Principal Physicist

Job overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Radiotherapy Physicist for a fixed-term, senior role in our friendly department here in North London. This is for a period of 12 months to cover maternity leave.

 You will be section lead, responsible for the safe delivery and development of machine Quality Control and Dosimetry.

The role is autonomous, so you will be expected to carry out your duties without supervision, while being professionally responsible to the Head of
Radiotherapy Physics. You will act as a Medical Physics Expert under IR(ME)R, providing expert advice to the Radiotherapy department and to
members of the Radiotherapy Physics team. 

Main duties of the job

Take responsibility for and supervise Physics activities in Quality Control and Dosimetry in Radiotherapy, according to established
protocols and ensuring safe delivery of the service. Take responsibility for the development of the annual quality assurance programme including liaison with maintenance contract
suppliers, radiotherapy physics engineers and radiotherapy. Undertake dosimetry measurements to a high degree of accuracy with suitable equipment. Organise, manage, perform and analyse
quality control and other measurements and procedures on highly-complex patient-critical equipment. Take responsibility for the revision of protocols and dosimetry techniques. Develop and revise working practices in accordance with
national guidelines and codes of practice. Ensure the accurate calibration of all dosimetry equipment and Radiotherapy treatment machines is maintained. Act as local coordinator for inter-departmental audits and undertake audit visits to other Radiotherapy centres. Act as an Operator and Medical Physics Expert under the definitions of the IR(ME)R regulations in accordance with Trust policies and
practices. Investigate incidents and errors related to their section and ensure that the reports and action plans are made as appropriate. Report
any patient related incident to the Head of Radiotherapy Physics, RPA and Lead Clinician

Working for our organisation

NMUH North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Hospital Trust (NMUH) is one of London’s busiest healthcare providers, providing hospital care and community services for the 350,000 people living in Enfield, Haringey and beyond. Our specialist services include HIV, cardiology, blood disorders, diabetes, fertility, sickle cell and thalassemia. In addition to a full range of cancer diagnosis and treatment services, the Helen Rollason Cancer Support Centre is based on-site and provides services to support cancer patients’ wellbeing. We also provide community services and have a dedicated 0-19 service for children and young people in Enfield so that they can get the best possible start in life. This includes health visitors and school nurses who are delivering the national Healthy Child Programme, which provides a structured framework for the delivery of key interventions to support the health and wellbeing of children and families from 0 to 5 and school aged children from 5-19. The 0-19 service aims to improve pathways and partnerships with services in the hospital and deliver excellent care for the children and families. For more information, please access the following link:

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. 1. Clinical Scientific

Quality Assurance

1.1.Take responsibility for and supervise Physics activities in Quality Control and Dosimetry in Radiotherapy, according to established protocols and ensuring safe delivery of the service.

1.2.Take responsibility for the development of the annual quality assurance programme including liaison with maintenance contract suppliers, radiotherapy physics engineers and radiotherapy

1.3.Undertake dosimetry measurements to a high degree of accuracy with suitable equipment. Organise, manage, perform and analyse quality control and other measurements and procedures on highly-complex patient-critical equipment.

1.4.Take responsibility for the revision of protocols and dosimetry

1.5.Ensure the accurate calibration of all dosimetry equipment and Radiotherapy treatment machines is maintained.

1.6.Act as local coordinator for inter-departmental audits and undertake audit visits to other Radiotherapy centres.

General

1.7.Provide leadership in and day to day management of the machine Quality Control and Dosimetry section.

1.8.Provide scientific and managerial cover for Principal colleagues in the other sections.

1.9.To participate in the routine provision of the Radiotherapy Physics service as required.

1.10.Perform and advise on dosimetry measurements on patients. Provide advice to clinical staff and support developments in in-vivo dosimetry and megavoltage imaging.

1.11.Provide support to physics computing in Radiotherapy. Write software to the requirements of the Department and adapt existing software packages as required. Monitor and resolve problems on computing systems in Radiotherapy and Radiotherapy Physics.

1.12.Oversee acceptance testing and commissioning of new equipment as appropriate.

1.13.Provide complex scientific and technical advice to Radiotherapy consultants and other clinical staff regarding patients’ treatment.

1.14.Act as liaison contact for identified radiotherapy equipment. Oversee work carried out on this equipment and give physics advice and direction as required. Investigate and resolve complex problems on complex, patient-critical radiotherapy and associated equipment.

1.15.Act as an Operator and Medical Physics Expert under the definitions of the IR(ME)R regulations in accordance with Trust policies and practices.

1.16.Investigate incidents and errors related to their section and ensure that the reports and action plans are made as appropriate. Report any patient related incident to the Head of Radiotherapy Physics, RPA and Lead Clinician.

2. Managerial

2.1.Prioritise and manage own work to meet agreed outcomes.

2.2.Oversee audit and statistics within area of responsibility of the postholder and manage the record keeping activities of their section.

2.3.Assist the Head of Radiotherapy Physics in management of the section and advise on policy decisions and procurement.

2.4.Organise, manage and supervise the professional work of other staff working in the postholder’s area of responsibility and review their competencies.

