Job summary
Expected Shortlisting Date: 24/01/2025
Planned Interview Date: 07/02/2025
To work as part of a multi-disciplinary team providing specialist radiotherapy treatment & patient support, in line with Trust and departmental policies and procedures. Working as a specialist with proven skills and experience in using a variety of radiotherapy equipment and treatment techniques, organizing the unit activity and staff on a daily basis.
The post holder is responsible for performing with the highest standard of patient care and technical practice in their clinical area while treating patients.
Main duties of the job
The radiotherapy department delivers treatment care packages to approximately 6,500 patients with cancer per year. As experienced professionals, specialist practitioners are expected to maintain the efficient, effective and safe flow of workload in their clinical area.
Specialist practitioners are usually required to rotate through all areas within the radiotherapy service (unless the service requirement is for a static placement), and deputise for the relevant team leader as required. The post-holder is expected to use their experience in supporting and training other qualified professionals, trainees and visitors.
Specialist practitioners may be required to make clinical judgments which fall outside of protocol. They will be required to use their experience, specialist knowledge & initiative in order to achieve the expected results within professional codes of practice, referring to their team leader or appropriate advanced practitioners as appropriate.
The post holder is expected to use specialist knowledge to take action on technical and patient related issues on a daily basis in their allocated area (including amendments to treatments). They must be competent in a variety of situations, referring issues outside their scope of practice to their relevant advanced practitioners.
About us
THE LEEDS WAY VALUES
Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:
1. Patient-centred
2. Collaborative
3. Fair
4. Accountable
5. Empowered
All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values.
Additionally, the following are core values which relate specifically to this post:
Radiotherapy roles are additionally expected to contribute towards the NHS Cancer Plan. Successful performance requires a clear personal commitment to the radiotherapy service, working across the department, Trust and Cancer Network as appropriate.
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.
Date posted: 12 December 2024
Pay scheme: Agenda for change
Band: Band 6
Salary: £37,338 to £44,962 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
Reference number: C9298-ONC-0451
Job locations:
St. James's University Hospital
Beckett Street
Leeds
LS9 7TF
Job responsibilities
CORE BEHAVIOURS AND SKILLS
The post holder will be honest, reliable & professional and demonstrate the behaviours outlined by the Trust and the College of Radiographers Professional Code of Conduct. They must ensure that professional attitudes and standards are maintained.
They will have a commitment to team working, creating good interpersonal relationships and working atmosphere so that 2-way discussion, learning and development of the whole team can occur.
CORE KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
A basic understanding of the cancer pathway must be developed for the role. A more thorough understanding of the radiotherapy pathway and support functions involved in service delivery is also required. Both of these can be acquired through training in post over a few weeks induction.
A specialised knowledge and understanding of all aspects of the radiotherapy service is essential for this role. They must be acutely aware of the potential for harm of high energy, variable and complex beams of X-rays that must be delivered accurately on a daily basis.
PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Technical / Clinical
Responsible for maintaining the highest standards of technical practice and patient care while treating and supporting patients.
Responsible for the checking / calculation of doses and prescriptions in accordance with departmental procedures.
Responsible for the review / subsequent clinical decisions of radiotherapy images.
Develop highly specialised skills/knowledge in specific area of practice in order to further develop the service and in order to train other staff.
Work as a specialist practitioner for the practical and associated aspects of radiotherapy practice in the clinical area. Ensure own clinical decisions (including non-standard / outside protocol) are underpinned and evaluated by theoretical knowledge and relevant practical experience.
Responsible for keeping up to date with technical practice and offering support, guidance and encouragement to others, to do the same.
Responsible for ensuring all equipment is used appropriately and safely, including administrative and management systems, monitoring equipment performance and reporting faults.
Ensure that departmental standards and procedures are followed on the unit, supporting implementation of procedure changes, and suggesting changes required to optimise the quality of radiotherapy practice/service.
Take an active role in audit, development and research as required, particularly in own area of specialism.
Management
Deputise for the team leader when appropriate (e.g Annual leave), managing the unit and staff to maintain efficiency whilst promoting best practice. Assist the team leader in managing the workload of the unit, re-organising clinical workloads when machine breakdown occurs, and ensuring that schedules run effectively and safely, prioritizing as appropriate.
Participate in the clinical training and assessment of junior staff, students (via SHU assessor training scheme), returners, assistants and any other learners on the unit.
