Lead IGRT Clinical Scientist

Job Description

Healthcare Scientist – Principal Healthcare Scientist (Lead Clinical Scientist IGRT)Band 8A Full Time 37.5 HoursPERMANENT CONTRACT(Applicants with less experience will be considered for appointment at a lower grade)Plymouth, Britain’s only Ocean City, occupies a stunning location, positioned between open moorland and the sea. It’s a perfect city for ambitious people looking to build a career, and enjoy a rich and rewarding life. This is an exciting opportunity to work in the largest hospital trust in the South West Peninsula, with more than 6,500 staff working in its services. We are a teaching hospital in partnership with rapidly expanding Plymouth University (Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Health Professions).The Trust is one of the largest acute healthcare providers in the country. It provides tertiary cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery and renal transplant surgery for the whole of the South West Peninsula of 1.7 million. We offer a full range of general hospital services to around 450,000 people in Plymouth, North and East Cornwall and South and West Devon. These include emergency and major trauma services, maternity services, paediatrics and a full range of diagnostic, medical and surgical sub-specialties.We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.We are seeking a dynamic and enthusiastic HCPC registered Clinical Scientist to take on a leadership role in IGRT within the Radiotherapy Physics team at Plymouth.We provide radiotherapy to the population of Plymouth and surrounds, with a high proportion (>75%) of our radical radiotherapy being VMAT, and a specialist service to the people of the SW Peninsula, including stereotactic radiosurgery, image guided brachytherapy and TBI. We are proud to have been selected as one of the only two Trusts in the South West to offer full oligo-metastatic treatments, including hepato-cellular carcinoma and spinal SABR.The Radiotherapy Department is equipped with three Varian linacs (Truebeam, Novalis TX & Clinac iX), all with OBI, RapidArc and respiratory gating facilities. The Novalis linac has ExacTrac Image-Guided radiotherapy for stereotactic treatment (intracranial SRS and SRT). We are planning a further bunker to support departmental expansion, with the expectation of new treatment facilities in 2022 including a dedicated brachytherapy theatre and planning suite. Pre-treatment imaging activity is carried out on the department’s new wide bore CT scanner and there is also access to MR and PET-CT in the hospital.Treatment Planning is carried out on the Eclipse Treatment Planning system, with a high proportion of patient treatment sites having RapidArc techniques as standard. Radiotherapy Physics is part of the Directorate of Healthcare Science & Technology which supports the Oncology, Urology and Neuroscience directorates in the provision of Clinical services at Derriford Hospital.At present around 50-60 intracavity gynaecological cancer patients per year are treated with image guided brachytherapy using a Varian GammaMed Plus iX HDR afterloader (CT and MRI registration). The department also provides a specialist Total Body Irradiation (TBI) service to support the South West Regional Transplant Centre based at UHPNT.The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge in all areas of Radiotherapy Physics with a particular interest in imaging and to be able to act as a Medical Physics Expert. Expertise in imaging applications of radiotherapy is required as the post-holder will hold specific responsibility for scientific support for:

Pre-treatment imaging

Patient immobilisation

Image guidance for radiotherapy treatment

Respiratory gating

The applicant must also be able to work and communicate effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary team in order to co-ordinate the current development of radiotherapy physics IGRT service provision to Plymouth Oncology Centre.Previous demonstrable experience in brachytherapy or SRS would be desirable but training will be provided as required. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to develop their radiotherapy physics skills, as well as attend scientific conferences and partake in development projects and continuing professional development. They will also actively participate in teaching and training within the section.If you wish to discuss this opportunity informally please contact Robin Laney (Head of Radiotherapy Physics, ) or Chris French (Lead Brachytherapy Clinical Scientist, )

Advert close: 10th January 2021

Interview date: 21st January 2021

***Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and At Risk status including NHS At Risk staff throughout Devon who are able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.***