Media Release
Date: 3 November 2014
Science on show at the RUH
Healthcare science staff from the Royal United Hospital's Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering teams will be celebrating the International Day of Medical Physics by opening part of their department to the public on Friday 7 November.
Visitors will be able to visit some of the facilities and find out about the amazing work of physicists and engineers in healthcare. They can also find out about the profession as a possible career choice.
Medical Physicists and Clinical Engineers play a vital role in helping to ensure that patients are correctly diagnosed and safely treated for illnesses such as cancer and stroke. However, much of their work goes on behind the scenes, away from patients' eyes.
The International Day of Medical Physics is an annual event that aims to raise awareness about the role Medical Physicists play in benefitting patients. It is held on 7 November in commemoration of the birth of Marie Curie – known for her pioneering research on radioactivity.
Professor Mark A Tooley, Head of Medical Physics and Bioengineering and Director of Research and Development at the Royal United Hospital said:
"This is a great opportunity for us to celebrate the amazing work of Medical Physicists and Clinical Engineers at the Royal United Hospital. Staff here are really excited at the prospect of showing the public around our facilities and talking about the important work that they do.
"It is also a great opportunity for science enthusiasts to have a unique insight into some of the incredible technology we use to treat patients. We also hope to attract younger visitors who might be thinking of pursuing a career in this ever-changing and exciting area of the medical sciences."
The tour will take place at 4.30pm on Friday 7 November. Those interested in coming do not need to book – they simply need to make their way to the foyer immediately in front of the hospital's Lansdown Restaurant, where they will be met by their tour leader.
Those who attend will be taken to see the Nuclear Medicine cameras and will get to visit Radiotherapy Physics department, where they will have an opportunity to see treatment facilities which include the hospital's Linear Accelerators (Linacs).