Candidate, Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist, University Hospital

Details of Service

The Advanced Practice Radiation Therapy service is a specialist-led service in the area of Stereotactic Radiotherapy.

A cAPRT will practice at an expert level to develop the pre-treatment and treatment service as a whole, as well as lead a fast access radiotherapy service for specific patient cohorts. In addition to roles within their current scope of practice as a radiation therapist, the cAPRT will develop their role throughout the candidacy to be responsible for areas such as:

• Receiving and triaging specific new patient referrals
• Advanced decision making on the coordination with other treatment modalities
• Refer for further diagnostic tests where appropriate to support disease staging or re-staging
• Providing information and support to referrers, patients and families
• Obtaining informed consent
• Target Delineation
• Radiotherapy plan design
• Radiotherapy plan approval
• On Treatment Review of Patients undergoing treatment

Provision of on-treatment advanced clinical decision making with respect to image guided radiotherapy

Health Regions

Six Health Regions have been established within the HSE, on the basis of the geographical boundaries agreed by the Government in July 2019 and they will be operational from 2024.

Each Health Region will be tasked with population specific planning resourcing and delivery of health and social care services for the needs of its unique population. This will result in improved accountability and governance in terms of finance and performance, while also bringing decision-making closer to the frontline.

Health Regions will enable and empower staff to provide services that are:

· Integrated, locally planned and delivered

· Easier to access and navigate

· Available closer to home

Health Regions are geographically based units with clearly defined populations. They align community and hospital services within specific areas. The HSE will retain a strong but leaner central organisation, with more service provision developed at a local level.

The HSE South West Health Region will manage and deliver all public health and social care services in Cork and Kerry. HSE South West includes all hospital and community healthcare services in the region.

This includes:

· South / South West Hospital Group S/SWHG

· Cork Kerry Community Healthcare CKCH

The Department of Population and Public Health is also now aligned with this health region.

Services in the South West health region:

HSE Services working within this region include:

· Acute Hospitals

· Primary care services

· Community services

· Social care services

· Health and social care professionals

· Voluntary sector services

South / South West Hospital Group and Cork Kerry Community Healthcare became part of HSE South West Health Region from 3rd March 2025, and the transition to the new structures will continue throughout 2025