Job overview
Are you an experienced, enthusiastic, and motivated Treatment Planner/Dosimetrist looking for a new challenge? If so, we want to hear from you!
The Kent Oncology Centre is a leading radiotherapy service equipped with nine Varian linear accelerators across our Canterbury and Maidstone sites, each featuring dedicated CT-Simulators. We utilise Eclipse for treatment planning, employing RapidArc VMAT, IGRT, vDIBH, and SABR Lung techniques in routine practice. This is an exciting time to join our team as we embark on a program of SABR expansion and enhance the use of Eclipse as our principal Treatment Planning System. Additionally, we are about to embark on the installation and commissioning of a Philips BigBore RT CT at our Canterbury site.
What We Offer:
1. Flexible Working: We are open to flexible working arrangements to support the service's operational hours.
2. Leadership Development: We encourage and support your professional growth through postgraduate training and role extension opportunities, including access to Trust-established leadership development programs.
3. Innovative Environment: Be part of exciting changes within Radiotherapy at the Kent Oncology Centre, including the procurement of AI technologies for organ contouring to improve efficiency across the patient pathway and the implementation of motion management techniques for expanding our well-established SABR service.
Main duties of the job
As a Clinical Specialist in Treatment Planning, you will lead the day-to-day organisation of workflow through the Mould Room, CT, and Planning sections, ensuring the timely production of complex treatment plans. Your responsibilities will include:
4. Producing VMAT plans, outlining organs-at-risk, and assisting in the Mould Room.
5. Collaborating as an active member of the Cancer Performance team to ensure cancer targets are met.
6. Contributing to the continuous improvement of our service as we move towards a paperless department with care path-based working.
Qualifications:
7. Proven experience as a Treatment Planner or Dosimetrist.
8. Strong technical expertise in radiotherapy planning and workflow management.
9. A commitment to personal and professional development.
Join us in shaping the future of radiotherapy at one of the largest centres in the region, where we were early implementors of prostate SABR treatments. If you are ready to take on a new challenge and grow with us, we would love to hear from you!
Working for our organisation
MTW is a large acute hospital trust in the south-east of England.
We provide a full range of general hospital services and some aspects of specialist and complex care to around 600,000 people living in west Kent and East Sussex. We have a team of over 8,000 full and part-time staff. We also provide specialist cancer services to around 2 million people across Kent and East Sussex via the Kent Oncology Centre.
In the 2024 NHS staff survey, our employees ranked MTW among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and the second-best Trust to work for in the South East.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Once your pre-employment checks have been completed you will be contacted by Recruitment to arrange your start date which will be in line with one of our Corporate Inductions.
Please note that appointment to this post will be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure & Barring Service Check at Enhanced Level. (Enhanced level now includes regulated checks against vulnerable adults and children)
At MTW, we seek to develop a culture where everyone can reach their full potential with opportunities to grow and develop their career. We recognise and value the unique contributions that each of our staff bring, delivering the best quality care and service to our patients. We are committed to being a diverse employer and strive to reflect everyone in our local communities. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences and celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that will make our Trust the best place to work.
We support our staff with disabilities to ensure they have the adjustments they need to be the best they can be in the workplace. Collaborating with Access to Work means that our staff are assessed by experts in the workplace and we ensure that their recommendations are implemented as quickly as possible. You can find out more here:
Interview Date: To be confirmed,
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
10. BSc (Therapeutic Radiography)DCR (T)
11. BSc Honours Degree in Healthcare Science (Radiotherapy Physics)
12. BSc Honours degree in Physics, applied Physics or relevant subject, and Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Science (Radiotherapy Physics) or equivalent experience.
13. HCPC Registration as Radiographer or registration with RCT as a Clinical Technologist
14. M-level education for specialist area.
Desirable criteria
15. Management Qualification
Experience and Knowledge
Essential criteria
16. Extensive post-qualification experience with significant experience in the pre-treatment setting
17. Extensive experience in treatment planning Extensive experience of 3-D and IMRT/VMAT Treatment Planning techniques
18. Wide practical experience of working with a variety of machines producing ionising radiation for therapy and treatment planning.
19. Demonstration of participation in CPD Experience of multi-disciplinary team working
20. Highly developed specialist knowledge across a range of work procedures in treatment planning.
21. Highly developed specialist knowledge of varied Radiotherapeutic techniques.
22. Highly developed specialist knowledge of IMRT (standard and/or volumetric techniques).
23. In depth knowledge of relevant legislation (IRR and IR(ME)R).
24. In depth understanding of hazards posed by, and precautions needed with ionising radiation, non-ionising radiation and biological contamination
25. In depth understanding of the risks arising from equipment failure and treatment planning areas.
Desirable criteria
26. Experience of Philips Pinnacle and Varian Treatment Planning systems.
27. Experience with ARIA Radiation Oncology Management system
28. Experience of SABR Treatment Planning techniques
29. Experience of dealing with patients with severe physical or emotional impairment.
30. Knowledge of Varian treatment equipment and techniques
Skills
Essential criteria
31. Good communication skills
32. Good interpersonal and negotiation skills
33. Good organisational skills.
34. Analytical and Decision-making skills
35. Able to record and transcribe data and information accurately
36. Able to document complex instructions clearly and accurately
37. Able to use Excel, Word, Power Point and other computer application programmes
38. Able to communicate technical information to staff of other disciplines including doctors, admin and clerical staff, physicists and technicians.
39. Able to teach and train others at all levels including other professional groups and students in all areas of pre-treatment
Desirable criteria
40. Able to chair technical meetings
41. Able to give presentations
42. Trained and competent in Cannulation.