6 7 Technology, skills and research collide in nuclear medicine The nuclear medicine team is a shining example of bringing people, technology and research together to provide the best care and outcomes for our patients. The team uses radioactive material to diagnose and treat a range of diseases. Several techniques are used and the team consists of doctors, technologists, radiopharmacists, physicists, radiographers, healthcare assistants and administrative staff. Leading the team is Danny McCool, head of nuclear medicine. “Where the strength of the department comes from is its multidisciplinary nature,” Danny said. “Each of our skill sets are quite different and we all challenge and adapt to each others’ requirements on every day. “The technology is really exciting in nuclear medicine, but new pharmaceutical, mathematical and physics techniques are always coming through which means we can push the boundaries even further.” Earlier this year an £8m positron emission tomography (PET) scanner – the first of its kind in the NHS – was installed at the RFH which allows the team to deliver more accurate and faster diagnoses. It is 11 times more sensitive than the latest standard machines and will help diagnose lymphoma, neuroendocrine tumours, colorectal, skin and lung cancers at a much quicker rate than ever before. Danny describes the scanner as a ‘host of information’. “If different parameters are derived from patient data, we can really discover information on a cellular level that was previously unavailable to us,” he said. “The physics team are very well placed to exploit this data, with their mathematical, statistical and coding skills. “We’re also the biggest centre for radionuclide therapy in the UK, and with our own pharmacy and state-of-the-art PET centre we are positioned to be even stronger going forward.” and is heavily involved in recruitment to the department, which can be a challenge in the UK. “In most other countries nuclear medicine is an option you can do right after university,” Amy said. “To give context – of 30 colleagues here in the department, just one has a British passport, so we are truly an international team.” “With the new scanner, I have had quite a few roles to recruit to which is really exciting but that can also bring challenges as it takes over a year to train someone new.” The new scanner brings with it a range of benefits for staff experience. “Up until this year we were a single-scanner department, and we were scanning more patients that any other similar department in the UK which shows how hard colleagues have been working,” Amy said. skill set to create a better experience for patients. She has been involved in the area of radionuclide therapy since 2013, which was previously solely the remit of consultants and physicists. “That would mean that patients would have to wait for blood tests before starting therapy, which could take a few hours and overall lengthen the working day for the team,” Ivy said. “Now we can send for urgent blood tests and get quick results, and instead of waiting for the cannulation team, I can get started almost immediately which reduces the time the patient has to wait.” Ivy also reports bone density (DEXA) scans, which were previously only carried out by consultants, and ensures that the team remain up to date with changes in nuclear medicine using a quality management system. “There is no blaming culture in this department. If there is a mistake, we capture it, talk about it and find out how we can improve as a team, which I am really proud of.” Amy Pritchard, chief nuclear medicine technologist Dr Malavika Nathan, consultant nuclear medicine physician and radiologist Danny McCool, head of nuclear medicine (front) and the team pictured with the new QUADRA PET scanner Ivy Vito, deputy chief nuclear medicine technologist Cancer Dr Malavika Nathan, consultant nuclear medicine physician and radiologist, is the co-clinical lead for nuclear medicine. “Nuclear medicine has expanded hugely in the past 20 years,” Malavika said. “That expansion has mainly taken place over the past 10 years, in terms of the number of cameras, staffing and the size of the department. “We are embedded in the oncology service. So many cancer patients will at some point during their treatment come into contact with us, and we have a heavy presence within multidisciplinary team meetings for the further care of the patient. “We also see research as a new frontier for the department, and with academic posts coming along with the scanner, we will be able to take that forward,” Malavika added. Amy Pritchard, chief nuclear medicine technologist, says that her day-to-day role is a “little bit of everything”. She manages a large team of technologists and support staff “Technologists can see more patients in a shorter period of time, and our capacity has been futureproofed. The admin staff can now open the diary and book a slot without the need for active cancellation lists, making for a nicer environment to work in.” Ivy Vito, deputy chief nuclear medicine technologist, is one of the team members who has expanded her The technology is really exciting in nuclear medicine “ “ Research is the new frontier “ “
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