Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1.    Patient care

1.1.  Act as Medical Physics Expert in Nuclear Medicine (as required by the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017), providing expert scientific and technical advice to other healthcare professionals on equipment management, quality assurance, analysis and interpretation of clinical investigations, optimisation, dosimetry, compliance with IRMER legislation (including clinical and IRMER audits), service development, and staff training. Also to communicate information to patients and carers regarding the risks arising from ionising radiation and put these into a context that can be understood, and to perform risk assessments to ensure that radiation doses received by staff, patients, and members of the public are “as low as reasonably practicable” and within statutory limits as defined in the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017.

1.2.  Be responsible for providing scientific support to the Nuclear Medicine Clinics according to the duty physicist rota as required, including:

a.    Interpret data to write clinical reports on patient investigations for referring consultant medical doctors.

b.    Provide scientific support to technical and radiographic staff, for example in determining whether sufficient data has been obtained during a patient investigation for an accurate diagnosis to be made or whether further images are required.

c.     Support quality assurance programmes for equipment and specialist software in Nuclear Medicine/PET associated with the acquisition and analysis of patient investigations and therapies.

d.    Support delivery of the MRT service, including administering therapies and communicating with patients regarding radiation protection

e.    Support the Radiopharmacy Unit at QMC including batch release and QA of radiopharmaceuticals.

f. Support the Nuclear Medicine Department at external customer King's Mill Hospital

2.    Policy & Service Development

2.1.  Be responsible for the development, implementation and review of individual procedures within the Quality Management System for the section.

2.2.  As a Medical Physics Expert determine the most appropriate methods for patient treatments or for acquiring, analysing and presenting the results from patient imaging and non-imaging investigations, taking account of published best practice, national guidance and statutory regulations.

2.3.  Contribute to the maintenance of statistical information as required for audit, clinical governance and management purposes.

2.4.  Identify possible service developments and new areas of work so as to maximise the benefit of the Service to patients and other customers.

3.    Resource Management

3.1.  Act as line manager for junior staff within the Nuclear Medicine section.

3.2.  Advise on the suitability of equipment for specific tasks within the Nuclear Medicine Clinic and the need for loan or replacement equipment.

3.3.  In collaboration with scientific, clinical and technical colleagues specify and select major equipment (e.g. gamma cameras, dose calibrators, sample counters, gamma probes, etc) for use in the clinic.  Assist with the development and performance of acceptance tests on this equipment to ensure that it meets its specification and is safe to use with patients.

3.4.  Assist with the financial management of the Nuclear Medicine service such that it stays within agreed budgets. 

4.    Teaching, Training and Research

4.1.  Supervise trainee clinical scientists on placements in the section.

4.2.  Train Medical Physics staff in Nuclear Medicine

4.3.  Provide training to other groups of healthcare professionals within the Trust and other organisations (including FRCR and IRMER lectures).

4.4.  Initiate and participate in research and innovation in Nuclear Medicine and in other Trust and academic departments as agreed with the Head of the Section.

4.5.  Analyse and interpret the results from research and development studies for presentation at scientific meetings and publication in peer-reviewed journals.

5.    Professional

5.1.  Maintain continuing professional development to standards defined by the relevant professional and regulatory bodies and maintain registration as a Clinical Scientist and MPE.

5.2.  Ensure all activities are carried out within the ISO quality framework and conform to Statutory Regulations, Approved Codes of Practice and Local Rules.

5.3.  Keep abreast of the latest technical and scientific developments and their applications in medical and associated fields as part of training and personal development and to further the work of the section.

5.4.  Prioritise and manage own workload and meet agreed objectives