Responsible for assisting with quality assurance procedures.
Responsible for ensuring that clinical and technical information, and all information relating to each treatment course undertaken on the unit, is accurately and fully recorded and reported.
Patient Care
Responsible for the care of the patient whilst undergoing treatment.
Assess and monitor patient care needs and organise care including both referral to other disciplines and support by other practitioners.
Responsible for developing specific care plans / pathways (with other disciplines) by providing specialist clinical advice.
Provide appropriate advice and information to patients and carers at all stages of radiotherapy, referring issues to senior staff as appropriate.
General
Representing the views of team members and peers at meetings and workgroups and reporting information back to the team, and seeking feedback as appropriate.
Actively participate in and support activities in promoting and recruiting to the profession.
To work flexibly as required by the service / patient need.
Carrying out additional duties as requested by the Head of Radiotherapy, management team or team leader, commensurate with the grade of the post.
Health and Safety/Risk Management
All staff are responsible for working with their colleagues to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to our patients and other service users. This includes complying at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Policies, including Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures, and reporting incidents using the Trust Incident Reporting system.
Additionally for radiotherapy, comply with statutory Ionizing Radiations (Medical Exposures) Regulations IR(ME)R and Local Rules (Ionising Radiations Regulations -IRR) and departmental radiotherapy incident reporting procedures.
Responsible for prompt reporting of radiation incidents, equipment, patient and safety related incidents in accordance with departmental / Trust procedures. Also identifying and reporting any areas of perceived risk.
Infection Control
The jobholder must comply at all times with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust Infection Control policies, in particular by practising Universal Infection Control Precautions. Hand hygiene must be performed before and after contact with patients and their environment.
Equality and Diversity
The jobholder must comply with all policies and procedures designed to ensure equality of employment and that services are delivered in ways that meet the individual needs of patients and their families. No person whether they are staff, patient or visitor should receive less favourable treatment because of their gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.
Patient and Public Involvement
The Trust has a statutory duty to involve patients and public in evaluating and planning services. All staff have a responsibility to listen to the views of patients and contribute to service improvements based on patient feedback.
Training and Personal Development Continuous Professional Development
The jobholder must take responsibility in agreement with his/her line manager for his/her own personal development by ensuring that Continuous Professional Development remains a priority. The jobholder will undertake all mandatory training required for the role.
Respect for Patient Confidentiality
The jobholder should respect patient confidentiality at all times and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role.
COMMUNICATION & WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
An ability to provide and receive complex and sensitive information to / from cancer patients in an empathetic, reassuring and professional manner.
Assess potential communication barriers and demonstrate where necessary persuasive, motivational and negotiating skills, referring to senior staff where appropriate.
To recognize the potential for conflict in relationships and seek to minimize this, and contribute to effective communication and team working.
To promote and maintain effective communication and relationships with immediate colleagues, the multi-disciplinary team, patients and visitors.
SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS
This post requires dexterity and highly developed co-ordination and sensory skills in order to speedily and accurately manipulate equipment with a high degree of precision, as well as finely manipulating the patients body to align the relevant anatomy with the radiation beam to accuracy within 1 mm.
They should also be able to accurately apply permanent patient skin marks (tattoo) with needles and ink.
This is a physically demanding post with constant manoeuvring of patients and equipment, which can often be heavy and / or awkward.
The remainder of the role is split between staff support and development, teaching, departmental meetings and functions.
Person Specification
Other Criteria
Essential:
* Standard keyboard skills
* Able to fulfil Occupational Health requirements for the post (with reasonable adjustments if necessary), including clearance on blood borne viruses in compliance with Trust Policy
Experience
Essential:
* Significant post graduate experience with evidence of acquired specialist knowledge.
* Organisational skills/decision making
* Proven skills / experience with a variety of R/T equipment and specialist techniques
* Awareness of current trends in R/T
* Basic IT skills
* Proven team working/people skills
Desirable:
* Recent experience at senior radiographer level
* Experience of similar radiotherapy equipment
* Awareness of wider cancer issues
* Evidence of personal development, course based team/people management
Qualifications
Essential:
* BSc in Therapy Radiography or equivalent
* Current State Registration (HCPC)
Skills & behaviours
Essential:
* Good interpersonal and communication skills at all levels
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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.
Employer details
Employer name: Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Address:
St. James's University Hospital
Beckett Street
Leeds
LS9 7TF
Employer's website
https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/
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