Job summary
- Main area
- 317 Radiotherapy Dose Planning - FH
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 317-2024-48-36-DR
- Employer
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Freeman Hospital
- Town
- 317 01 Freeman Hospital
- Salary
- £46,148 - £52,809 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 17/12/2024 23:59
- Interview date
- 10/01/2025
Employer heading
Senior Dosimetrist Team Leader
Band 7
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Dosimetrist or Clinical Technologist to act as a Senior Dosimetrist (Team Leader). The group provides the clinical dose planning service at the Northern Centre for Cancer Care both in Newcastle and Carlisle. The post holder will be based at the Freeman Hospital.
The radiotherapy department benefits from state-of-the-art equipment which includes dedicated planning MRI scanner facilities, 3 Siemens CT scanners with 4D capability, access to a PET/CT facility, 2 Tomotherapy treatment units, 2 Varian TrueBeam STx linacs with stereotactic capability, 7 Varian TrueBeam linacs, a high doserate Flexitron afterloader and SXT.
The NCCC Dose Planning Section comprises of a large team of Dosimetrists/Clinical Technologists split between the two hospital sites. Since the introduction of Raystation treatment planning system into clinical use the section is responsible for VMAT planning for the majority of disease sites. The Centre is committed to delivering a high-quality service, maintaining the highest specification equipment and contributing to radiotherapy research and development.
The postholder will have the opportunity to lead developments within the section, providing supervision and training for other staff.
- Interview Date: 10 January 2025
- 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
- You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy.
Main duties of the job
They will be expected to progress through a comprehensive in-house competency-based training programme in target volume definition for specific treatment sites. Whilst formal application specific training will be delivered, participation in post-graduate training is also encouraged.
The post holder would be expected to contribute to the development and training of other staff members, both within the dosimetry section and throughout NCCC. They should ensure that all the Dosimetrists within the assigned team follow agreed work procedures to ensure that safety critical work is completed in an accurate and timely way.
This will be achieved by acting as mentor for their team members to ensure development and the achievement of planning and voluming competencies. They will be encouraged to take responsibility for the organisation of aspects of the Dose Planning Induction Course and the Dose Planning competence-based training scheme undertaken by Dosimetrists.
They will also be expected to play an active role in the development of training courses within Dose Planning for other staff groups and tailoring the training to a level appropriate to the trainee's knowledge. Service improvement is a continuous process within radiotherapy and the post holder would be encouraged to contribute to this to the benefit of our patients.
The post holder may also be required to deputise for the Principal Dosimetrist at meetings and in their absence.
Working for our organisation
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:
• Freeman Hospital
• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service
• Cramlington Manor Walks
These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.
We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.
Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.
For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Responsible for the technical aspects of the radiotherapy dose planning service, at Freeman Hospital site.
- Provides professional technical leadership in an area of expertise locally.
- Maintains and develops high standards of service provision throughout their area of responsibility.
- Develops, implements and monitors clinical and organisational strategies within areas of expertise.
- Actively involved in research and development projects.
- Supervises and trains less experienced staff and trainees.
- Contributes to service and staff development.
Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Significant and up to date knowledge of relevant areas of medical physics applied to treatment planning, radiotherapy physics, imaging and treatment.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge and understanding of current radiation legislation relevant to this role.
- Evidence of knowledge of clinical oncology Evidence of knowledge of current scientific and technological developments
- Knowledge of Quality Systems.
Skills
Essential criteria
- Ability to work both independently and as a member of the team.
- Good communication skills with all staff groups
- Teaching and training skills
- Ability to communicate scientific advice to all staff groups.
- Efficient time management.
Desirable criteria
- Good report writing and presentational skills Patient handling skills
Experience
Essential criteria
- Significant current experience in treatment planning for radiotherapy for a wide range of disease sites employing advanced techniques.
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience in SABR/SRS planning.
- Evidence of career progression demonstrating both breadth and depth of experience
- Evidence of completed research and development projects.
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Master’s level knowledge and experience, an honours degree in a related subject such as clinical physiology; radiotherapy oncology or an equivalent qualification.
- Registration with the HCPC or RCT.
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of attendance at conferences or training courses intended to extend the breadth and depth of knowledge.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Nick Willis
- Job title
- Principal Dosimetrist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 2138489
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