Radiotherapy Radiographer

Job overview

We are delighted to invite applications from enthusiastic, forward thinking newly qualified or soon to qualify Therapeutic Radiographers who are passionate about high quality radiotherapy and collaborative working. At the Royal Surrey Cancer Centre, you’ll be part of a supportive team culture with the opportunity to rotate through all clinical areas—Treatment, Pre Treatment, Brachytherapy and Review—helping you grow and reach your full potential.

Our centre is committed to excellent patient pathways and truly patient centred care. We continually evolve to embrace the latest radiotherapy innovations, offering treatment on two Varian ETHOS units and two Varian Halcyon with Hypersight and in bore SGRT to support greater accuracy and tattoo less radiotherapy. Patients also benefit from three TrueBeams.

We also operate three planning CT scanners and an outstanding Brachytherapy service providing HDR, LDR and Papillon kV treatment, along with an Xstrahl superficial unit.

Main duties of the job

The purpose of this role is to undertake radiotherapy interventions to the highest professional and technical standards, working with Medical, Radiography, Physics and Administrative colleagues. As a Radiotherapy Radiographer working as part of a radiotherapy team, you will be under the supervision of Team Leader Radiographers. You will undertake all elements of the treatment pathway including the preparing and delivering of radiotherapy treatment using highly specialist equipment. The post holder will be required to work in all areas of the department and have a flexible approach to rota changes. As a key element of the role, the post holder will provide information, education, practical and emotional support to patients and carers during their radiotherapy episode. The Royal Surrey Cancer Centre Radiotherapy Department is based at the Royal Surrey County Hospital in Guildford and has a satellite service based at East Surrey Hospital in Redhill. This post is based at the Guildford hospital but will include working at both sites.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will maintain the highest professional and technical standards of radiotherapy.

The post holder will need to maintain core clinical skills. This will include statutory skills, Trust mandatory skills for clinical staff and all radiotherapy specific skills required to perform the role of a Radiotherapy Radiographer. The clinical skills framework for the radiotherapy department will include the full range of skills which are expected of the post holder and will be updated periodically. A flexible approach to work is essential to meet the service needs of the department and hours of work may vary with occasional weekend and public holiday working on a planned and on-call basis. Post holders may be rotared to work at either the Royal Surrey County Hospital or East Surrey Hospital sites and may be asked to travel between the sites at short notice to cover sickness. To verbally give an explanation of the treatment procedure to the patient and carer answering any questions they may have. Furthermore, you will provide reassurance during the procedure and advise them as to their care and management during a course of radiotherapy. To make a professional assessment during the initial patient interview as to their requirements for further support in relation to their physical, emotional and spiritual needs and refer to other professionals as appropriate. This will be an on-going assessment during their course of treatment. To communicate efficiently and effectively with both internal and external professionals in the provision of information related to patient care. To have the ability to communicate to a high level, including the ability to manage sensitive information and to deal with anxious and demanding patients and their carers using exemplary diplomacy and persuasion. To negotiate, liaise with and advise with other sections of the department in respect of the patient pathway to ensure that the department is offering a coherent seamless service. To attend multi-disciplinary and operational radiotherapy treatment meetings to receive and impart both clinical and operational knowledge and report back to the treatment unit team when relevant. To communicate any operational issues, i.e. machine breakdown to the Operational Manager for appropriate managerial decisions. To clearly communicate with the technical services department and medical physics staff relevant technical data relating to the treatment units and the operation of them that may affect the safety of their operation, i.e. Radiation safety. To achieve personal competence in simple and complex treatment techniques associated with the treatment unit to which you are rotared. To assist the senior radiographer in the technical training of students and trainee assistant practitioners in the safe and accurate manipulation of the treatment unit equipment and accessories. To assist the senior radiographer in the clinical and theoretical training of students and trainee assistant practitioners in simple treatment techniques within the scope of your competence. To participate in the student assessment, discussion and meetings relevant to the on-going training of students within the department. To undertake obligatory training associated with new equipment that may be away from your normal place of work.

