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7th November 2024
Meet the team - Medical Physics
Within healthcare, medical physicists play a crucial role in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases. These scientists, equipped with a degree in physics and advanced qualifications such as a master’s or PhD specialising in medical physics, apply their expertise to enhance patient care across various medical settings. At Mater Private Network, the medical physics is divided into two key teams, diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy, each with distinct responsibilities that contribute significantly to patient safety and treatment efficacy.
Diagnostic imaging
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Our diagnostic imaging team consists of four medical physicists who collaborate across all radiology departments within the network. They are responsible for overseeing approximately 65 pieces of equipment across seven sites, ensuring that these machines operate efficiently and safely. A primary focus of their role involves the optimisation of imaging examinations, ensuring that patients receive high-quality diagnostic images while minimising radiation exposure for both patients and our team.
In addition to managing radiation safety, the physicists work closely with the nuclear medicine department. Nuclear medicine imaging involves the use of small amounts of radioactive materials to assess organ function and structure. The team provides critical guidance to patients undergoing radioactive therapies, ensuring that administered radiation doses are safe and that exposure to family and friends is minimised.
The team is also instrumental in the adoption of innovative technologies within the hospital. As advancements in the field continue, the team is exploring the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in radiology, which is already beginning to transform MRI processes and reporting.
Education and training are vital aspects of the team’s work. The physicists provide essential training to any colleagues involved in diagnostic imaging on radiation safety. They also provide training in UV, laser, and MRI safety. Additionally, they contribute to academic development of aspiring medical physicists through university lectures, research projects and internships.
Radiotherapy
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Within the radiotherapy department, our dedicated team of six medical physicists and a dosimetrist (someone who specialises in calculating and optimising radiation doses) work collaboratively with the wider cancer services department to deliver treatments. The primary responsibility of the radiotherapy physicists is to ensure that the correct amount of radiation is precisely targeted at the intended area within the patient's body.
They are responsible for calibrating and maintaining the treatment machines, known as linear accelerators, which generate high-energy radiation to effectively target tumours.
A critical component of their role is the treatment planning process. After a radiation oncologist decides on a treatment, a CT scan is carried out to accurately delineate the tumour’s location. The medical physicists create a treatment to be delivered on the treatment machines and ensure that radiation is delivered precisely to the tumour while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
Brachytherapy is another treatment method delivered by the team, which involves placing a radiation source directly inside or near the tumour. Because this source remains active, the team maintains direct oversight of the treatment process, ensuring that stringent safety protocols are in place to protect everyone involved.
Quality assurance is an integral part of the daily routine for the radiotherapy physicists, who rigorously check both the treatment machinery, and the patient plans. This meticulous attention to detail ensures precision and the highest standards of cancer treatments.
Every day, working behind the scenes, our medical physics team dedicates their expertise to delivering safe and effective care for our patients.
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