards the development of the treatment delivery service. The centre is a Varian site and has state of the art ProBeam spot-scanning equipment and a warm, welcoming environment.

We are looking for an experienced radiographer in treatment delivery, who is enthusiastic and motivated to take responsibility for running a proton gantry and managing a diverse workload of patients in the proton service. They will be expected to lead and supervise staff operating the equipment under the direct supervision of the Proton Superintendent Radiographers.

Successful applicants will have wide experience with radiotherapy equipment and treatment techniques, be highly motivated and have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. We are looking for applicants with a commitment to developing themselves, the team, and the Proton Service.

Main duties of the job

• To lead, co-ordinate, supervise and manage a team of staff operating radiotherapy equipment and act as lead practitioner, making assessments and key decisions regarding workload management, patient care, and treatment.
• To ensure that the highly complex radiotherapy and imaging equipment is safe and accurate to operate, both for staff and patients, undertaking the appropriate machine checks, reporting any variances, faults, and malfunctions as necessary.
• Evaluate delivery of radiotherapy through application and interpretation of treatment verification procedures.
• Follow appropriate systems and working methods to achieve the safe, timely achievement of workload targets.
• Be able to accurately position patient and operate highly complex radiotherapy and imaging equipment along the radiotherapy pathway. Keep accurate records and comply with necessary policies and procedures.
• Analyse systematically and evaluate all data and information relevant to patients' diagnosis, ensuring the patient and their relatives are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
• Communicate confidential sensitive information, and provide emotional support, to patients and their carers/relatives including children and the terminally ill. Provide information to patients and their carers regarding the radiotherapy pathway and expected side effects.
• Ensure the team follows appropriate systems and working methods to achieve the safe, timely achievement of workload targets.

About us

The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.

Job responsibilities

• To ensure that the highly complex radiotherapy and imaging equipment is safe and accurate to operate, both for staff and patients, undertaking the appropriate machine checks and reporting any variances, faults, and malfunctions.
• Undertake and evaluate radiation dose delivery and complex calculations involving a range of radiation types and energies.
• Interpret, monitor, and evaluate the treatment prescriptions to ensure that radiotherapy is delivered accurately and reproducibly and in accordance with the quality system.
• Evaluate delivery of radiotherapy through application and interpretation of treatment verification procedures.
• Ensure the team follows appropriate systems and working methods to achieve the safe, timely achievement of workload targets.
• Accurately position patient and operate highly complex radiotherapy and imaging equipment along the radiotherapy pathway.
• Ensure the team keeps accurate records and comply with necessary policies and procedures.
• Analyse systematically and evaluate all data and information relevant to patients diagnosis, ensuring the patient and their relatives are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
• Communicate confidential sensitive information, and provide emotional support, to patients and their carers/relatives including children and the terminally ill. Provide information to patients and their carers with regard to the radiotherapy pathway and expected side effects.
• Communicate accurate and timely information with all other disciplines involved along the patients pathway.
• With the team on the unit, patients and the wider multidisciplinary team manage areas of conflict and escalate as necessary.
• Anticipate and identify common and complex treatment related side effects, offering advice and where necessary refer to other relevant health care professionals.
• Provide, receive, and use sensitive information, maintaining patient confidentiality at all times, in line with information governance legislation.
• Apply safe and effective moving and handling skills in order to protect patients and staff and abide by Health and safety legislation in the workplace.
• Minimise risk of cross infection through contamination by bodily fluids/matter. In accordance with the infection control policy.
• Implement the procedures and work instructions described for the department in accredited quality management system and report any variances.
• Contribute to development of the quality management system by reviewing and writing work instructions and operating procedures.
• Ensure all work and actions comply with local rules and current UK Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 and IR(ME)R 2017.
• Be aware of and participate in the audit and research within the department and the implementation of new processes and techniques.
• Undertake training and competency to dispense medication under Patient Group Direction (PGD).
• Participate in the extended shift system, bank holidays, weekend working and on-call.
• Any other duties negotiated with the post holder, to develop their role in the organisation.
• Achieve all the competencies as outlined by the radiotherapy education team, within a time period as outlined by line manager.

Supervisory & managerial

• Lead, co-ordinate, supervise and manage a team of staff operating radiotherapy equipment and act as lead practitioner, making assessments and key decisions in regard to workload management, patient care, and treatment.

Teaching and training

• Provide mentorship and guidance for junior staff and be a good role model.
• Participate in an annual Personal Development Review.
• Attend all essential training and clinical updates as required and ensure your team also attend all relevant training.
• Assimilate new ideas and techniques and have an ability to assess their value.
• Assist in the supervision and training/teaching of pre-registration students and new members of staff.
• Highlight to line manager all issues of inadequate performance, including capability and poor professional standards, for students and employees. Provide evidence where necessary and requested.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• DCR(T), BSc (Hons) or PGDip in Therapeutic Radiography.
• HCPC registration.
• Attendance at post-registration training events, M-level modules or management/leadership training.

Experience

• Clinical Experience within a treatment setting demonstrated by evidence of a contemporary range of treatment equipment and techniques including ablative techniques (SRS/SABR).
• Supporting colleagues in managing patients including protocol variations, response to imaging/changes in treatments.
• Experience in on-treatment imaging and relevant on-set clinical decision making.
• Experience of quality, governance and service improvement. Contributing to a ISO9001-accredited system or similar.
• Reporting of incidents, errors, complaints and compliments.
• Participating in technical developments.
• Experience of working within a team environment.
• Awareness of contemporary trends in advanced radiotherapy.
• Awareness of clinical practice at other Radiotherapy centres.
• Awareness of trial protocols and procedures.

Skills

• Ability to manage difficult conversations.
• Ability in conflict resolution with all grades of staff, patients, carers and general public.
• Ability to foster a team-environment, motivating colleagues.
• Ability to impart messages including in group setting, utilising presentation aids as appropriate.
• Ability to manage colleagues.
• Ability to manage workload.
• Ability to manage pathways.
• Ability to analyse data and formulate plans based on these.
• Ability to make sound judgements to support clinical decisions.
• Ability to utilise core clinical IT (e.g. R&V systems, PACS/RIS systems, PAS systems).
• Ability to utilise clinical support IT (e.g. quality management systems, incident reporting systems, audit software).
• Ability to utilise core non-clinical IT (e.g. MS Office etc).

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the principles of radiotherapy applied to all aspects of the radiotherapy pathway.
• Evidence of radiotherapy physics, anatomy and radiobiological knowledge.
• Understanding of referral pathways and the patient's journey up to, through and beyond radiotherapy.
• Good knowledge of other relevant legislation, guidance and national working parties in radiotherapy.
• Advanced knowledge of IR(ME)R 2017 and IRR 2017 and responsibilities relating to own professional practice.
• Knowledge of Data Protection legislation, health and safety legislation, etc.
• Awareness of the professional context including the role and function of the College of Radiographers, the National Radiotherapy Board and the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group A/I SKILLS.

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.