Senior Radiotherapy Physicist

NHS; Oxford; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 53,000; Full time

Job description

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

We are looking to recruit a band 7 scientist to join our team in our modern and excellently equipped department. You will ideally already be HCPC registered as a clinical scientist but applications are also welcome from trainees nearing qualification (if not yet registered appointment to a lower band may be considered until registration is achieved).

Main duties of the job

You will undertake the full range of radiotherapy physicist duties, including treatment planning, checking, brachytherapy, equipment commissioning and QA, training staff and advising clinicians. There will also be involvement in developing new techniques and collaborative research projects with the University are encouraged.

The OUH Radiotherapy Centre at the Churchill Hospital is a five linac, all-Varian (including Halcyon, TrueBeam) site with CT-sim, ARIA, Eclipse and HDR brachytherapy unit, plus a prostate seed brachytherapy service. Our existing satellite centre in Swindon operates a further two linacs and a CT-sim. A second satellite centre in Milton Keynes operating a single linac and CT-sim opened in 2025. Supporting systems include AI auto-contouring and RadCalc. We have a modern suite of treatment planning functionality including RapidPlan, MCO, HyperArc and Velocity, and we treat with a wide variety of techniques including SRS/SRT and SABR. We have a range of development work underway and on the horizon and also an active computing team working to develop software and scripts for automation and data analysis. We have close links with the CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology and an expanding portfolio of clinical trials.

About us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. Find out more here www.ouh.nhs.uk.

The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community. We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence. These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.

Job responsibilities

The main role of this post is to participate in all aspects of the work of the Radiotherapy Physics Group. This includes carrying out complex procedures, introducing new techniques and carrying out applied research, providing advice to consultant oncologists and other healthcare professionals to resolve problems with complex Radiotherapy equipment and treatment plans.

This work has a direct impact on patient treatments and occasionally brings the postholder into direct contact with patients during their treatment and treatment planning. The postholder liaises with a wide range of staff in Radiotherapy, Medical Physics, and at all levels within the Trust, and with external equipment manufacturers and engineers.

Person Specification

Scientific grades

• Good (1st or 2nd class) Honours degree in a relevant subject.
• Relevant MSc or higher degree.
• STP training scheme or IPEM Diploma or equivalent in Medical Physics, normally with specialisation in radiotherapy physics.
• HCPC Registered as a Clinical Scientist; if not yet registered, appointment to a lower band may be considered until registration is achieved.

Scientific/Technical/Specialist

• Broad knowledge of radiation and associated areas within Medical Physics.
• Advanced level of knowledge across the full range of working procedures and practices within Radiotherapy Physics, including DICOM-RT; brachytherapy; pretreatment imaging; treatment imaging; Radiotherapy networking and verification systems; IMRT/VMAT QA; QA of treatment machines and equipment.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Scientific experience in Radiotherapy Physics including: analysing and judging treatment options and plans, identifying problems with patient-related equipment, exercising judgement to solve problems and making decisions on how equipment is to be used safely and correctly, all usually under time-pressure.
• Specialist training and practical experience in the use and calibration of radiotherapy treatment equipment (including linear accelerators and treatment planning computers), specialist test and measurement equipment and dosimetry equipment calibration.

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.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum pro rata.