Advanced Practise Therapeutic Radiographer – Pre-Treatment

Job overview

This post offers an exciting opportunity to join the pre-treatment team across radiotherapy and proton beam therapy services at UCLH. They will promote technical developments and ensure the highest possible standard of care for patients with cancer.

The radiotherapy department delivers treatment for a broad spectrum of cancers which include a wide range of common cancers as well as specialist treatments including a paediatric and adolescent workload, brachytherapy and isotope work, total body irradiation and limb sarcoma radiotherapy. The pre-treatment suite area is equipped with a dedicated CT, Mould room and has access to MRI and PETCT. Radiographers deliver advanced practice for palliative virtual simulation and breast localisation.

UCLH has been designated as one of two national Proton Beam Therapy (PBT) centres for the UK.

The PBT department focusses on the treatment of CNS tumours, head and neck cancers and spinal/pelvic sarcomas. Paediatrics, and teenage and young adults, make up approximately one third of the patient cohort. The PBT pre-treatment suite has a dedicated CT and MRI scanner.

Main duties of the job

We are looking for an enthusiastic, motivated and dynamic individual to join our team. The individual will promote best practice and streamlining the patient pathway. They will carry out all practical aspects involved in preparing radiotherapy delivery to a high standard in a culture of safe, patient centric service. You will have the opportunity to expand your knowledge of the pre-treatment process for both photon and proton planning and to gain skills such as administering intravenous injections, MRI scanning and advance practice in radiographer led services such as breast simulation. The postholder will:

• Be accountable for own professional actions. Be recognised and accessible as an expert team leader in radiotherapy pre-treatment, promoting best practice, giving expert advice, delegating and disseminating knowledge to the profession and to the wider health care arena.
• Be responsible for the acquisition of high quality pre-treatment images, whilst minimising patient dose. The postholder will assess and manipulate the images, requiring knowledge and ability to interpret between numerous imaging modalities (e.g. PET, CT, MRI). They must initiate changes based on their judgments and report these to the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure accurate tumour delineation and targeting.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

• Deliver complex radiotherapy procedures to a wide range of benign and malignant conditions to a high level of accuracy. Use individual judgement on a daily basis to verify and maintain reproducible and precise treatment. Work within departmental protocols, deviating where necessary to reach sound conclusions and provide optimum care. To justify medical exposures where necessary
• Work autonomously within the legal, ethical and professional framework provided by the professional body. Generate new solutions to identify and best meet the needs of the patient.
• Lead and take responsibility for efficient, accurate, patient-focussed pre-treatment procedures, using state of the art equipment including CT, PET CT, MRI and different pre-treatment software applications. This requires expert clinical judgment to authorise deviation from protocols where necessary.
• Evaluate the patient condition drawing on expert knowledge and experience to intervene where necessary.
• Commencement, continuation and cessation of pre-treatment procedures and treatment will be assessed by the potholder. They will then discuss this with the wider multidisciplinary team and devise an appropriate course of action.
• Need to obtain further written informed consent prior to radiotherapy pre-treatment procedures.
• Develop relationships for up to 8 weeks with patients, relatives and carers, offering advice and guidance to explain the management of radiotherapy side effects. Assess side effects daily, make appropriate referrals and arrange adequate follow-up care.
• Use effective communication skills to provide and receive highly confidential, sensitive and complicated patient information. The radiographer must seek and maintain patient cooperation and trust using these expert skills to support and empower them through the care pathway. They must draw on extensive knowledge and experience to converse effectively with patients and families from diverse age, ethnicity, social, and mental health backgrounds.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff*

* UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England – for the third year in a row.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff – To find out more, visit: Flexible working.

To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?

Applicant requirements

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.