Radiotherapy Physicist (XR07)

NHS; Leeds; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider in the UK is seeking a permanent Band 7 Radiotherapy Physicist to join their team at St James's University Hospital, Leeds. This role involves supporting various radiotherapy physics activities, engaging in both clinical practice and innovative research initiatives, thereby contributing to the development of high-quality treatment services.

Qualifications

• State registration as a Clinical Scientist or achieving within 12 months.
• Specialist knowledge and practical experience in radiotherapy physics.

Responsibilities

• Provide Medical Physics support in day-to-day radiotherapy operations.
• Participate in teaching and training programs.
• Carry out routine calibrations of radiotherapy machines.

Skills

Flexibility

Decision Making

Professionalism

Education

Good honours degree in relevant subject

MSc in radiotherapy physics

PhD (advantage)

Job description

Applicationsare invited for a permanent Band 7 Radiotherapy Physicist position in StJamess University Hospital, Leeds.The post will ideally suit candidates who are state registered as aClinical Scientist or will achieve registration within 12 months of taking upthe position.

Thesuccessful candidate will be highly motivated to support a broad range ofradiotherapy physics activities, including treatment planning, dosimetry,imaging, equipment QA, as well as teaching of radiotherapy staff undergoingtraining. Research and innovation are at the heart of the service, withopportunities to be a part of many ongoing projects, including thedevelopment of high-dose rate FFF VMAT, equipment QA, extra-cranial SABR (incspine and hepatocellular), HDR and LDR Brachytherapy, Gamma Knife ICON SRS,imaging for radiotherapy as well as a large portfolio of local and nationalclinical trials.

Thepost offers excellent scope for gaining or broadening radiotherapy physicsexperience and for developing state-of-the-art radiotherapy.

Main duties of the job

Thepost holder provides Medical Physics scientific support in a range of areasof work related to the day-to-day running of radiotherapy andbrachytherapy. Functions includetreatment planning, dosimetry, research and development, commissioning,quality assurance, imaging in radiotherapy, providing medical physics adviceto clinical oncologists, radiographers and others, teaching and other supportto the provision of radiotherapy as required.The post holder is also expected to participate in the trainingprogramme of the department.

Thispost is based within the Gamma Knife Physics group of Radiotherapy Physics,but the post-holder is expected to be flexible, within their interests andthe requirements of the service.Physicists can provide support to external beam, Gamma-Knife and/orbrachytherapy treatment planning, as required. In that role the post holder is responsiblefor checking the accuracy of patient treatment plans and also liaises betweenclinical oncologists, radiographers and planning staff to ensure that thepatient receives the best available treatment.

About us

LeedsTeaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest and busiest acute hospitaltrusts in the UK. We are committed to delivering the highest quality andsafest treatment and care to every patient, every time. Our staff helped todefine the values and behaviours that we should work to so that we canachieve this vision. This has become known as The Leeds Way, and forms thefoundation of our culture, our ethos and how we work every day.

Theradiotherapy service in St Jamess treats over 7500 new radiotherapy patientsper annum. The centre is equipped with the latest technology, including 12Versa HDs, RayStation treatment planning, a Flexitron HDR remote afterloadingplatform for advanced image guided brachytherapy, I-125 prostatebrachytherapy service and Gamma Knife ICON. The managed equipment service wasrecently renewed, ensuring equipment replacement and comprehensive supportfor the next 15 years.

LeedsTeaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk'members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job advertsare subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or removeadverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in theshortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while thisprocess is completed, and contact the named contact if you have anyquestions.

Job responsibilities

PRINCIPALDUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY (Some of these areas)

TreatmentPlanning

To be part of the team providingexternal beam treatment planning service to radiotherapy

To undertake treatment planning

To check on the work ofdosimetrists and physicists as appropriate

To Provide Medical Physics adviceto other professionals involved in radiotherapy, on treatment methods and onindividual patient treatments.

To work as part of teams forspecialist techniques, e.g. TBI, IMRT, VMAT, IGRT, SABR involving techniquedevelopment, planning calculations, in vivo dosimetry, etc.

To assist in systemmanagement/administration, eg for oneof the Treatment Planning Systems

Specific training will be given inlocal systems and approaches.

Equipmentand Treatment Dosimetry and QA

To carry out routine dailycalibrations of radiotherapy treatment machines.

To take part in the qualityassurance and commissioning rotas for linear accelerator radiotherapytreatment machines. To assist in dataacquisition of new machines and in setting up and validation of treatmentplanning systems (TPSs) for new machines

To assist in the development ofdosimetry and QA procedures appropriate to new techniques

ClinicalService Development

To assist in developing andimplementing new and improvedtechniques, e.g. functional imaging, 4DCT, IMRT, VMAT, IGRT and SABR.

To liaise with the relevant sectionhead/s with regard to development programmes, and to participate in physicsand multi-disciplinary development teams for the development and evaluationof new equipment, accessories, imaging, techniques and highly complexspecialist radiotherapy software.

Brachytherapy

To perform dosimetry calculationsand any other necessary duties relevant to individual brachytherapytreatments.

