Medical physics, which is often defined as the application of physical science, engineering and technology to healthcare, is a department within the division of clinical support services.
The department provides a range of scientific and engineering support services to the Trust and it also runs two clinical services within east Kent. The department also provides maintenance, advice and consultancy services to external organisations. It is a common misconception that all of the work of medical physics relates to radiology; although this accounts for a proportion of the department's work, at least half of the activity in the department has no direct connection with radiological imaging.
The department is primarily based at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital (there are also EME workshops at Ashford and Margate) and it employs about 45 scientists, engineers, technologists and support staff. The department is divided into five main sections:
