Advanced Practitioner Radiographer

The successful candidate will support the delivery of the Evaluative Commissioning in Protons (ECIP) programme as a key member of the ECIP project team. This will involve supporting patients participating in ECIP programme studies whilst they are at the proton beam therapy (PBT) centre for treatment, ensuring that protocol mandated assessments are performed, and liaising with clinicians, referring centres and the Proton Clinical Outcomes Unit (PCOU) to ensure accurate and timely on-treatment and follow-up data collection. Additionally, they will support the clinical implementation of local and national clinical trials and research within the PBT department.
The immediate team comprises research radiographers and a research manager working to implement and facilitate research and trials in the PBT department. Alongside them, the wider team includes key workers, clinicians, physicists, play therapists, and pre-treatment, treatment, and specialist radiographers, all working together to offer patients quality care.
We are looking for a radiographer who is passionate about delivering quality care to patients and is ready to expand their skills in radiotherapy research. We are able to offer a supportive environment in the workplace with opportunities for career growth and continued professional development.
Interviews will take place on the 17th October 2024., The successful candidate will:
+ Be responsible for the provision of the ECIP programme and study related information for the purpose of patient recruitment and consent and ascertain and record sensitive information as required for case report form (CRF) completion.
+ Provide an important point of contact for the patient and carers regarding their participation in an ECIP programme study, PBT clinical trial or departmental research, both during and after completion of treatment, ensuring continuity of care.
+ Use clinical reasoning in the assessment of patients for the ECIP programme and study related activities.
+ Assess and troubleshoot patient care issues and provide support, advice and referrals where appropriate, particularly with regard to the ECIP programme, clinical trials and/or the research patient pathway.
+ Ensure that treatment deviations from ECIP programme (and PBT trials protocols) are appropriately reported.
+ Act as lead radiographer on the ECIP programme projects, demonstrating an ability to work autonomously and as a team member.
+ Ensure that Trust standards are maintained, and all staff are kept up-to-date with clinical trials and research developments across the PBT service.
+ Participate in organising and facilitating visitors to the PBT department, in both operational and clinical trials/research aspects,

Working for our organisation
The Christie is one of Europe's leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist centre around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country. We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years. We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
PBT is an advanced radiotherapy technique. There are two NHS PBT treatment centres in the UK; one in Manchester and one in London. The NHS is committed to ensuring the best use of this limited resource by investigating which patients will benefit from PBT treatment. ECIP is a programme of studies that explore the role of PBT for patients with different types of cancer. ECIP studies are not randomised studies, meaning that all eligible patients will be offered proton therapy. Evaluative commissioning enables more patients to access treatments and technologies which are not routinely commissioned in the NHS., Clinical trials/research:
+ Be responsible for the provision of ECIP programme and study related information for the purpose of patient recruitment and consent and ascertain and record sensitive information as required for case report form (CRF) completion.
+ Provide an important point of contact for the patient and carers regarding their participation in an ECIP programme study, PBT clinical trial or departmental research, both during and after completion of treatment, ensuring continuity of care.
+ Plan and prioritise workloads i.e., organise daily schedule and acceptance of ECIP programme (and PBT trial patients).
+ Lead, supervise and/or undertake an active role in audit, research, development, improvement/ implementation of new techniques and practices, assessing results and impacts.
+ Have a sound knowledge of research governance, clinical governance, research ethics, and trial regulations and comply with the principles of ICH GCP, ensuring certification remains current.
+ Attend National Institute of Health Research and The Christie's research and innovation department training courses, lectures, presentations, and conferences to maintain current knowledge and skills in clinical trials and research.
+ Ensure that all documentation and QA is completed prior to any trial or study opening.
+ Ensure correct care paths are input for ECIP programme (and PBT trial patients), with established links to relevant stakeholders, so plan reviews are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
+ Be responsible for the accurate collection, reporting and transcription of ECIP programme (and PBT trial related data), working closely with the PCOU team ensuring such data is stored securely, and where appropriate, anonymised, according to ECIP programme stipulations and exported to the ECIP platform.
