Job responsibilities
To
provide expert scientific advice and support for the MRI services at Leeds
Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. A high level of expertise in safety aspects of
MRI is essential. Specific additional areas of expertise will include one or
more of the following: neuroradiology, oncology, musculoskeletal, cardiac,
radiotherapy MR, site planning, quality assurance, magnetic resonance
research and innovation. Duties to include equipment installation,
acceptance, quality assurance and quality control, protocol development and
implementation within their area of expertise..
To
deputise for the head of MR physics and deputise for the Trust MR Safety
Expert.
To
take responsibility for the work of other physicists and related staff from
the group, or those seconded to it and to direct their work as required. To
develop effective working relationships with senior clinical staff in the
Trust and other staff within the department.
To
lead, develop, and plan selected technical and scientific services relating
to the MRI equipment at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
To
actively participate in the initiation, development, planning and direction
of appropriate Research and Development activity within the group.
To
participate in the teaching and training of NHS staff in basic and advanced
MRI physics, techniques, applications and safety.
PRINCIPAL
DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Scientific
Advice - general
As
a principal MRI scientist for the Trust, to provide highly specialist expert
medical physics advice and support to the provision of MRI within the Trust.
To
provide highly specialist expert medical physics advice to MRI services to
other healthcare organisations (NHS and private) and academic institutions as
contracted by those organisations.
To
take responsibility for, and participate in, the delivery of a broad range of
both routine and non-routine, highly specialised scientific and technical
services in Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.
To
participate in the provision of similar services at other Trust sites or as
contracted by other healthcare organisations.
To
deliver a broad range of specialized, complex non-routine MR scientific
services
To
analyse highly complex situations where conflicting demands on limited
resources have to be reconciled, for example advise clinicians, managers and
capital planners on decisions concerning the purchase or replacement of
magnetic resonance imaging equipment and the design and provision of adequate
accommodation for the safe use of that equipment.
Devise
safe, legal and effective solutions to complex science based clinical
problems, based on risk assessment and knowledge of current methodologies in
MRI, determining the best practicable solution given the constraints on
available resources.
To
produce regular reports at the request of others and data analysis.
To
provide high level, highly specialist scientific input to strategic service
developments relating to the clinical MRI service.
To
plan and participate in the development of appropriate quality systems for
MRI ensuring that the services provided by the MR group are of the highest
quality.
Procurement
Provides
specialist advice to, and acts as representative in meetings with external
agencies for, the Trust, relating to major new capital projects that include
the provision of MRI services.
To
plan the procurement of major capital items and the routine testing of MR
equipment.
To
be responsible for the provision of specialist scientific and technical
support within the Trust for the specification, evaluation, selection,
installation and acceptance testing of new MRI systems and associated
equipment as directed by the post holders line manager.
Equipment
To
manage the technical aspects of selected items of highly complex, expensive
equipment across the trust or as contracted by the University of Leeds. These
systems will be as directed from a Trustequipment base of 9 NHS-based MRI
systems, (4 at the General Infirmary, 4 at at St Jamess and 1 at Chapel
Allerton Hosptial), 4 University of Leeds systems and associated workstations
and test equipment, with a total replacement value of over £11,000,000.
To
set up, calibrate and operate highly complex equipment including MRI systems
and associated test equipment.
To
plan and implement measures, e.g. QA, to monitor MRI equipment performance
within the Trust.
To
ensure optimum performance of selected systems from the installed base of MR
systems within the Trust and to perform first line support in close liaison
with the manufacturers.
To
devise and construct test objects that mimic clinical scenarios and are to be
used in the MRI system involving pipetting precise dilutions of different
solutions.
Safety
Assist
with the provision of MRI safety frameworks to the Trust.
Assist
with the provision of MRI safety frameworks to other healthcare organisations
(NHS and private) and academic institutions.
Assist
with the provision of safety frameworks as directed, to three
University-based MRI systems located within the General Infirmary, two 3T
systems and a 1.5T system with a combined replacement value of approximately
£4 million. Assist with the provision
of safety framework to a joint University of Leeds / Trust 3T MRI scanner at
Chapel Allerton Hospital.
Make
evidence-based assessments of risk seeking advice where appropriate, where
the outcome may be in conflict with national or other published guidelines,
for example, in advising senior clinicians on the use of MRI procedures or
practices that would normally be contra-indicated, where it may be in the
best interests of an individual patient.
To
advise and propose changes for the Trust and other organisations as
contracted on the implementation of national and international MR guidelines
and legislation to ensure the safety of patients, staff and members of the
public including for site planning and installation, equipment operation,
local rules and operating procedures and maintenance of adequate records.
To
deputise, as required for the MR Safety Expert to the Trust on all aspects of
MRI safety and sits on the multidisciplinary trust MR safety group.
To
provide specialist advice to the Trust and other organisations on MR local
rules and standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of staff,
visitors and patients including reviewing and proposing changes to essential
documents.
Technique
Development
To
further develop existing techniques in Magnetic Resonance Imaging and to
identify and implement new and advanced techniques for routine clinical
and/or research use where these will often involve highly complex MRI
protocol, pulse sequence and software development.
To
plan the development and implementation of new MR procedures.
To
write bespoke computer software to provide solutions including advanced image
processing to particular imaging problems to meet the specifications of other
colleagues.
Patient
specific activity
To
develop and advise on the correct and safe use of highly specialised,
non-routine MR procedures for individual patients examinations or specific
patient groups, often including very ill patients.
To
perform non-routine, highly specialised analysis and interpretation of MRI
images from individual patients, particularly those requiring advanced
post-processing and/or image analysis. In conjunction with other Healthcare
professionals, ensure that the interpretation of the results of the analysis
that are essential for clinical decision making are accurate and reliable.
To
monitor, analyse and interpret MRI images and/or resulting data, to identify
and determine the reason for erroneous results and identify and determine the
cause of subtle or non-reproducible MR system faults.
To
advise on the safe and effective use of MRI in patients who present with
implanted medical devices or foreign bodies.
Managerial
To
plan programmes for the work of other physicists including trainee
physicists.
To
supervise and be responsible for the work of other physicists including
trainee physicists as required.
To
provide line management for staff within the MR physics section as directed
by the post holders line manager.
Research
and Development
To
plan and participate in research and development programmes within the MRI
group and in collaboration with other Trust and University departments which
are of high quality and consistent with the joint Trust and University of
Leeds research strategy.
To
provide a focus for scientific and clinical applications and R&D support
from the manufacturers within the Trust and to implement new techniques
supplied.
To
maintain high standards of scientific rigour in scientific and clinical
research performed within the Trust and University relating to Magnetic
Resonance Imaging.
Teaching
and Training
To
promote a high level of competency of Medical, Scientific and Technical NHS
staff working in the field of Magnetic Resonance Imaging through the regular
provision of high quality teaching and training.
To
provide supervision and training of NHS clinical scientists and technicians
participating in the NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP) and other
professional training schemes.
To
provide basic and advanced teaching and training, usually at postgraduate
level, of other NHS staff (including Radiographers and Radiologists) in MR
physics, safety, techniques and applications.
To
teach on both internal and external postgraduate courses in medical physics,
MRI and medical imaging where this falls within the remit of the NHS
department.
To
supervise and train undergraduate and postgraduate students working on MR
projects where appropriate.