To be technically competent to safely and accurately manipulate the treatment unit and accessories to which you are rotated. To be responsible for, or to be responsible in conjunction with the Senior Radiographer in charge for the routine quality assurance checks on the treatment unit every morning, reporting any faults or unsafe equipment. To accurately input and check clinical data into the department network database and hospital patient administration system. To report any unsafe equipment / conditions to the Senior Radiographer in charge of the treatment unit to prevent hazards to patients, staff and visitors. To ensure that the treatment room is tidy, clean and fully stocked with all necessary equipment and consumables and stationary. To participate in the daily efficient time management of the treatment unit and patient workload. A treatment unit may have an average of 40 – 50 patients per day scheduled for treatment within the nominal opening hours of the department. To participate in the scheduling and organisation of an individual patient treatment appointment, or schedule a course of appointments under the supervision of the senior radiographer To directly supervise the clinical activities of assistant practitioner, trainee assistant practitioners and student staff within the treatment unit environment. To carry out accurate delivery of simple and complex treatment by interpretation of treatment data. To make a professional judgement by applying a critical and analytical approach to a treatment situation if deviations from treatment protocol occurs and report to the Senior Radiographer in charge for further management. To make an autonomous professional clinical assessment as to the fitness of the patient to proceed with the proposed treatment on a daily basis. Proceeding to treatment if considered fit to do so. To communicate any concerns or findings with regards to the patient’s fitness for treatment to the Senior Radiographer in charge and Clinical Oncologists for further management. To understand and therefore manage the side effects of radiotherapy treatment to assist and support the patient during their course of treatment. To assist the patient to achieve the required treatment position and make reasonable assessment of their physical and mental ability to co-operate with the intended procedure. To assess the patient with respect to the Trust’s manual handling protocols. To complete the manual handling risk assessment as appropriate To participate in the on-set quality assurance of patient treatment delivery by scheduling and taking radiographic/digital images during treatment as per department protocol. To accurately label radiographic images pertaining to the treatment of the patient in accordance with department protocols To participate in the rotation of staff into the Simulator, Planning and Oncology CT Scanner to enhance your clinical skills in these areas and gain a basic competency of practice. To calculate accurate radiation treatment doses for individual patients from the dose charts and treatment data provided, and ensure compliance with the department checking procedures. To be familiar with, and utilise the department record and verify system to assist with the daily treatment of patients. To re-confirm patient consent to proceed with the treatment as proposed by the Clinical Oncologist answering any patient concerns as appropriate as a competent professional. Regularly deal with aggressive pathologies and bodily fluids produced as a result of the specificity of the disease. To follow the policies which are determined by the departmental and hospital management teams and propose changes to working practices or procedures for your own work area when relevant These will be set out in procedures, protocol and work instructions among other documents and will be updated periodically. You will not be required to lead developments, but will be expected to comment on policies, procedures or possible developments being managed by colleagues. Accurately manually document all clinical data from the treatment of the patient onto the patient treatment record card for use by other staff groups within the department as per department protocol. To utilise the department record and verify systems to confirm the daily treatment delivery electronically as per protocol. To provide written documentation of clinical information relating to the treatment of the patient in the patient hospital notes. To file as appropriate medical information into the patient’s hospital notes. To record and report accurately any machine faults into the machine log book for assessment by the technical team. To participate in the research, development and audit of new treatment techniques adopting an analytical and critical approach. keep up to date with best practice in radiotherapy treatment delivery locally and nationally and contribute to the implementation of evidence based clinical practice. To understand and therefore treat patients within the scope and practice of the Radiotherapy Trial portfolio. This will be guided by approved procedures, policies, work instructions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), good practice, established precedents and understand what results or standards are to be achieved. You will be managed by a more senior Radiographer but will not expect to be directly supervised.

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.