Job Advert
NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.
AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot can be great for planning and preparing your application—but your answers must be your own.
- Show us the real you: Your application should reflect your skills, experience, and motivations authentically.
- Use AI wisely: It’s fine to use AI for ideas or to check spelling and grammar, but don’t let it write your answers.
- Why this matters: Applications that rely on AI-generated content may be withdrawn. By applying, you confirm your responses are based on your own knowledge and achievements.
Tip: Think of AI as a helper, not a substitute. We want to understand you—not an AI tool.
To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service. Further information on what NHS Scotland Boards are required to do to check this as well as what your responsibilities include can be found in the further information for this vacancy.
Please note: we anticipate a high level of interest in this position and may close the vacancy early once a sufficient amount of applications are received. Therefore, please make sure you complete and submit your application at an early stage.
We will fully support disabled candidates, and candidates with long-term conditions or who are neurodivergent by making reasonable adjustments to our recruitment policy and practices.
This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership/record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. child and/or adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post.
We are seeking to recruit a motivated physicist specialising in Radiation Protection and Imaging Physics (RPIP) to provide career break cover for a 12 month period. This role provides support to senior physicists including those certificated as a RPAs, RWAs, MPEs and LPAs whilst building on the experience gained through prior basic training. The role will be split into approximately 30% imaging physics, 50% ionising RP, 20% non-ionising RP.
You will work within a team of 11 physicists and 5 specialist technologists. The Radiation Protection and Imaging Physics Sections provide scientific advice and technical support to Radiology and additional radiation protection input to Radiotherapy, and all other users of ionising and non-ionising radiation and radionuclides. The current equipment install base currently includes multidetector row CT scanners (20), interventional angiography suites (9), fluoroscopy (8), mammography (5, four with tomosynthesis capability), and digital radiography rooms (35). The post holder will work closely with the Expert Advisers (RPA, MPE, RWA, LPA) within NHS Lothian and to deliver a high quality radiation protection and imaging physics service.
This role involves, for example, problem solving issues arising from the equipment survey programme, participating in dose audits, investigating radiation incidents, carrying out shielding measurements, performing risk assessments and involvement in optimisation projects. On the non-ionising side, there will be involvement in risk assessments, safety audits and assessment of output data for treatment calculations.
At NHS Lothian we have a strong commitment to staff development, engagement and positive staff experience. This post offers an excellent opportunity to further your career within the beautiful, vibrant city of Edinburgh.
We strive to provide high quality, safe, effective and person-centred healthcare, continually improving clinical outcomes for patients who use our services and for our population as a whole, through the application of NHS Lothian’s core values of values of quality, teamwork, care & compassion, dignity & respect, and openness, honesty and responsibility.
You will hold as a minimum a Masters degree or equivalent qualification in a physical science. Full membership of IPEM and registration as a Clinical Scientist (Medical Physics) with the Health and Care Professions Council are essential.
You must be able to demonstrate initiative, written and verbal communication skills as well as tact, diplomacy, leadership, organisational and scientific skills. You must have the ability to work well as part of a team. The post requires travel across Lothian and Fife.
For an informal discussion about this post or how you can fit into our team, please contact Nicola Macdonald Head of Radiation Protection on 0131 242 2358 or 07736033959 or Nick Weir, Head of Imaging Physics, on 0131 242 2355