Job overview
We are recruiting for an Assistant Physicist who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.
The successful candidate will join the DR&RP physics section which works as part of multi-disciplinary teams at a number of NHS Trusts and are part of a larger physics workforce at based Mount Vernon Cancer Centre. The DR&RP section consists of Clinical Scientists and technologists who work with radiographers and radiologists at a number of Trusts. The department work with a wide range of X-ray imaging systems across a range of modalities and manufacturers including advanced CT, mammography and interventional radiology systems.
In addition, you will receive a High-Cost Area Supplement of 15% of your basic salary, subject to a minimum payment of £4,552 and a maximum payment of £5,735 per annum pro rata.
At the heart of everything we do are our core values: Include, Respect, and Improve. We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in your role with us.
Main duties of the job
As an Assistant Physicist you will perform quality assurance tests on a range of x-ray imaging systems.
You will support clinical scientists in auditing patient radiation dose, performing radiation surveys, commissioning advanced imaging systems.
The post holder will analyse data gathered on radiation safety and quality assurance surveys and prepare reports with recommendations for correction or improvement.
In conjunction with a Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA), you will perform Critical Examinations on new installations as required.
You will also assist in providing technical support, referring complex problems to a senior member of the scientific team, as appropriate.
You may also be required to travel between Hospital sites.
Working for our organisation
At East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
* The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
* New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
* Hertford County, Hertford
* Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation, and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
ENHT is seeking to maintain and expand the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre staff as we move to an exciting new future.
We welcome applications from those who would relish the opportunity to be part of new and developing cancer service, building on the excellent reputation, research and patient experience the Cancer Centre already delivers.
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
* Degree or equivalent in a Physical Science or Engineering Discipline, involving data measurement and analysis
Desirable criteria
* Medical physics component to degree or MSc in medical physics
* Registration as a Clinical Technologist
* Qualification as a healthcare science practitioner
Experience
Essential criteria
* Project work involving extensive measurement and analysis of data
* Experience of being able to interact with a range of staff from a variety of backgrounds
Desirable criteria
* Experience in the use of testing equipment employed to measure the safety and performance of x-ray imaging equipment and in interpreting results
* Experience of radiation safety aspects of work with ionising radiation (X-rays and radioactive materials).
* Experience in the use of testing equipment employed to measure the safety and performance of x-ray imaging equipment and in interpreting results.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
* Understanding of patient and staff risks arising from ionising radiation exposure
* Knowledge of clinical uses of radiology imaging equipment
Desirable criteria
* Working knowledge of relevant legislation, national standards, professional and other guidelines. [e.g. IRR, IR(ME)R, IPEM guidelines etc].
* Knowledge of diagnostic radiology QA techniques
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
* Must be able to concentrate where the work pattern is unpredictable
* Be flexible in their approach to coordinating workload
* Be prepared to work in an environment where there is a radiation hazard
* Numerate
* Computer literate – able to use Excel and Word
* Manual dexterity
* Highly developed physical accuracy and hand -eye coordination[eg when accurately setting up specialised dosimetry equipment]
* Good spatial awareness skills
* Ability to easily travel between sites
Our values
We want our staff to believe in, demonstrate and live our values in everything we do.
Include
We value the diversity and experience of our community colleagues and partners, creating relationships and climates that provide an opportunity to share, collaborate and grow together.
Respect
We create a safe environment where we are curious of the lived experience of others, seek out best practice and are open to listening and hearing new ideas.
Improve
We are committed to consistently delivering excellent services and continuously looking to improve through a creative workforce that feels empowered to act in service of our shared purpose.
Committed to our Community
East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion for all job applicants, staff, patients and the wider community. We want to create a workforce which represents the communities we serve. We are on a journey to become a more inclusive organisation and we welcome applications from everyone regardless of their background. In particular we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities, and candidates from Black, Asian and Minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds who are currently under-represented in various parts of our workforce .
We understand the importance of balancing work and home life. We are committed to support flexible working for our staff wherever possible and all our employees are given the opportunity to discuss potential for flexible working.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and achieved our status in 2019.
We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact us by emailing resourcing.enh-tr@nhs.net
We are also proud to support our UK armed forces by supporting Reservists, Cadet Instructors, Veterans and military spouses/partners into employment and offering supportive policies that value their contribution to the community and to our Trust.
We are committed to being a carer-friendly environment, addressing the complex needs of families with caring responsibilities. In partnership with Carers in Hertfordshire, all our working carers have access to support from recruitment. We are also a member of Carers UK, providing resources to make balancing work and caring easier. Our approach is inclusive, recognizing diverse challenges and creating a supportive environment where carers feel valued.