We are recruiting for a 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.

Our Values are Include, Respect and Improve. It is important that you understand and refer to our values during your recruitment process and beyond!

Main duties of the job

Produce routine and highly complex treatment plans including IMRT and carry out associated dosimetry calculations, in accordance with clinical prescription and agreed procedures.

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.

Check and approve treatment plans, dose calculations and templates produced by other members of staff.

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.

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.

Develop an area of advanced practice in treatment planning.

About us

At East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general & specialist services we provide & our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible & innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.

We run the following hospitals:

• The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
• New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
• Hertford County, Hertford
• Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood

We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation our staff & patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.

We understand that finding and starting a new job is an important life decision. If you need reasonable adjustments for a disability, or a life event, such as menopause - so that we can consider your application fairly & to get the best out of you during the selection process, please let us know.

We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. Employees are entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns & we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made & considered formally, & will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.

Job description

Job responsibilities

ENHT is seeking to maintain and expand the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre staff as we move to an exciting new future.

We welcome applications from those who would relish the opportunity to be part of new and developing cancer service, building on the excellent reputation, research and patient experience the Cancer Centre already delivers.

In addition, you will receive a High Cost Area Supplement of 15% of your basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of �4,314 and a maximum payment of �5,436 per annum pro rata.

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree in Therapeutic Radiography or equivalent [eg. 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

Essential

• Have a 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 this will amount to six years duration.
• Clinical experience working in radiotherapy treatment planning and be able to demonstrate 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

Essential

• 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 their judgement involving facts that require analysis, interpretation and comparison of a range of options as, for example, in analysing the results of different complex treatment plans or processes, which may conflict, and deciding upon an appropriate course of action.
• To have highly developed physical accuracy and hand -eye coordination for carrying out precise outlining of body organs on treatment planning computer interfaces, and good spatial awareness skills for manipulating three dimensional computer models
• Able to create spreadsheets, electronic documents and individual 3D computerised patient treatment plans for radiotherapy

Knowledge

Essential

• To have highly specialist knowledge of the full range of work procedures and practices in radiotherapy treatment planning, to at least to Masters level
• To have advanced knowledge across the full range of working procedures and practices in radiotherapy planning (external beam) building on theoretical knowledge and practical experience.
• To have knowledge of patient dosimetry in radiotherapy (external beam)
• To have understanding of patient and staff risks arising from treatment planning computer system errors, equipment failure, treatment errors and incorrect dosimetry.
• To have broad knowledge of radiotherapy techniques and clinical applications.
• To have in -depth understanding of relevant legislation, national standards, professional and other guidelines (eg IRR, IR(ME)R, ISO 9001, BSI and ISO standards, professional and regulatory body reports and guidelines.)

Other Requirements

Essential

• To be able to exercise own initiative when dealing with issues within own specialist area of competence and to prioritise and manage own work.
• To be able to lift medium/heavy weights (e.g. lead shielding).
• To able to concentrate where the work pattern is unpredictable, for example when working as duty treatment planning radiographer, carrying a bleep, or performing complex calculations.
• To be prepared to work in an environment where there is a radiation hazard, and so must understand the hazards posed by ionising radiation and sources of high voltage.
• 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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

East and North Herts NHS Trust

Address

Mount Vernon Hospital

Rickmansworth Rd

Northwood

HA6 2RN

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

361-CAN-5160101