Senior Dosimetrist

Job overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic senior dosimetrist or radiographer to join the Radiotherapy Physics group at the Sutton branch of the Royal Marsden Hospital, for a fixed-term 13 months to cover maternity leave.  This post will focus mainly on producing treatment plans for all types of external-beam planning in the centre. For appointment at band 7, significant treatment-planning experience is required, showing the strong foundations to move into all areas of advanced planning.  An appointment might be made at a lower band for a candidate with less experience.

As part of the planning team, you will work on the full range of treatment sites at a specialist centre.  Treatment planning is performed using the RayStation treatment planning system, with most treatment sites planned using a VMAT technique. We have established workflows for 4DCT and breathhold techniques. Online adaptive is a routine clinical service along with plan-of-the-day.  Recent clinical development work has included developing planning techniques for helical delivery on our new Radixact units, and increasing automation in our already highly scripted planning process. The Radiotherapy Department in Sutton has 5 Elekta linacs, an Elekta Unity MR-Linac, a Cyberknife S7, and 2 Accuray Radixacts.  The Royal Marsden has led a number of recent clinical trials which have changed practice nationally.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be expected to provide an efficient, high quality patient dosimetry service for Radiotherapy. To deputise in the management of the team of dosimetrists where necessary to provide Treatment Planning Service to the Radiotherapy Department.
• The post holder will be an Operator as defined by the Ionising Radiation Medical Exposure Regulations (IRMER 2017).
• The post holder will be expected to use specialised planning software to perform routine conformal and complex IMRT, VMAT and SABR radiotherapy treatment planning for a range of treatment sites and indications for linear accelerators.
• Provide advice and discuss with the Clinical Oncologists, Radiographers and Physicists highly complex dosimetric treatment plans.
• Assist with image fusion of CT, MR and PET images, and outlining of OAR where necessary and participate in the teaching, training and development work of the Section.
• The post holder will be expected to participate in  treatment plan checking and development including work up for radiotherapy trials, as part of the multi-disciplinary team which makes up the Treatment Planning Service.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification

• Assist with outlining of the anatomy for organs at risk.
• Carefully check treatment plans and dosimetry calculations carried out by other planning staff.
• Advise clinical oncologists on the effects of various treatment plan options on patient dose distributions.  Discuss and agree approaches with clinical staff to create optimum treatment plans. Advise on replans and cases with previous treatment.
• Attend clinical audit meetings as required, advising and explaining technical treatment planning issues for individual patient to clinicians.
• Understand the operation of the treatment machines and appreciate their potential and limitations with regard to treatment techniques.
• Provide treatment radiographers with advice on planning aspects of the treatment and attend the set-up of patients on CT, mould room and treatment machines, as required.
• Re-plan patient treatments where required due to changes to the treatment regime or patient anatomy. Calculate the required dose and optimise choices for treatment completion in the light of established protocols and under supervision.
• Carry out quality assurance and dosimetry support duties, as required.
• Assist in producing written protocols for localisation, treatment planning and radiotherapy treatments as part of the Department’s Quality System. Participate fully in implementing and maintaining this system, including reporting to line manager errors discovered. Participate in working parties to agree changes to protocols affecting Radiotherapy Physics and Radiotherapy, and assist with implementing and making local documentation for clinical trials.
• Maintain accurate records of all work performed.