+ Liaise with the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, the Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, the Greater Manchester Clinical Research Network, The Christie's research and innovation department, local and national research organisations, and trials registration offices to facilitate the implementation of studies within the ECIP programme and PBT services.
+ Assess, analyse, and interpret research data and use this to make evidence-based clinical judgements.
Clinical:
+ Participate in and supervise, where competent and appropriate, in pre-treatment imaging, treatment delivery, image guided radiotherapy (IGRT) and adaptive radiotherapy (ART) for patients across the PBT service.
+ Ensure accurate and safe delivery of highly complex treatment plans and to act as an expert in the delivery of trials-based treatment techniques.
+ Give information at an appropriate level of understanding to ensure a patient is fully informed along all stages of the patient pathway.
+ Communicate effectively and sensitively with patients and their families/carers by offering support, treatment information, and advice on radiotherapy side effects.
+ Use clinical reasoning in the assessment of patients for the ECIP programme and study related activities.
+ Assess and troubleshoot patient care issues and provide support, advice and referrals where appropriate, particularly with regard to the ECIP programme, clinical trials and/or the research patient pathway.
+ Report faulty equipment and medical devices to the appropriate supervisor.
+ Ensure that treatment deviations from ECIP programme (and PBT trials protocols) are appropriately reported.
+ Maintain in-depth knowledge of UK radiation legislation IR(ME)R 2017 and IRR 2017 and act as an expert resource in interpretation of the legislation with regards to standard operating procedures and error reporting; plus knowledge of other relevant legislation, including the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, and MHRA Safety Guidelines for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Equipment in Clinical Use.
Supervisory and managerial:
+ Provide professional, technical, operational and clinical leadership regarding ECIP programme (and PBT trial procedures) to radiographic staff.
+ Promote opportunities for team development and individual role enhancement.
+ Be responsible for the collection of key performance indicator data to support business cases for team expansion.
+ Support and deputise for the Principal Clinical Trials Research Radiographer by playing a key role in the department management, which includes undertaking clinical operational responsibility, contributing to business case development and attending trust committee, local trust partnership, managerial, radiotherapy-related research, and research and development meetings when required.
+ Ensure that Trust standards are maintained, and all staff are kept up-to-date with clinical trials and research developments across the PBT service.
+ Establish and maintain excellent communication links with the multi-disciplinary team.
+ Act as an advocate for The Christie, and the radiotherapy profession, at national and international forums, conferences, and vendor meetings
+ Develop and review work instructions and operating procedures in conjunction with the clinical trials radiographers.
+ Act as lead radiographer on the ECIP programme projects, demonstrating an ability to work autonomously and as a team member.
+ Continually assess and monitor risk in own practice and that of others, challenging others as appropriate.
+ Participate in the recruitment and selection of staff through supporting appointment panels, completion of paperwork and liaison with Human Resources and Occupational Health departments to ensure successful employment of candidates.
+ Demonstrates the Trust's values and be accountable for own attitude and behaviour.
Teaching and training:
+ Induct, train, and supervise clinical trials staff, ensuring competencies are attained in a timely manner.
+ Participate in organising and facilitating visitors to the PBT department, in both operational and clinical trials/research aspects.
+ Disseminate specialist findings to colleagues and members of the health care professions through presentation and publication at national and international level.
+ Participate in the development and implementation of competencies and training packages relevant to all aspects of the IGRT and ART workflows.
+ Supervise and manage pre-registration student training in accordance with Trust/university policy.
+ Ensure that opportunities for clinical audit, research and technical developments are identified and that staff are encouraged to participate in relevant projects.
+ Support the learning needs of the wider multi-disciplinary team, including clinicians, physicists, Research & Innovation staff such as research nurses and clinical trials coordinators.
The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.
We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.
We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy
All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.
The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.
Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.
You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.