Job responsibilities
PRINCIPAL
DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Managerial:
Responsible
to Head of Treatment Planning & Mould Room for the management of the
Treatment Planning & Mould Room clinical technologist groups.
To
coordinate day-to-day work of the Treatment Planning & Mould Room
sections, ensuring the timely production bespoke immobilisation devices, and
bespoke computerised radiotherapy treatment plans for patients undergoing
radiotherapy including both routine and highly complex treatments within the
timescales dictated by the Cancer Standards.
To
coordinate the pre-planning, marking up, treatment planning, prescribing and
checking of all treatment plans produced within the Treatment Planning
section.To undertake annual appraisals of members of the Treatment Planning
& Mould Room clinical technologist groups for the purpose of personal
development.
Represent
the Treatment Planning & Mould Room sections in site specific MDT
meetings. Represent the Treatment Planning & Mould Room sections at
radiotherapy technique, procedure and development meetings.
The
post holder is responsible for the ordering of the Treatment Planning
consumables, with an annual budget of over £1000, and the Mould Room
consumables, with an annual budget of over £40000.
To
ensure that the roles of Operator, Referrer and Practitioner as required by
the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposures) Regulations 2017 (Statutory
Instrument 2017 No.1322) are complied with by Treatment Planning&d Mould
Room Clinical Technologists.
To
ensure that adequate training is given and that training records are
maintained for Treatment Planning & Mould Room Clinical Technologist
staff. To work within the Clinical Oncology Service Quality System which is
accredited to BS EN ISO 9001-2015.
The
post holder will often make decisions which carry a high level of clinical
impact on a range of issues affecting the Radiotherapy process as a whole,
and the development of this service. As a consequence of this, quality
assurance and clinical risk management are key aspects of the role.
Clinical
& Scientific:
Act
as a Practitioner, Referrer and Operator under IRMER for specified areas of
work. Responsibility for the operation of linear accelerators, CT simulators,
treatment planning systems and other high capital investment items of
equipment.
Responsibility
for the training of various staff groups in the operation of linear
accelerators, CT simulators, treatment planning systems and other high
capital investment items of equipment.
Treatment
Planning & Mould Room:
As
the Treatment Planning section plans over 5000 patients per year a
significant proportion of time will be spent interpreting complex patient
treatment planning requests from clinicians and giving expert advice to
Clinical Oncologists, Clinical Scientists and Clinical Technologists on
appropriate planning techniques. Often
the original expectation for doses to either tumour volumes or organs at risk
are not reasonably achievable and the post holder will be expected to
generate a choice of clinically acceptable 3D computer treatment planning
options. These alternatives are then
reviewed with the Clinical Oncologist, discussing the effects of various
treatment plan options on patient dose distributions and possible compromises
to tumour volumes or organs at risk, ensuring that the dose to the tumour is
maximised whilst minimising the dose to surrounding tissues.
Ensuring
that the quality of patient treatment plans produced in the section is to the
highest possible standard. Ensuring that the quality of patient
immobilisation devices produced in the section is to the highest possible
standard, and that patients are dealt with in a timely, compassionate and
efficient manner.
CT
planning (using 3-D inverse- and forward-planned computerised techniques) for
patients undergoing radiotherapy, analysing requirements and making complex
judgements regarding treatment parameters and patient dose effects to produce
the required dose distribution over the treatment volume ensuring where
possible the conformance to international standards ICRU 50, 62 and 83.
Identify
and contour all critical organs at risk on CT scans whether or not explicitly
mentioned by the clinical staff. The post holder must participate in the
checking/quality assurance of the most complex inverse-planned and 3D
conformal computerised treatment plans, as well as manual dose calculations
and shielding and bolus templates.
Participate
in the evaluation process for new items of high capital radiotherapy planning
equipment and the subsequent implementation and training. Perform
collaborative assessment of radiotherapy treatment verification images
ensuring that all treatments are within laid down limits, and taking
appropriate action if any errors are identified.
