Senior Therapeutic Radiographer

The Christie International; Manchester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Induction programme

Training & development

Proton School attendance

Job summary

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester is seeking an enthusiastic Band 6 Therapeutic Radiographer to join our Proton Beam Therapy team. The role involves leading a proton gantry, supporting staff, and delivering high-quality radiotherapy within a multidisciplinary environment.

We offer a comprehensive induction, ongoing education through Proton School and opportunities to participate in audits, research and professional development.

Qualifications

• Broad knowledge of radiotherapy equipment and techniques.
• Shifts include 06:00–23:00 and both full- and part-time applications are welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coordinate and supervise staff operating radiotherapy equipment.
• Safely operate radiotherapy and imaging equipment and perform required checks.
• Evaluate treatment delivery and position patients accurately.
• Maintain records and ensure compliance with policies.
• Provide patient care with empathy throughout radiotherapy pathway.
• Participate in audit, research and implement new techniques.

Skills

Radiotherapy knowledge

Staff supervision

Patient communication

Clinical assessment

Team collaboration

Education

HCPC registration

BSc in Radiography or equivalent

Tools

ProBeam system

Varian radiotherapy equipment

Job description

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated Therapeutic Radiographer to join our friendly Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) team.
We offer an excellent new starter induction programme and a wide range of training and development opportunities. These include support from our specialist education team and opportunities to attend and present at our Proton School.
As a Band 6 Radiographer, you will be a key member of the treatment team, taking responsibility for the day-to-day running of a proton gantry, managing a diverse patient workload and supervising staff, with support from the Proton Superintendent Radiographers. The role offers excellent multidisciplinary working with anaesthetics, nursing and physics teams.
We are looking for an experienced treatment radiographer with broad knowledge of radiotherapy equipment and techniques, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and a commitment to developing themselves, the team and the Proton Service.
Our Varian centre uses state-of-the-art ProBeam spot-scanning technology and provides a welcoming and supportive working environment.
HCPC registration is essential.
Full and part-time applications are welcome, with temporary posts available. Shifts operate between 06:00 and 23:00 to meet service needs.
Informal enquiries and departmental tours are warmly welcomed.

Main duties of the job

• Lead, coordinate and supervise staff operating radiotherapy equipment, acting as lead practitioner and making appropriate decisions regarding workload, patient care and treatment delivery.
• Safely and accurately operate complex radiotherapy and imaging equipment, completing required checks and reporting faults or variances.
• Evaluate treatment delivery through appropriate verification procedures and accurately position patients throughout the radiotherapy pathway.
• Ensure safe and timely delivery of the workload, maintaining accurate records and complying with departmental policies and procedures.
• Assess relevant clinical information and provide safe, effective and individualised patient care.
• Communicate sensitive information compassionately, providing patients and carers with information and emotional support throughout their radiotherapy pathway.
• Work in accordance with the departmental Quality Management System, reporting variances and contributing to the review and development of procedures.
• Participate in audit, research and the implementation of new techniques and processes.
• Work in accordance with relevant radiation legislation, local rules and departmental procedures.
• Complete required competencies within agreed timescales.
• Participate in shift, weekend, bank holiday and on‑call working as required.

Working for our organisation

The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, looking after more than 64,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 25% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.

We are the largest radiotherapy provider in the NHS with one in 20 treatments delivered at The Christie. We have up to 15 linear accelerators operating across our network of sites. We operate the largest chemotherapy unit in the UK on our main site and treatments are also provided at 13 other networked sites, and in patients homes. And as a specialist tertiary surgical centre, we focus on rare cancers, complex procedures, and multidisciplinary approaches to cancer surgery, specialising in colorectal, peritoneal, gynaecological, urological and plastic surgery.

We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We have been named by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), as one of the best hospitals providing opportunities for patients to participate in clinical research studies, with more than 800 studies open at any time, caring for over 3,000 patients.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To ensure that the highly complex radiotherapy and imaging equipment is safe and accurate to operate, both for staff and patients, undertaking the appropriate machine checks and reporting any variances, faults, and malfunctions.
• Undertake and evaluate radiation dose delivery and complex calculations involving a range of radiation types and energies.
• Interpret, monitor, and evaluate the treatment prescriptions to ensure that radiotherapy is delivered accurately and reproducibly and in accordance with the quality system.
• Evaluate delivery of radiotherapy through application and interpretation of treatment verification procedures.
• Ensure the team follows appropriate systems and working methods to achieve the safe, timely achievement of workload targets.
• Accurately position patient and operate highly complex radiotherapy and imaging equipment along the radiotherapy pathway.
• Ensure the team keeps accurate records and comply with necessary policies and procedures.
• Analyse systematically and evaluate all data and information relevant to patients’ diagnosis, ensuring the patient and their relatives are treated with dignity and respect at all times.
• Communicate confidential sensitive information, and provide emotional support, to patients and their carers/relatives including children and the terminally ill. Provide information to patients and their carers with regard to the radiotherapy pathway and expected side effects.
• Communicate accurate and timely information with all other disciplines involved along the patient’s pathway.
• With the team on the unit, patients and the wider multidisciplinary team manage areas of conflict and elevate as necessary.
• Anticipate and identify common and complex treatment related side effects, offering advice and where necessary refer to other relevant health care professionals.
• Provide, receive, and use sensitive information, maintaining patient confidentiality at all times, in line with information governance legislation.
• Apply safe and effective moving and handling skills in order to protect patients and staff and abide by Health and safety legislation in the workplace.
• Minimise risk of cross infection through contamination by bodily fluids/matter. In accordance with the infection control policy.
• Implement the procedures and work instructions described for the department in accredited quality management system and report any variances.
• Contribute to development of the quality management system by reviewing and writing work instructions and operating procedures.
• Ensure all work and actions comply with local rules and current UK Ionising Radiation Regulations 1999 and IR(ME)R 2017.
• Be aware of and participate in the audit and research within the department and the implementation of new processes and techniques.
• Undertake training and competency to dispense medication under Patient Group Direction (PGD).
• Participate in the extended shift system, bank holidays, weekend working and on-call.
• Any other duties negotiated with the post holder, to develop their role in the organisation.
• Achieve all the competencies as outlined by the radiotherapy education team, within a time period as outlined by line manager.

