From radiotherapy to nuclear power: why we need expertise and specialists
In the bill passed by Parliament, physicists are among the professions for which training requirements for the nuclear sector must be regulated
The approval of the draft bill on sustainable nuclear energy marks a crucial step not only for the future of the sector, but also highlights that the necessary professional expertise already exists in our country and has been contributing to everyone’s safety for years.
The role of medical physicists
During the parliamentary process, an amendment was incorporated which expressly includes physicists amongst the professional groups for whom training arrangements must be regulated, with a view to developing the skills required for the nuclear sector. Alongside technicians, researchers and engineers, the contribution of a highly specialised profession is recognised, with expertise ranging from nuclear physics to radiation protection, and from dosimetry to the management of ionising radiation.
For our profession, this is not merely a formal recognition: for the first time, a regulation aimed at the development of the nuclear sector explicitly includes physicists amongst the professional groups to be involved in training programmes. This is an important step, as it recognises the value of expertise gained over decades of work in hospitals, universities and research organisations.
Many members of the public are unaware that behind a CT scan, a PET scan, radiotherapy for cancer and many other healthcare technologies, there is a medical physicist at work: they are the professionals who verify that the equipment is functioning correctly, monitor radiation doses, assess risks and help to ensure that every treatment or examination is carried out in accordance with the highest safety standards.
