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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýGeneral

1.1. Ìý Ìý 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.

1.2. Ìý Ìý Carry the physics bleep on a rotational basis to act as contact point (frequently on their own) for technical queries and to give scientific advice in individual technical and clinical cases.

1.3. Ìý Ìý 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.

1.4. Ìý Ìý The post holder must be and must remain registered as a clinical scientist and complete an agreed scheme of continuing professional development (CPD).

1.5. Ìý Ìý Provide specialist technical advice within the trust for the procurement of high capital value complex clinical equipment.

1.6. Ìý Ìý The place of work is normally The Christie in Withington, but the post holder may be required to carry out work at other local hospitals with a radiotherapy service.

1.7. Ìý Ìý The post is full-time. Hours are worked flexibly, in agreement with the line manager, to provide round the clock services where necessary to cover the normal range of clinical duties. ÌýÌý

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2. Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýManagement

2.1. Ìý Ìý ÌýDeputise for Consultant Clinical Scientists where appropriate.

2.2. Ìý Ìý Supervise and roster clinical duties of clinical scientists.

2.3. Ìý Ìý Participate in workforce development i.e. recruitment and appraisal.

2.4. Ìý Ìý Undertake project management and analysis.

2.5. Ìý Ìý Prioritise and manage project work flow in accordance with section policies and competing service demands. Propose changes to working practices and procedures.

2.6. Ìý Ìý Develop systems, including software, to increase the efficiency of processes/procedures to reduce delays in treatment and make best use of staff resources.

2.7. Ìý Ìý Manage the commissioning process for new and developing equipment as required and develop an appropriate QA program within the Trust’s quality system.

2.8. Ìý Ìý Negotiate with clinical and technical staff and equipment manufacturers to provide all necessary support for equipment, resulting in maximum clinical usage of equipment.

2.9. Ìý Ìý Contribute to the scientific management and provision of a proton imaging, planning and treatment delivery service to the radiotherapy department across the Christie network to ensure the accuracy and safe delivery of treatments and compliance with clinical requirements.

2.10. Ìý Liaise with the group leader, section leader and radiation protection advisor in the investigation and reporting of any case of suspected or actual mistreatment of any patient due to a failure within any process/procedure or any equipment.

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3. Ìý Ìý Proton Treatment Planning

3.1. Ìý Ìý Develop, in conjunction with clinical oncologists, other physicists and radiographers across the Christie Network, clinical protocols for the safe and effective clinical use of pre-treatment equipment.

3.2. Ìý Ìý Develop and maintain the clinical treatment planning systems and commission them for new applications particularly with respect to patients treated across the Christie network.

3.3. Ìý Ìý Operate, maintain and develop quality assurance procedures for pre-treatment simulation and treatment planning systems within the ISO 9001-2015 quality system to ensure equipment and procedures are fit for clinical use.

3.4. Ìý Ìý Ensure effective multidisciplinary team working in pre-treatment simulation and planning by working closely with clinical oncologists, therapy radiographers, engineers and dosimetrists.

3.5. Ìý Ìý Operate on a rota with other physicists to deal with problems arising with pre-treatment simulation and clinical treatment plans.

3.6. Ìý Ìý Implement new and improved treatment planning techniques so that patients gain maximum benefit from the available equipment throughout the Christie network.

3.7. Ìý Ìý 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.

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4. Ìý Ìý Proton Dosimetry and Quality Control

4.1. Ìý Ìý Maintain, develop and participate in calibration and quality assurance of highly complex proton beam delivery systems and other radiotherapy equipment (including R&V system) within the ISO 9001-2015 quality system, analysing current practice against recommendations of Professional bodies and proposing changes to practice and procedures.

4.2. Ìý Ìý Operate on a rota with other physicists to deal with issues relating to the dosimetric performance of radiotherapy equipment raised by radiographer and engineering staff, providing scientific advice or performing measurements as appropriate.

4.3. Ìý Ìý Investigate and resolve highly complex technical and dosimetric problems highlighted through ongoing quality control measurements and reported equipment faults, analysing oral and written information along with measurements in order to provide advice or identify any remedial action.

4.4. Ìý Ìý Manage, plan and perform acceptance testing and commissioning measurements for highly complex radiotherapy equipment, allocating tasks and supervising physicists collecting the data required to ensure efficient and safe implementation into clinical service.

4.5. Ìý Ìý Perform highly accurate routine and non-routine quality control of the treatment delivery and other radiotherapy equipment to ensure that they remain within clinically acceptable tolerances.

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5. Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýProton Imaging and Verification

5.1. Ìý Ìý Participate in the introduction of new imaging equipment and techniques.

5.2. Ìý Ìý Work closely with the radiotherapy department to give scientific advice on imaging protocols to ensure effective use of imaging equipment.

5.3. Ìý Ìý Maintain and develop systems for quality assurance of imaging devices, within the ISO 9001-2015 Quality System to ensure equipment and procedures are fit for clinical use. Investigate and resolve technical and image quality problems highlighted through quality control tests.

5.4. Ìý Ìý Perform, and develop new techniques for, the verification of proton therapy treatment plans.

5.5. Ìý Ìý Perform in-vivo dosimetry measurements on patients as required, in accordance with agreed protocols laid down by the Department. Participate in the development of the in-vivo dosimetry service.

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6. Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýTeaching and Training

6.1. Ìý Ìý Supervise clinical scientists, dosimetrists, engineers and radiographers within the radiotherapy physics group as required.

6.2. Ìý Ìý Lecture and train clinical scientists, dosimetrists, engineers, radiographers, specialist registrars and others and assist in the organisation of the department’s teaching programmes.

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7. Ìý Ìý Ìý Ìý ÌýResearch and Development

7.1. Ìý Ìý Perform highly complex, clinically relevant, radiotherapy research and development.

7.2. Ìý Ìý Operationally manage research projects to achieve identified deliverables.

7.3. Ìý Ìý Supervise research projects carried out by trainee and research physicists, treatment planning radiographers, dosimetrists and post graduate students up to PhD level.

7.4. Ìý Ìý Publish research in internationally recognised peer reviewed research journals and to communicate research through national and international conferences.

7.5. Ìý Ìý Participate in identifying external funding opportunities and the writing of grant applications.

7.6. Ìý Ìý Assist the establishment and maintenance of R&D collaborations with other radiotherapy physics groups, universities, and commercial organisations.

7.7. Ìý Ìý Provide scientific support to clinical oncologists participating in local, national and international trials.

7.8. Ìý Ìý ÌýMaintain an up-to-date personal knowledge of national and international radiotherapy physics practice in order to identify improvements to the service.