2.5.Perform appraisals of staff as appropriate by grade and area of work.

2.6.Participate in the recruitment of Radiotherapy Physics staff.

2.7.Review the procedures and processes within their section on an ongoing basis to keep them effective and up to date.

2.8.Take responsibility for Physics input in multi-disciplinary working parties, including chairing, in order to negotiate changes to procedures and protocols affecting Radiotherapy Physics and Radiotherapy.

2.9.Manage and supervise professional and project work of other staff in their area of responsibility.

3. Teaching, training and research

3.1.Provide practical training to physicists, medics and radiographers in their area of responsibility.

3.2.Organise and participate in the training and induction of other Physics staff, as required.

3.3.Supervise trainee clinical scientists, MSc student projects and other departmental visitors.

3.4.Present original work at meetings and conferences, and in publication. Present seminars and feedback on meetings.

3.5.Lead research and development projects and participate in other projects and clinical audit.

3.6.Participate in providing appropriate training in Radiation Safety to all Radiotherapy workers.

4. Professional

4.1.Participate in an approved Continuing Professional Development scheme and maintain HCPC registration.

4.2.Keep abreast of the latest technical and scientific developments and their applications in medical and associated fields. Attend suitable seminars and courses as part of training and personal development and to further the work of the Department.

4.3.Maintain a thorough knowledge of current relevant legislation.

4.4.Ensure all activities are carried out within a quality framework and conform to Statutory Regulations, approved Codes of Practice and Local Safety Rules.

5. Miscellaneous

5.1.Ensure compliance with accredited Quality Systems in the areas of work for which the post holder carries responsibility. Participate in the development and routine operation of quality systems.

5.2.Carry out all duties in accordance with the requirements of the Health & Safety at Work Act, relevant Statutory Regulations, Approved Codes of Conduct and Local Rules.

5.3.Work hours necessary for the proper and efficient performance of the work. In practice, the appointee will occasionally be required to perform duties outside the normal working hours of the Department.

5.4.When working in other departments, the postholder will liaise with local heads of department, medical consultants, superintendents, nursing sisters or their representatives as appropriate, adhering to local policies and practices. The post holder will behave courteously and professionally at all times and seek to ensure that the highest level of service is provided by Radiotherapy Physics.

5.5.Perform other appropriate duties which may be required from time to time by the Head of Service, Radiotherapy Physics.

5.6.The post holder will be expected to actively participate in annual appraisals and set objectives in conjunction with their manager. Performance will be measured against set objectives.

Person specification

Education and qualifications

Essential criteria

•(1st or 2nd class) Honours degree in a physical science or equivalent. •Relevant Masters or higher degree. •HCPC Registered Clinical Scientist. •Medical Physics Expert certificate (RPA2000). •Evidence of continuing professional development.

Desirable criteria

•Corporate membership of professional institute

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria

•Ability to lead and motivate a team. •Advanced negotiation skills. •Ability to deal with complex and unpredictable situations. •Ability to organise own workload. •Ability to communicate complex information to colleagues and other professionals.

Desirable criteria

•Ability to manage a large project team.

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

•Several years relevant post-graduate experience of Radiotherapy Physics. •In depth experience of Radiotherapy Dosimetry and Quality Assurance. •Broad experience in the clinical environment. •Experience and knowledge of quality management systems.

Desirable criteria

•Experience of image guided radiotherapy techniques. •Proven record of research and development.

Personal qualities and Values

Essential criteria

•Enthusiastic and motivated. •Clarity of thought and articulate in presenting ideas and opinions. Demonstrable ability to meet Trust values

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

You will only be contacted by the Recruitment Team via email if you are shortlisted for this post. Please ensure therefore that you check your e-mail account regularly.

Please note in order to progress your application, your data will be processed by our 3rd party recruitment providers – North London Partners Shared Service, (NLPSS) who conduct recruitment activities on behalf of NMUH.

If you are offered a role with one of the NLPSS partner trusts, as part of pre-employment checks your  identity and right to work documentation will be verified remotely (in most circumstances), using a certified identity verification service provider TrustID. You will be asked to capture an image of the relevant documents as well as a “selfie” using your smartphone/tablet (if available) for facial matching. TrustID will also perform a digital address check using Trunarrative and Equifax, which is a soft check and does not leave a footprint on your credit rating. For more information, visit

NMUH uses identification scanning technology to confirm the authenticity of documents; all prospective employees of NMUH will have their original documents verified using this technology.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to NMUH transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from , and as an employer, we will not be able to respond to any e-mails sent to us via the NHS Jobs website. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Record (ESR) system and other secure, internal NHS workforce systems.

By applying for this role, you accept in the event you are successful that your personal data may be transferred from the Trust to another NHS organisation where your employment transfers within the NHS. This is in accordance with the streamlining programme which is aimed at saving you time and improving efficiencies within the NHS when your employment transfers. Therefore we want you to complete your e-learning modules prior to joining our organisation.

If you are an  EU/EEA citizen who does not have EU Settlement or Pre-Settled status, you will require a visa to work in the UK.

If you require sponsorship  for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the 

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