Supervisory & managerial

• Lead, co-ordinate, supervise and manage a team of staff operating radiotherapy equipment and act as lead practitioner, making assessments and key decisions in regard to workload management, patient care, and treatment.

Teaching and training

• Provide mentorship and guidance for junior staff and be a good role model.
• Participate in an annual Personal Development Review.
• Attend all essential training and clinical updates as required and ensure your team also attend all relevant training.
• Assimilate new ideas and techniques and have an ability to assess their value.
• Assist in the supervision and training/teaching of pre-registration students and new members of staff.
• Highlight to line manager all issues of inadequate performance, including capability and poor professional standards, for students and employees. Provide evidence where necessary and requested.

Person specification

Qualifications

• DCR(T), BSc (Hons) or PGDip in Therapeutic Radiography).
• HCPC registration.
• Attendance at post-registration training events, M-level modules or management/leadership training.

Experience

• Clinical Experience within a treatment setting demonstrated by evidence of a contemporary range of treatment equipment and techniques including ablative techniques (SRS/SABR).
• Supporting colleagues in managing patients including protocol variations, response to imaging/changes in treatments.
• Experience in on-treatment imaging and relevant on-set clinical decision making.
• Experience of quality, governance and service improvement. Contributing to a ISO9001-accredited system or similar.
• Reporting of incidents, errors, complaints and compliments.
• Participating in technical developments.
• Experience of working within a team environment.
• Awareness of contemporary trends in advanced radiotherapy.
• Awareness of clinical practice at other Radiotherapy centres.
• Awareness of trial protocols and procedures.

Skills

• Ability to manage difficult conversations.
• Ability in conflict resolution with all grades of staff, patients, carers and general public.
• Ability to foster a team-environment, motivating colleagues.
• Ability to impart messages including in group setting, utilising presentation aids as appropriate
• Ability to manage colleagues.
• Ability to manage workload.
• Ability to manage pathways.
• Ability to analyse data and formulate plans based on these.
• Ability to make sound judgements to support clinical decisions.
• Ability to utilise core clinical IT (e.g. R&V systems, PACS/RIS systems, PAS systems).
• Ability to utilise clinical support IT (e.g. quality management systems, incident reporting systems, audit software).
• Ability to utilise core non-clinical IT (e.g. MS Office etc).

Knowledge

• Knowledge of the principles of radiotherapy applied to all aspects of the radiotherapy pathway.
• Evidence of radiotherapy physics, anatomy and radiobiological knowledge.
• Understanding of referral pathways and the patient’s journey up to, through and beyond radiotherapy.
• Good knowledge of other relevant legislation, guidance and national working parties in radiotherapy.
• Advanced knowledge of IR(ME)R 2017 and IRR 2017 and responsibilities relating to own professional practice.
• Knowledge of Data Protection legislation, health and safety legislation, etc.
• Awareness of the professional context including the role and function of the College of Radiographers, the National Radiotherapy Board and the National Radiotherapy Implementation Group A/I SKILLS.

Values

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications.Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship.You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

Pre-Employment Checks - To confirm your suitability for the role, we will carry out pre-employment checks in line with NHS Employment Check Standards . These include:

• Identity verification
• Right to work check
• Disclosure and barring service (DBS)/Criminal record check (dependent on role, payment of this will be the applicants responsibility)
• Professional registration and/or qualification check
• Occupational health assessment
• Employment history and reference validation

All applicants external to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust will be required to provide their HMRC employment history to cover the most recent three years employment. This information will used to validate employment history andreferences.

If you require sponsorship, we will assess your eligibility based on current government guidance. If the role is not eligible and you cannot demonstrate your right to work, your conditional offer may be withdrawn.

If You’re Offered the Role - you will be agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

Sponsorship Information - We are an approved sponsoring organisation. Applications will be considered from applicants requiring sponsorship alongside all other applications.Please be aware, not all roles are eligible for sponsorship.You can review the list of eligible role and requirements on the government website.

No Smoking Policy - You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.

Additional Information - We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect.The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

The Christie NHS Foundation Trust is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all our activities. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery in any of its forms, including slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking. We are fully committed to acting ethically and with transparency in all our business dealings and relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure modern slavery is not taking place anywhere in our organisation or supply chains.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.