Treatment Planning Clinical Technologist/Dosimetrist (XR07)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Managerial

Prioritise and manage own work.

Keep careful records of all work performed on the patient database and other appropriate records as required for statistical purposes on the computerised information systems.

Monitor stocks and order supplies as required to enable duties to be performed.

Represent the treatment planning department in site specific MDT meetings.

Represent the treatment planning department at radiotherapy policy meetings in the absence of the Chief Dosimetrist.

Clinical and Scientific

Act as a Practitioner, Referrer and Operator, under IRMER, for specified areas of work.

Responsibility for the operation of linear accelerators, virtual simulators, simulators, treatment planning systems and other high capital investment items of equipment.

Treatment Planning

As the department plans over 4000 patients per year, a significant proportion of time will be spent interpreting complex patient treatment planning requests from clinicians and giving advice to medical staff 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 clinician, 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.

Planning of patients undergoing radiotherapy with external beam photons or electrons using both manual and computer methods.

Ensuring that all patient images required to produce treatment plans are available.

CT planning (using 3-D 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 e.g. ICRU50, 62 and 83.

Identify and contour all critical organs at risk on CT scans whether explicitly mentioned by the clinical staff or not.

Work as part of the virtual 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.

Re-plan patient treatments where required, following changes to the treatment regime or patient shape. Use judgement to analyse and determine the most appropriate compensation method. Calculate the compensation required and subsequent patient dose. Carry out manual dose calculations.

Take responsibility for the development of new treatment techniques under the direction of the Chief Dosimetrist.

Co-ordinate 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.

Participate in the evaluation process for new items of high capital radiotherapy planning equipment and the subsequent implementation and training.

Assist in producing written protocols for localisation, simulation, treatment planning and radiotherapy treatments as part of the Departments Quality System. Participate fully in implementing and maintaining this system. Participate in staff meetings to agree changes to protocols affecting Radiotherapy Physics and Radiotherapy.

Organise and adapt staff rota to cover departmental workload due to sickness/study leave/annual leave.

Accurately record all relevant information and ensure these records are maintained in accordance with the requirements of the department procedures. Often these records will be maintained in electronic format.

Communicate complex technical information to other disciplines across the field of radiotherapy.

Develop and maintain effective working relationships with Trust staff including those involved with radiotherapy treatment and other relevant professional groups.

Participate on a fortnightly rotational basis in the facilitation of all information entering the department, processing and prioritising this information to ensure a smooth flow of work through the department.

Participate in site-specific MDT sessions, offering specialised treatment planning advice on technique development to clinicians and radiographers.

Assist Mould Room and Brachytherapy staff as required. Prepare immobilisation devices for patient treatment 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, virtual simulators and 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 and orthovoltage treatment units, ensuring that the dose delivered is within agreed limits.

Teaching and Training

Participation with other medical physics staff in continual evaluation and development of techniques used.

Take part in the ongoing supervision and training of new members of staff, trainee physicists, clinicians and radiographers as well as student radiographers whilst in the treatment planning department.

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 Beam Radiotherapy Physics.

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.

Ensure all activities are carried out within a quality framework and meet regulatory requirements.

Contribute to service development and the investigation of new radiotherapy treatment techniques. This includes involvement in radiotherapy treatment planning for clinical trials and supplying information such as computerised patient dose volume histograms

Person Specification

Other Criteria

Essential

• Proven ability to concentrate frequently when subject to unpredictable working patterns.
• Proven ability to maintain high levels of concentration despite frequent interruption.
• Proven ability to concentrate for periods in excess of one session.
• Proven ability to communicate complex information (e.g. justifying planning methods to clinicians).
• Proven ability to train groups of other professional staff in planning issues (e.g. train Physicists, Doctors and radiographers in the production of treatment plans).

Qualifications

Essential

• Either: Degree in Clin Technology or equivalent level of knowledge and experience backed up by formal training with significant experience post qualification in radiotherapy treatment planning
• Or: BSc Therapy Radiography with significant experience post qualification in radiotherapy treatment planning.
• Either: Registered Clinical Technologist
• Or: Registered Therapy Radiographer
• Or: A clearly defined path to Clinical Technologist registration

Desirable

• Additional clinical experience in Simulator and/or Virtual simulator.
• Incorporated level membership of the Institute of Medical Physics & Engineering.

Experience

Essential

• A significant post qualification experience in a treatment planning department.
• Extended knowledge of the principles of external beam radiotherapy.
• Advanced understanding of physiology and anatomy as applied to treatment planning
• Specialist knowledge of CT and MRI anatomy as applied to treatment planning.
• Basic understanding of pathology and mechanisms of disease.

Desirable

• Quality assurance and quality management principles during weekly/monthly machine calibrations.
• Familiarity with Monaco and RayStation treatment planning systems.
• Familiarity with radiotherapy technology including linear accelerators, orthovoltage and superficial therapy units, radiotherapy simulators and CT scanners.

Skills & Behaviours

Essential

• Team working skills, flexibility, initiative, honesty, integrity, influencing and persuading skills and ability to learn.
• Works within timeframes and works well under pressure.
• Patient, diplomatic and able to develop good working relationships with different groups of colleagues.
• Problem solving and initiative when dealing with issues within own specialist area of competence.
• Proven ability to prioritise the work of the treatment planning section and own work

Desirable

• To act at all times in a professional manner, showing courtesy and respect for other staff and patients.
• Maintain patient dignity and confidentiality.
• Creative lateral thinker.
• Proven ability to work flexibly.
• Proven ability to cope with large and variable workload.

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF

Employer's website

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