To take part in the calibration ofradioactive sources, including the checking of calibrations performed byother staff.

To take part in brachytherapyoperating theatre procedures, including imaging, planning and checkingradiotherapy treatments for anaesthetised patients and preparing sterileradioactive seeds for implanting into patients.

To ensure that the jobholder or anyperson working under their supervision works within the appropriate ionisingradiation regulations and in particular obeys the local rules.

General

To be aware of the safety andreliability aspects of medical devices or other equipment with which they maybe involved and take appropriate action to deal with any discrepanciesincluding maintaining records and reporting the situation to relevant membersof staff, in particular for the TPSwhich the post-holder acts as system manager

To ensure that safe workingpractices are employed at all times by themselves and any personnel who maycome under their supervision.

To produce and update written workinstructions and procedures that are relevant to the jobholders own area ofexpertise.

To contribute to the generaldepartmental organisation when required.

To liaise with senior clinicians,senior clinical scientists and other users of the technology in order toensure that their work is consistent with clinical and technicalrequirements.

To liaise with equipmentmanufacturers and different NHS Trust employees as part of their normalduties.

To report unresolved issues to therelevant Section Head.

To undertake other dutiesappropriate to the grade as requested by the Head of Radiotherapy Physics, orby a Section Head.

Teachingand training

To provide teaching and training ofstudents, radiographers, physicists, clinical oncologists, other clinicians,management and members of the public on relevant aspects of radiotherapy as required,including:

participating in the provision ofUniversity degree programmes as appropriate (e.g. Medical Physics MSc),

participating in teaching andtraining of clinical oncologists as part of the FRCR course

assisting in training andsupervision of trainee physicists

Researchand Development

NHSservice research and development is necessary for continuous improvement ofradiotherapy and for the implementation and development of the potential ofnew equipment and facilities and the development of new treatment techniquesand methods. This is a significantrole for Radiotherapy Physicists, in particular:

Perform highly complex, clinicallyrelevant, radiotherapy research and development.

Publish research in internationallyrecognised peer reviewed research journals and to communicate researchthrough national and international conferences.

To liaise with clinicians, otherphysicists, etc. to support and participate in the Directorate andDepartments research and development programme, with the aim of continuousimprovement of the clinical service.

To supervise junior physicists andresearch students from time to time.

Professional

To participate in the IPEMContinuing Professional Development scheme

To prioritise and manage own work

To keep abreast of the latesttechnical and scientific developments and their applications in medical andassociated fields

To attend suitable seminars andcourses as part of training and personal development and to further the workof the Department.

COMMUNICATION& WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Thepostholder works alongside other users of clinical technology andradiotherapy dosimetry data, including clinical service managers,clinicians, clinical scientists,radiotherapy physicists, clinical technologists and radiographers. There is frequent liaison with cliniciansand other clinical scientists and radiotherapy physicists to ensure thatservices are consistent with clinical, scientific, technical, legislative andquality requirements. It is necessaryto communicate complex information on a daily basis, for example regardingpatient treatment plans. Work in the clinical development and treatmentgroups can involve close contact with patients, radiographers, anaesthetists,theatre staff and radiation oncologists.

Liaiseswith clinicians, other physicists, etc. to support and participate in theDepartments research and development programme, with the aim of continuousimprovement of the clinical service

Givespresentations at research meetings (local, national, international) andprovides lectures

Thepost also involves collaboration with external NHS organisations, LeedsUniversity, other radiotherapy and radiotherapy physics departments andorganisations, professional and scientific bodies, external companies (e.g.TPS), patients and relatives.

Shortlisting 14-15/7/2025

Interviews 23/7/2025

Person Specification

Skills & Behaviours

• To act at all times in a professional manner, showing courtesy and respect for other staff and patients.
• Maintain patient dignity and confidentiality.
• Ability to work flexibly.
• Ability to cope with large and variable workload.
• Ability to make decisions quickly and accurately in a stressful situation, e.g. about a patient in pain or anaesthetised.

Experience

• Qualifications, knowledge and experience to act as an Operator under IR(ME)R within the field of radiotherapy.
• Specialist knowledge and practical experience of main areas of radiotherapy physics.
• Understanding patient progress through radiotherapy and the requirements of a radiotherapy physics service to ensure that it is performed in a safe and accurate manner.
• Detailed understanding of patient and staff risks arising from the use of ionising radiation for radiotherapy.
• Understanding of relevant legislation, national standards, codes of practice, professional and other guidelines
• Qualifications, knowledge and experience to act as Referrer and Practitioner for concomitant doses

Qualifications

• Good (1st or 2nd class) honours degree in a relevant subject
• MSc or equivalent in radiotherapy physics [or equivalent field]
• State registration as a Clinical Scientist, or working to achieve registration within 12 months of recruitment.
• Appropriate post-graduate training within a structured programme including radiotherapy physics and/or imaging for radiotherapy (MR advantage) (e.g. STP/MSC)
• PhD
• Corporate Membership of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)

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.

£47,810 to £54,710 a yearSubject to the pay award