Consultant Clinical Scientist - Nuclear Medicine

Job description

Job responsibilities

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to lead in the wider clinical scientific activities of the MEP Care group including education, research and training. The department provides teaching services to Kings College London and supports the STP training scheme.

Clinical & Scientific Responsibilities

• Provide specialist scientific physics support and leadership to nuclear medicine services including imaging and non-imaging tests, radionuclide therapies and research data.
• Take a lead role in the installation, acceptance, commissioning and maintenance of imaging equipment in Nuclear Medicine Departments, including QA programs.
• Support all Nuclear Medicine departments in ensuring that all procedures involving the administration of radioactive substances (routine and research) are performed under the supervision of an appropriate ARSAC licence holder. This includes participating in the preparation of an ARSAC licence application, keeping local records and auditing procedures.
• Provide advice on optimisation of exposures.
• Manage and organise the quality assurance and maintenance programme for the highly complex imaging equipment and non-imaging equipment within the Nuclear Medicine department, ensuring a high standard of patient data acquisition (imaging & non-imaging) and logging, data processing, transfer of data and archiving, with due regard to the Data Protection Act
• Take responsibility for establishing validation procedures for equipment including both hardware and software components and/or verifying their proper use in clinical practice.
• Direct the development of existing techniques and introduction of new techniques to satisfy the aims and objectives of the Departments of Nuclear Medicine & PET/CT.
• Develop policies, procedures and protocols for the scientific work undertaken within the Department ensuring that all work undertaken is adequately documented.
• Provide interpretation of clinical nuclear medicine data which has been subject to computer analysis.
• Take responsibility and provide nuclear medicine expert input to radionuclide therapy (Iodine-131, Lutetium-177, etc)
• Perform radiation dosimetry as required.
• Ensure that all work performed within the Nuclear Medicine Department meets with regulatory requirements, in particular the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017, the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017, and the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016. Ensure that regular auditing takes place to meet these requirements
• Liaise with external inspectors (Environment Agency, CQC, and HSE) to facilitate inspections in the Nuclear Medicine departments
• Have a detailed working understanding and lead on implementation of relevant legislation, national standards, professional and other guidelines, including: IRR 2017, IR(ME)R 2017, EPR 2016
• Have a detailed knowledge of national policies and initiatives in nuclear medicine imaging services.
• Advise clinical and radiographic staff on matters such as the optimisation of image quality and patient dose, equipment selection, equipment performance measurements and facility design.
• Act as an operator as defined under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017.
• Manage the safe use/handling of radioactive materials including the safe disposal of radionuclides to ensure compliance with the Environmental Permitting Regulations.
• Advise on contingency plan training in the event of radioactive spills.
• Ensure there are procedures in place for the safe use of radioactive materials including risk assessments, environmental monitoring programmes
• Ensure Department complies with the requirements of the Data Protection and Freedom of Information Acts.
• Participate in further training programmes as agreed with the Director of MEP

  Leadership

  To take a lead role in the strategic planning and development of Nuclear Medicine Services and contribute to Medical Engineering & Physics strategic meetings and monthly Heads of Service meetings.
• Direct the work of the Nuclear Medicine Physics team. Ensure that the Departmental objectives are in line with the Trust strategy.
• Ensure that there is a good working relationship will all relevant staff in the Nuclear Medicine Department in order to achieve good standard of service.
• Contribute effectively within the Nuclear Medicine management team.
• Represent Nuclear Medicine physics at clinical governance meetings and medical exposures/radiation safety meetings
• Negotiate as required over resource provision. Agree annual and project budgets.
• Lead, plan, organise and develop the scientific service of the Nuclear Medicine department.

Research and service development

• Lead research activities within the department, initiating new programmes of research in consultation with clinical and other scientific staff.
• Present research results at national and international meetings and by publication in peer-reviewed journals
• Maintain an awareness of current scientific, clinical and legislative developments in Nuclear Medicine and allied fields. Attend meetings, courses and other professional events as appropriate and as required. Present relevant information gained from attendance to other staff in Nuclear Medicine.

Teaching and Training

• Support the STP training programme within the Department of Medical Engineering and Physics including supervision of students undertaking projects within the department.
• Participate in teaching and training duties to staff and students at all levels, initiating and directing as appropriate
• Participate in various Trust, KHP, and National committees and working groups, as required and as opportunity presents.

People Management and Performance

• Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and underperformance is addressed.
• Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans.
• Ensure the team is compliant with all statutory, mandatory training together with any professional training requirements, ensuring they are up to date and fully compliant.

• Manage team absences including sickness in line with Trust policy ensuring the appropriate return to work meetings occur, e-roster is updated and productivity is at keep to the highest possible level.
• Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trusts recruitment policy and process.
• Identify talent and support the internal talent management process in order attract and retain and succession plan for your people.
• Review skills mix at regular intervals in order to identify any potential opportunities to maximise resource utilisation / allocation, ensuring job descriptions are kept up to date.
• Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.

General

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• We want to be an organisation where everyone shares a commitment to delivering the very best care and feels like their contribution is valuable and valued.
• At Kings we are a kind, respectful team:

Kind. We show compassion and understanding and bring a positive attitude to our work

Respectful. We promote equality, are inclusive and honest, speaking up when needed

Team. We support each other, communicate openly, and are reassuringly professional

• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.

This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Honours degree in Physics or other relevant subject or equivalent
• MSc or higher degree in Medical Physics
• Membership or Fellowship of IPEM of eligible for membership
• Registered as Clinical Scientist under HCPC
• Accreditation as a Medical Physics Expert under RPA 2000

Desirable

• PgC/PgD in management
• PhD or equivalent experience
• Accredited Radiation Protection Advisor (or willing to work towards within 2 years)
• Accredited Radiation Waste Advisor (or willing to work towards within 2 years)

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of Nuclear Medicine to advanced level
• Expert theoretical and practical knowledge of PET imaging and related technologies
• Well-developed IT management and practical/programming skills for NM computer systems
• Demonstrable knowledge of wider clinical issues and their implications for Nuclear Medicine diagnosis and therapy.
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and regulatory requirements, national standards, professional and other guidelines, relating to the safe and proper use of radioactive materials, e.g. IRR, IR(ME)R, ARSAC guidance and COSHH.

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Able to analyse and interpret highly complex scientific data
• Able to prioritise and manage their own work and manage competing priorities
• Highly developed problem solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills within and outside the Nuclear Medicine department.
• Able to work as a member of a multidisciplinary team
• Able to lead the scientific team in nuclear medicine and to develop the individuals and team

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

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

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Kings College Hospital,

Denmark Hill

London

SE5 9RS

Employer's website

https://www.kch.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)