Advanced Radiographer Treatment Planning - Radiotherapy Physics
We are recruiting for an Advanced Radiographer Treatment Planning who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
Radiotherapy Physics is part of the Medical Physics Department and provides a highly specialised clinical technical radiotherapy physics service to Mount Vernon Cancer Centre.
The main role of this post is to carry out treatment planning and checking as part of a team in the Treatment Planning service. The successful candidate will be responsible on a day-to-day basis to the Superintendent Radiographer in Treatment Planning by providing highly specialised clinical technical treatment planning advice to the Radiotherapy Department and performing individual patient treatment plans in external beam radiotherapy planning.
You will also liaise closely with a wide range of staff in Radiotherapy and Medical Physics, including medical and nursing staff, physicists, technicians and radiographers.
Personal initiative, a keen sense of responsibility, and a high degree of accuracy are expected in all duties. The Radiotherapy Physics department supports training of its staff and will, where practicable, encourage appropriate training through whatever media are best suited to the post-holder and situation.
At the heart of everything we do are our core values: Include, Respect, and Improve. We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in your role with us.
Main Duties of the Job
1. Produce routine and highly complex treatment plans including IMRT and carry out associated dosimetry calculations, in accordance with clinical prescription and agreed procedures.
2. Provide complex planning advice to clinical staff (Consultant Clinical Oncologists and registrars) on the effects of various treatment plan options on patient dose distributions. Discuss and agree approaches with clinical staff to create optimum treatment plans.
3. Check and approve treatment plans, dose calculations and templates produced by other members of staff.
4. Understand the operation of the treatment machines and appreciate their potential and limitations with regard to treatment techniques. Provide treatment radiographers with advice on planning aspects of the treatment and attend the set-up of patients on machines, as required.
5. Replan patient treatments where required, following changes to the treatment regime or patient shape. Use judgement to analyse and determine the most appropriate compensation method. Calculate the compensation required and subsequent patient dose. Carry out manual dose calculations for review.
6. Develop an area of advanced practice in treatment planning.
Person Specification
Qualifications
* Degree in Therapeutic Radiography or equivalent (e.g., BSc, DCR, HNC plus experience).
* MSc or equivalent advanced theoretical specialist knowledge.
* State registration as a radiographer or be eligible for the voluntary register of clinical technologists.
* Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
Previous Experience
* Thorough understanding of radiotherapy including clinical aspects gained either through extensive experience of radiotherapy planning or a combination of radiotherapy treatment planning and delivery of treatment (typically six years).
* Clinical experience working in radiotherapy treatment planning and competence in planning complex treatments.
* Specialist training on and practical experience with a range of radiotherapy treatment planning systems, gained through experience and specialist theoretical short courses to M.Sc. level.
Skills
* Able to communicate highly complex information to all levels and groups of professional staff.
* Good negotiating skills and able to deal with complex and unpredictable situations.
* Able to use judgement involving facts that require analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options.
* Highly developed physical accuracy and hand-eye coordination for carrying out precise outlining of body organs on treatment planning computer interfaces.
* Able to create spreadsheets, electronic documents and individual 3D computerised patient treatment plans for radiotherapy.
Knowledge
* Highly specialist knowledge of the full range of work procedures and practices in radiotherapy treatment planning, to at least Masters level.
* Advanced knowledge across the full range of working procedures and practices in radiotherapy planning (external beam).
* Knowledge of patient dosimetry in radiotherapy (external beam).
* Understanding of patient and staff risks arising from treatment planning computer system errors, equipment failure, treatment errors and incorrect dosimetry.
* Broad knowledge of radiotherapy techniques and clinical applications.
* In-depth understanding of relevant legislation, national standards, professional and other guidelines.
Other Requirements
* Ability to exercise own initiative when dealing with issues within own specialist area of competence and to prioritise and manage own work.
* Able to lift medium/heavy weights (e.g., lead shielding).
* Prepared to work in an environment where there is a radiation hazard.
* Role model our Trust values every day.
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.
Superintendent Radiographer Treatment Planning
£46,148 to £52,809 a year per annum pro rata plus 15% High Cost Area Supplement.
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