Clinical Technologist (Radiation Physics)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication and working relationships

• To routinely communicate complex information relating to radiation protection and risk in written or verbal form to a wide range of staff, including clinical teams and members of the public. This includes the communication of technical data in test reports relating to diagnostic imaging equipment and radiation protection instrumentation. This is complex scientific information that will need to be delivered to ensure it is effectively understood by both technical staff and persons unfamiliar with the scientific basis and ensure the appropriate action is taken.

Analytical and judgement

• Required to make judgements involving a range of facts or situations, which requires analysis or comparison of a range of options to determine the appropriate course of action. For example: judgements involving testing complex radiological equipment.

Planning and organisation

• Plan, organise and carry out equipment testing at the required frequency and produce reports in line with the Trusts Quality Assurance programme.
• Plan and carry out environmental monitoring programme for controlled areas under guidance of Trust RPA.
• Plan and carry out annual programme of calibration of radiation measurement equipment.
• Able to prioritise work, work to tight deadlines and meet schedule demands across multiple workstreams.

Responsibility for patient and client care

• Provide clinical technical services primarily equipment performance and measurement tests against local and nationally defined standards to ensure equipment is performing as required.

Policy and service responsibility

• To work in accordance with all Trust and Departmental Policies.
• Propose changes to policies/procedures in own work area in order to improve the service.
• Contribute to service improvement through auditing and investigations as directed by senior members of staff.

Responsibility for finance, equipment and other resources

• Responsible for the safe use of complex radiological equipment used extensively in diagnostics and interventional procedures used across the Trust and by external customers.
• Responsible for day-to-day supervision or co-ordination of staff within a section/function of a department/service, regularly responsible for professional/clinical supervision of a small number of qualified staff or students and regularly responsible for providing training in own discipline/practical training or undertaking basic workplace assessments.

Information technology and administrative duties

• Keep accurate records of all work and data analysis performed.
• Ensure records are updated as appropriate.
• Generate appropriate technical reports of equipment testing
• Generate appropriate audit reports for compliance and governance records.
• Enter data received from the approved dosimetry service into local systems for management of Personnel Dosimetry, ensuring that all data is correct and current in accordance with statutory requirements and is shared with appropriate users as required.
• Plan and carry out radiation protection tasks and compliance audits to the required schedule and produce records/reports in a timely fashion.

Responsibility for research and development

• To keep an up-to-date knowledge of the skills required for this post and be able to demonstrate these in Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• Regularly undertakes equipment testing to support optimisation of imaging exposure techniques as part of routine practice and in support of clinical trials.
• Undertakes specialised audits in own area designed to improve practice and the service.

Responsibility and accountability

• Take part in regular performance appraisal.
• Undertake any training required in order to maintain competency including mandatory training, e.g. Manual Handling.
• Contribute to and work within a safe working environment.
• You are expected to comply with Trust Infection Control Policies and conduct him/herself at all times in such a manner as to minimise the risk of healthcare associated infection.
• As an employee of the Trust, it is a contractual duty that you abide by any relevant code of professional conduct and/or practice. applicable to you. A breach of this requirement may result in action being taken against you (in accordance with the Trusts disciplinary policy) up to and including dismissal.

You must also take responsibility for your workplace health and wellbeing:

• When required, gain support from Occupational Health, Human Resources or other sources.
• Familiarise yourself with the health and wellbeing support available from policies and/or Occupational Health.
• Follow the Trusts health and wellbeing vision of healthy body, healthy mind, healthy you.
• Undertake a Display Screen Equipment assessment (DES) if appropriate to role.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• BSc good honours degree in Healthcare Science (Medical Physics Technology)/physics/engineering or equivalent knowledge and experience.
• Registered Clinical Technologist or equivalent

Desirable

• Further professional membership (MIPEM/MSRP etc)

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of radiation protection and application to the healthcare sector.
• Specialist theoretical and practical knowledge of ionising and non-ionising radiological equipment and testing methods.
• Specialist theoretical knowledge and experience of relevant legislation, national standards and other guidelines.
• Experience in surveillance of radiological equipment.

Desirable

• Experience of using software to analyse data and extract information.
• Experience of working within a Quality Management System.
• Experience in communicating complex information..

Specific Skills

Essential

• Able to use MS Office applications in order to set up documents and spreadsheets, record information, calculate results and prepare reports.
• Able to lift and transport testing equipment cases up to 15kg sometimes via stairs.
• Able to communicate scientific and technical information, providing explanation and guidance to non-technical staff.

Desirable

• Ability to safely handle and manipulate sealed and unsealed radioactive sources.
• Able to solve complex problems using analytical skills and clinical judgement.

Requirements due to work environment/conditions

Essential

• Routinely working (daily) in radiation-controlled areas associated with exposure to ionising radiation and non-ionising radiation. The post holder will follow safe working practices to minimise exposure to themselves and others.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Torbay Hospital

Lowes Bridge

Torquay

TQ2 7AA

Employer's website

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