Clinical Scientist B7

Job overview

Applications are invited for a band 7 Clinical Scientist posts in the Regional Radiation Protection Service (RRPS) within the Department of Medical Physics at the Royal Surrey County Hospital, Guildford.

You will join a team of 25 medical physicists, technicians and computer scientists supported by an admin team. The service provides comprehensive radiation protection, diagnostic radiology and x-ray engineering services to a wide variety of NHS Trusts, private healthcare providers, dentists, veterinary practices and others. We are active in research, development and training, organising courses both locally and at a national level. The Service is closely involved in the University of Surrey’s MSc programmes in Medical Physics, Medical Imaging and Radiation and Environmental Protection. Opportunities to participate in teaching, research and development are encouraged.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will support all aspects of the work including calculations, measurements and radiation surveys on all types of diagnostic X-ray systems and involved in other non-ionising areas such as MRI, ultrasound, lasers and UV.  Radiation protection support is also given to a number of Nuclear Medicine departments, PET/CT scanners and radiotherapy centres. You will need to be enthusiastic, good communicator and team player. The post holder will be actively encouraged to work towards MPE / RPA / RWA / LPA certification and potentially join the HSST training scheme in time. You should have a good honours degree in the physical sciences and have either completed or close to completing the STP training scheme or an equivalent. Travel is involved and a current driving licence is essential.

Applicants are encouraged to apply if not fully meeting the job description and are still in training and will be considered at a lower grade until meeting the full job description at which point they will be upgraded to the band 7 position.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the full job description & person specification

To be a clinical scientist and a member of the RRPS team, working with other team members in the provision of a comprehensive radiation protection and radiological physics service to the NHS and outside bodies as above.  In addition to aid Medical Physics Experts (MPE) under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (IR(ME)R2017) and to participate in all areas of work, but to take on responsibility for some key aspects of the service.  The postholder will work at a senior professional level, providing advice and services to employers facilitating compliance with ionising radiation legislation and aiming for certification as an RPA.  Issues are highly specialist, very varied and highly complex.  He/she operates with a high degree of autonomy, particularly in the areas for which he/she is responsible.

• 3.1.1     Aid MPE’s (diagnostic radiology) for diagnostic radiology clients across the NHS and private sector.  Liaise as necessary with clinicians, radiologists, radiographers and other healthcare professional on the protection of the patient and the necessary optimisation of dose and image quality. 3.1.2     Participate in all key areas of scientific work within the team. 3.1.3     Investigate, measure, analyse and report on complex radiation safety, dose and image quality performance issues using electronic devices and computers on a wide variety of diagnostic X-ray installations from simple radiographic systems to highly complicated and sophisticated state of the art digital systems. 3.1.4     To be involved in the provision of non-ionising radiation protection services.  To include radiation safety audits and performance measurements where appropriate together with the provision of advice for ultrasound, lasers, ultraviolet, magnetic and radiofrequency including microwaves. 3.1.5     Aid in the audit and inspection of  procedures for compliance with relevant legislation, standards and agreed good practice in the following areas:-:

(a)       For ionising radiations in all types of organisations and departments where radiation is used including hospital departments of radiology, nuclear medicine, radiotherapy, cardiology, pathology plus dental practices, veterinary practices and other commercial and industrial radiation facilities.

(b)       With others for non-ionising radiations including lasers, ultraviolet and radiofrequency in hospital departments including theatres, physiotherapy and dermatology.

• 3.1.6     Calculate dose and risk in the event of unnecessary, inadvertent or accidental irradiation or doses much higher than intended, including radiation exposures of the unborn child. 3.1.7     To be involved in the design, development, organisation and maintenance of the many databases critical to the daily work of the RRPS.