Work
as part of the CT simulator multidisciplinary team on a weekly basis,
supplying specialist planning input including anatomical scanning limits,
patient positioning, treatment techniques, reference tattooing and
appropriate fitting of patient immobilisation devices to millimetric
tolerances.
The
post holder must offer expert advice to Radiotherapy staff and Clinical
Oncologists when patients shapes are seen to change during their course of
radiotherapy treatment, and must be aware of the dosimetric consequences of
such changes. They must use judgement
to analyse and determine the most appropriate compensation method, and
calculate the compensation required and subsequent patient dose. This may be in the form of manual dose
calculation.
Coordinate
patient visits to clinics and simulators, and start dates for radiotherapy
such that they meet the required timescales of the Cancer Standards whilst
allowing adequate time to do the work in a safe and considered manner.
Be
fully conversant with the clinical operation of the treatment machines and
appreciate their potential and limitations with regard to patient treatment
techniques. Provide treatment
radiographers with advice on planning aspects of the treatment and attend the
set-up of patients on machines, as required.
Produce
written protocols for some aspects of the Treatment Planning and Mould Room
processes as part of the services Quality System. Participate fully in implementing and
maintaining this system. Organise
staff meetings to agree changes to protocols affecting Radiotherapy Physics
and Radiotherapy.
Organise
and adapt staff rotas to cover the workload of both Treatment Planning &
Mould Room, taking into account sickness/study leave/annual leave/training.
Communicate complex technical information to other disciplines across the
field of radiotherapy. Perform system administrator duties on treatment
planning systems and patient image database. Develop and maintain effective
working relationships with Trust staff including those involved with
radiotherapy treatment and other relevant professional groups, eg radiology
staff.
Participate
in site-specific MDT sessions, offering specialised treatment planning advice
on technique development to clinicians and radiographers. Participate in
Mould Room activity. Prepare
immobilisation devices for patient treatment and also produce beam shielding
blocks and electron applicator cut-outs using low-melting point alloy.
Dosimetry
Services:
Take
part in the Quality Assurance programme of the planning section ensuring that
the calculated doses are within tolerance.
Take
part in the Quality Assurance programme of the linear accelerators and CT
simulators on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, making analytical judgements
on tolerances where required. Take part in the routine weekly calibration of
linear accelerators and superficial treatment units, ensuring that the dose
output is within agreed limits.
Teaching
and Training:
Participation
with other medical physics staff in continual evaluation and development of
techniques used. Train staff in the routine weekly calibration of linear
accelerators and superficial treatment
units, ensuring that the dose delivered is within agreed limits.
Develop
and deliver training packages for Radiographers, Radiographer students,
trainee Medical Physicists and FRCR candidates on treatment planning and
radiotherapy in general. Responsibility for the ongoing supervision and
training of Treatment Planning clinical technologist staff, trainee Medical
Physicists, Clinicians and Radiographers as well as student radiographers
whilst in the Treatment Planning & Mould Room sections.
Responsible
for coordinating the rota of trainers and trainees in Treatment Planning and
Mould Room to ensure that there is sufficient capacity for training and
clinical work.
Research
and Development:
NHS
service research and development is necessary for continuous improvement of
radiotherapy and for the implementation and development of the potential of
new equipment and facilities.
To
be involved and contribute to any development work as required by the Head of
External Deam Radiotherapy Physics, Head of Treatment Planning Development
and Head of Radiotherapy Technology.
To
be instrumental in the introduction of newly developed treatment planning
techniques into routine use. To manage
and coordinate this activity, ensuring adequate staff training.
Professional:
Keep
abreast of the latest technical and scientific developments and their
applications in medical and radiotherapy fields. To attend suitable seminars, courses and
meetings either national or international as part of personal development and
to further the work of the department and give a report back on these to the
rest of the staff.
Ensure
all activities are carried out within a quality framework and meet regulatory
requirements.
