Specialist Clinical Scientist - MPE Nuclear Medicine Physics

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW); Bristol; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent NHS trust in the UK is seeking a dedicated Specialist Clinical Scientist in Nuclear Medicine to join their forward-thinking team. The role offers a comprehensive scientific service across NHS diagnostics and private imaging, with opportunities for education, training, and research in a supportive environment. Ideal candidates will hold relevant qualifications and demonstrate expertise in nuclear medicine and radiation protection. Located in Bristol, the position offers a chance to contribute significantly to healthcare services.

Qualifications

• Ability to communicate complex information effectively.
• Experience in estimating radiation doses for patients.
• Demonstrated integrity in clinical environments.
• Influence on scientific system development.
• Capacity to handle complex calculations.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality scientific support in nuclear medicine.
• Educate and train medical physics staff.
• Manage research and innovation projects.
• Support equipment management and procurement.
• Contribute to the SIRT service.

Skills

Communication skills

Judgment for complex calculations

Integrity and respect for confidentiality

Influencing colleagues

Ability to concentrate under pressure

Education

BSc Honours Physics or equivalent

Certificate of completion of STP training scheme

HCPC Registration as Clinical Scientist

Medical Physics Expert certification

PhD or research experience

Job description

Go back University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)

Specialist Clinical Scientist - MPE Nuclear Medicine Physics

The closing date is 29 September 2025

Medical Physics Expert - Nuclear MedicineBand 8a (or Band 7 linked-progression post)

We're looking for a dedicated Medical Physics Expert in nuclear medicine to join our friendly and forward-thinking team at UHBW. This is a Band 8a Specialist Clinical Scientist role, with the option of a Band 7 linked-progression post for candidates working towards MPE certification.

Based at Bristol Royal Infirmary, our Nuclear Medicine Physics team of six supports a wide range of services, including three NHS diagnostic departments, two private PET/CT centres (Bristol and Taunton), and a SIRT service. The role involves travel to partner sites and is part of the wider Diagnostic Medical Physics Group, which also covers radiology, MRI, ultrasound, and non-ionising radiation.

We offer a comprehensive scientific service, including MPE, RPA, and RWA functions, and provide support to a central radiopharmacy and molecular radiotherapy. Our team is actively involved in training across STP, HSST, and FRCR programmes, and we support a wide range of healthcare professionals.

We encourage further study and research, including HSST, PhD and post-doctoral opportunities, and support innovation and clinical trials. Team members are encouraged to publish, present, and apply for research funding.

A personalised development plan will be created with the successful candidate, with opportunities to grow and specialise based on your interests and experience.

Main duties of the job

o Medical Physics Expert (MPE) in diagnostic nuclear medicine and PET, providing high quality scientific support in nuclear medicine and radiation protection to NHS hospitals and private imaging centres across Bristol and Somerset.o Medical Physics Expert (MPE) in therapeutic nuclear medicine, to support a Selective Internal Radiotherapy (SIRT) service.o Provide education and training for medical physics and other staff, continually learn and adopt best practice, and encourage culture of continuous improvement and innovation.o Involvement in equipment management and procurement, including advising clinical departments on purchase of equipment and computer software.o Planning and carrying out research and innovation projects, developing individual expertise, publishing and presenting, and applying for grant funding where appropriate.

About us

Our Nuclear Medicine Physics group embraces a collective leadership approach, ensuring everyone's ideas and strengths shape our service. We meet regularly to set priorities and discuss strategy, supporting each other to grow professionally and manage workloads effectively.

This is an exciting time to join us. Our service has expanded to cover Somerset and helped establish the South West's first Selective Internal Radiotherapy (SIRT) service. We now offer a full physics service with certified MPEs, RPAs, and RWAs, and are continually evolving.

As part of the wider Medical Physics and Bioengineering Department, we're actively involved in teaching, training, and research. We host STP trainees and rotational placements, and our team regularly presents at national and international conferences and publishes in peer-reviewed journals.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest acute Trusts in the UK, with over 13,000 staff across 10 sites, serving more than 500,000 people in the South West. Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we're proud of our award-winning, digitally advanced services and our commitment to research and innovation.

Whether you prefer vibrant city life or coastal calm, our locations in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare offer the best of both worlds, with easy access to the South West's natural beauty.

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion, and to safeguarding the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

Job responsibilities

For a more detailed job description and main responsibilities, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person Specification

• Able to communicate highly complex information e.g. radiation protection and risk information, to other professional groups, and to communicate effectively with patients, clinical colleagues, support staff and other colleagues
• Able to make judgements involving highly complex calculations, e.g. estimating radiation doses to staff and patient's from patients administered with radioactive materials
• Demonstrate honesty, integrity and respect for confidentiality. Sympathise with patient care in clinical settings
• Influencing a wide range of colleagues in developing and introducing scientific systems
• Able to concentrate when subject to unpredictable patterns such as dealing with complex radiation dosimetry calculations

Qualifications and Training

• BSc Honours Physics or equivalent, relevant MSc or higher degree or equivalent with specialist knowledge
• Certificate of completion of STP training scheme, or equivalent
• HCPC Registration as Clinical Scientist
• Medical Physics Expert certification with RPA2000
• PhD or research experience
• Management & leadership experience and training
• Professional recognition and involvement

Knowledge and Experience

• Advanced theoretical and practical knowledge and considerable experience across the full range of working procedures and practices in nuclear medicine physics and radiation protection
• Able to prioritise and manage own work
• Provide scientific leadership and advice to different staff groups in carrying out projects
• Developing and enhancing knowledge. Undertaking CPD sufficient for HCPC registration, and for maintenance of MPE certification
• Experience to deliver teaching and training on complex subjects
• In depth understanding of relevant legislations, national standards and other professional guidelines, as relevant to role
• Planning and carrying out and managing research, presenting at conferences and publishing in peer-reviewed journals
• Systems thinking for pushing forward NHS matters
• Involvement with Quality Systems and UKAS Accreditation schemes

Skills and Abilities

• Able to plan and organise work to provide a highly specialist clinical scientist and technical service
• Highly developed physical accuracy and dexterity for making precision measurements and adjustments on both test equipment and complex specialist nuclear medicine equipment
• Able to lift moderate loads within the hospital and for transportation between hospitals for regular nuclear medicine quality assurance tests (test equipment including Perspex to mimic patient tissue, weighing up to 8 kg)
• Ability to design and develop specialist image and data processing software to meet specific needs
• Proficient in computer systems etc to set up documents, spreadsheets and databases and extract and collate information for complex calculations such as for radiation dosimetry, and other specialist data

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.

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)