Job Description
We are looking to appoint an HCPC registered Clinical Scientist to join the dynamic Radiotherapy Physics group at The Christie. The radiotherapy physics group provides a comprehensive support service to clinical oncology including advanced radiotherapy and brachytherapy techniques such as intra-cranial SRS, lung SABR, SABR for oligomets, PBT, PDR and HDR brachytherapy treatments. The department has close links with the University of Manchester radiotherapy research groups and offers teaching opportunities on several postgraduate courses. The successful candidate will contribute to the photon radiotherapy physics service as an MPE. Applications from candidates expecting to register as an MPE in the near future will also be considered.
This is a new post that has been created to assist with the commissioning of a new treatment planning system in the department, RayStation. The successful candidate will be required to provide MPE support to the treatment planning section of the group where they will be responsible for a particular clinical site. They will also be involved in the development and maintenance of the other treatment planning systems which include Pinnacle, Monaco and BrainLab Elements. They will also provide scientific leadership in physics projects. Major projects for this year include commissioning RayStation, linac replacement programme at the Salford satellite and development of MRI guided radiotherapy on the MR linac.
The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, situated in South Manchester, is the largest cancer treatment centre of its kind in Europe, and an international leader in cancer research and development. In addition to the Withington site there are three satellite centres located in Oldham, Salford and Macclesfield. Currently, the Christie radiotherapy network is equipped with a total of 15 linear accelerators across the four sites. The Christie hosts the National Proton Beam Therapy service in conjunction with UCLH. Other exciting developments include participating in the international MR linac consortium.
1. General
1.1. To deputise for Consultant Clinical Scientists where appropriate.
1.2. Act as required in the role of Medical Physics Expert (MPE) under IR(ME)R, providing expert advice to other professional groups on both patient specific issues and on matters of clinical service provision and development.
1.3. To interpret national and international guidelines concerning the work of the Radiotherapy Physics section and implement protocols to keep the section’s work in line with recommended practice.
1.4. To supervise and roster the clinical duties of clinical scientists.
1.5. Ensure all work they carry out complies with current UK legislation for work with ionizing radiation (IRR 2017, IRMER 2017) and the Trust’s ISO 9001-2015-compliant Quality System for provision of radiotherapy.
1.6. To contribute to the radiotherapy physics clinical rota.
1.7. The post holder must be and must remain registered as a clinical scientist and complete an agreed scheme of Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
1.8. Provide specialist technical advice within the trust for the procurement of high capital value complex clinical equipment
1.9. The place of work is normally The Christie in Withington, but the potholder may be required to carry out work at other local hospitals with a radiotherapy service.
1.10. Hours are worked flexibly between 7:30 and 20:00, Monday to Friday, to cover the normal range of clinical duties.
2. Dosimetry
2.1. Maintain, develop and participate in the clinical quality control programme for highly complex radiotherapy equipment, including linear accelerators and simulators to ensure all such equipment is fit for clinical use.
2.2. Manage the on-going quality assurance of individual linear accelerators assigned by the Team Leader for Dosimetry through regular audit and be responsible for ensuring that appropriate actions are performed effectively, liaising with and delegating tasks to radiotherapy engineers and physicists as required.
2.3. Investigate and resolve highly complex problems highlighted through ongoing quality control measurements and reported equipment faults.
2.4. To carry the physics bleep on a rotational basis, responding to issues relating to the performance of radiotherapy equipment and clinical treatment plans, raised by radiographers and engineering staff, and providing scientific advice or performing measurements as appropriate.
2.5. To manage and plan linear accelerator commissioning through supervision of physicists, collecting the data required to provide accurate models of radiation treatment beams necessary to ensure efficient and safe clinical implementation of the clinical service.
2.6. To liaise with the Radiotherapy Technical Services Manager to ensure efficient and accurate transfer of information and appropriate allocation of tasks and responsibilities between engineering and physics staff.
3. Treatment Planning
3.1. To scientifically develop and maintain the clinical treatment planning system for new applications particularly with respect to patients.
3.2. To ensure that the data and calculation methods are accurate and the limitations understood and documented.
3.3. To be the physics lead for one or more specified clinical site, working closely in a multidisciplinary team to develop and maintain clinical protocols, techniques and the patient pathways.
3.4. To develop and maintain the clinical pre-treatment simulation hardware and software systems and commission them for new applications particularly with respect to patients treated across the Christie Network.
3.5. To optimise clinical protocols for the safe and effective clinical use of pre-treatment simulation equipment in conjunction with clinical oncologists, physicists and radiographers across the Christie Network,
3.6. To operate, maintain and develop quality assurance procedures for computerised treatment planning systems within the ISO 9001-2015 Quality System to ensure equipment and procedures are fit for clinical use.
