Members of NMPCE and Radiology, in collaboration with local company Kromek, Newcastle University (NU) and University College London (UCL), have been awarded a three year Innovate UK biomedical catalyst grant worth two million pounds. The project focusses on the development and evaluation of Kromek’s next generation tomographic Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) technology which is an emerging nuclear medicine breast cancer imaging tool. The team hopes that this next generation MBI machine will provide a safe, accurate and cost-effective imaging tool for women with dense breast tissue, in whom mamm ..read more

The way we train clinical engineers in the NHS is changing. In this post Andrew Goldsborough explains what this means for NHS employers, trainees and prospective applicants. Between 2019 and 2021 the Clinical Engineering curriculum was reviewed and revised by the National School of Healthcare Sciences (NSHCS). Changes implemented from September 2022 will have a significant impact on the future of the profession, with a greater emphasis placed on developing trainees’ versatility and critical thinking over specialist subject knowledge. Every Scientist Training Program (STP) specialty has a curri ..read more

Wayne Hartley represented the Newcastle Adults Transplant Team at the British Transplant Games in Leeds in July and came back with two medals. He now has his eyes on a bigger prize after being selected to represent GB&NI at the World Transplant Games in Perth, Australia. He has been asked to be the vice-captain of the ten-pin bowling team and will also be competing in the 100 m, 200 m, and 5km runs. The World Transplant Games take place every two years and are supported by the International Olympic Committee. Due to the pandemic, the last time the games took place was in 2019 in Newcastle ..read more

What is Laser Protection Supervisor training? Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, employers conducting work with potentially hazardous sources of artificial optical radiation have a duty to provide appropriate training for their employees. These regulations also require employers to appoint one or more suitably qualified persons to oversee safety matters regarding those sources. This role is often termed as the Laser Protection Supervisor (LPS), and they oversee compliance with the laser safety measures set out in the employer’s Local Rules. The purpose of our t ..read more

The Regional Rehabilitation Engineering Mobility Service (RREMS) have provided the Regional Spinal Injuries Unit at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough with a new fleet of demo-powered wheelchairs, consisting of an Aviva RX20 Modulite and TDX SP Modulite from Invacare and a Q200R and Q300M from Sunrise Medical. From Left to Right: Shawn Hails (RREMS Rehabilitation Engineer), Keith Fawcett (RREMS Senior Rehabilitation Engineer), Mahreem Hussain (Spinal Injuries Occupational Therapist), Kimberley Deighton (Spinal Injuries Ward Physiotherapist), Martin Hirst (Head of RREMS) RREMS ..read more

The Northern Training Consortium is holding a virtual open day to provide information to prospective NHS Scientist Training Programme (STP) trainees in; Medical Physics, Clinical Engineering, Ophthalmic and Vision Sciences, and Clinical Scientific Computing. The event will include talks on the structure of the STP, placements in the difference specialist areas, the career afterwards, application tips, and training in the North East. The event will run from 13.00pm (informal discussions from 12.30pm) until 4.30pm on the 14th of January, 2022. You can register for the event here: https://ntc-stp ..read more

What is RPS training? Under the Ionising Radiations Regulations 20171 employers have a duty to provide appropriate training for all employees working with ionising radiation. These regulations also require radiation employers to appoint one or more suitable Radiation Protection Supervisors (RPS) to ensure compliance with the radiation safety measures set out in the employer’s Local Rules. The purpose of our training course is to ensure that you, as an RPS, have a sound understanding of the nature of radiation and its effects on the human body, the legislation governing its use, and ..read more

Two NMPCE scientists, Dr Jae Tong and Dr Barry Ward, have been awarded a bursary by the National Breast Imaging Academy to develop a short series of educational videos for sonographers and radiologists involved in ultrasound imaging of the breast. Over the last few years, a new generation of ultrasound scanners with a range of exciting new features has been introduced onto the market. These scanners have features such as the speed of sound (SoS) control, which differ from older scanners (which traditionally assume a constant SoS of 1540 m/s)1. As a consequence, the impact and artefacts associa ..read more

Breast screening using mammography has relatively low sensitivity to cancer in dense breast tissue1,2. A small number of retrospective studies have shown a potential alternative, nuclear medicine test Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI), to have a higher sensitivity in this group3,4, but the technology is not currently available in the UK. Perceptions of MBI among UK stakeholders (including patients, radiologists, technologists, and regulatory bodies) are unknown and are key to understanding the value of, and route to, adoption. In an Innovate UK funded project, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Fo ..read more

As part of a COVID-19 National DiagnOstic Research and Evaluation Platform (CONDOR), members from the Northern Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Team (NMPCE), working as part of the NIHR Newcastle In Vitro Diagnostics Co-operative (NIHR Newcastle MIC), have been concentrating their efforts on the evaluation of COVID-19 diagnostics within multiple settings. Collaborating with multiple centres, including Imperial College London, Manchester Diagnostics and Technology Accelerator and three other NIHR MedTech In Vitro Diagnostic Co-operatives (MICs) with expertise in evaluating in vitro diag ..read more