3.7. To maintain the provision of an external beam simulation and planning service to the Radiotherapy Department across the Christie Network to ensure the accuracy of treatment plans and compliance with clinical requirements.
3.8. To ensure effective multidisciplinary team working in pre-treatment simulation and planning by working closely with clinical oncologists and therapy radiographers.
3.9. Operate on a rota with other physicists to deal with problems arising with pre-treatment simulation and clinical treatment plans.
3.10. To implement new and improved treatment planning techniques so that patients gain maximum benefit from the available equipment throughout the Christie Network.
3.11. Produce or independently check highly complex radiotherapy treatment plans, based on the evaluation of anatomical and clinical information using a highly complex treatment planning system.
3.12. Develop systems, including software development, to increase the efficiency of clinical pre-treatment simulation and planning in order to reduce delays in treatment and make best use of staff resources.
3.13. To liaise with the group leader and head of radiation protection service in the investigation and reporting of any case of suspected or actual mistreatment of any patient due to a failure within treatment planning
3.14. To identify areas where radiotherapy treatment improvements can be made and work as part of multidisciplinary teams.
4. Brachytherapy
4.1. To manage scientifically brachytherapy clinical treatment planning systems so that treatments can be effectively planned.
4.2. To maintain a brachytherapy data set to allow accurate dose calculation in brachytherapy.
4.3. To maintain the system of dosimetry for brachytherapy treatments to ensure brachytherapy dosimetry is linked to national primary standards.
4.4. To maintain and develop systems for quality assurance for brachytherapy within the ISO 9001 -2015 Quality System.
4.5. To ensure that the data and calculation methods are accurate and the limitations understood and documented.
4.6. Manage the safe storage of sealed radiotherapy sources at the Christie Hospital NHS Trust.
4.7. Be responsible for radiation safety in brachytherapy and liaise with the relevant radiation protection supervisors and radiation protection advisors to maintain the radiation protection quality system
4.8. To supervise the scientific aspects of brachytherapy treatments
4.9. Perform complex dosimetry calculations for individual brachytherapy treatments.
4.10. To perform highly complex brachytherapy treatment planning for clinical treatments.
4.11. To ensure that the radiotherapy physics aspects of clinical procedures required by the Ionising Radiation Medical Exposures Regulations (IRMER) are adequately documented.
4.12. To manage the commissioning of new techniques through supervision of physicists to ensure efficient and safe clinical implementation of the clinical service.
4.13. To liaise with clinical DOGs and to develop brachytherapy treatments.
4.14. To implement new brachytherapy techniques so that patients gain maximum benefit from the available equipment at the Christie Hospital.
4.15. To liaise with the group leader and head of radiation protection service in the investigation and reporting of any case of suspected or actual mistreatment of any patient due to a failure within brachytherapy.
5. Management
5.1. Participate in workforce development i.e. recruitment and appraisal.
5.2. Undertake project management and analysis.
5.3. Prioritise and manage project work flow in accordance with section policies and competing service demands. Propose changes to working practices and procedures.
5.4. Manage the commissioning process for new and developing equipment as required and develop an appropriate QA program within the Trust’s Quality System.
5.5. Negotiate with clinical and technical staff and equipment manufacturers to provide all necessary support for equipment, resulting in maximum clinical usage of equipment.
6. Teaching and Training
6.1. To supervise appropriate clinical staff in training
6.2. To lecture to post graduate scientists, senior physicists, radiographers, specialist registrars and others and assist in the organisation of the department’s teaching programmes
6.3. To provide suitable clinical placements for Medical Physics trainees, training for junior clinical oncologists, therapy radiographers and to take part appropriately in other relevant teaching and lecturing.
6.4. To supervise M.Sc. students performing project work.
7. Clinical development
7.1. Identify areas where radiotherapy treatment improvements can be made and work as part of multidisciplinary teams.
7.2. Implement new and improved techniques so that patients gain maximum benefit from the available equipment at the Christie Hospital.
7.3. In at least one treatment site be the physics lead in liaison with clinical DOGs, providing expert physics advice and specialist technical support for the review and development of clinical techniques.
7.4. In at least one treatment site co-ordinate ongoing significant scientific projects for the review and development of clinical techniques and the support of clinical trials.
8. Research and Development
8.1. Perform highly complex, clinically relevant, radiotherapy research and development.
8.2. Publish research in internationally recognised peer reviewed research journals and to communicate research through national and international conferences.
8.3. Supervise senior physicists and research students on research projects.
8.4. Operationally manage research projects to achieve identified research deliverables.
8.5. Participate in identifying external funding opportunities and the writing of grant applications.
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