Specialist Paediatric Sonographer
Closed for applications on: 4-Jun-2024 00:01
Vacancy status: Closed
Closed for applications on: 4-Jun-2024 00:01
Key details
Location
- Site
- Evelina London Childrens Hospital
- Address
- Lambeth Palace Road
- Town
- London
- Postcode
- SE1 7EH
- Major / Minor Region
- London
Contract type & working pattern
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
- Salary
- £58,698 - £65,095 p.a. inc HCA + RRP £5,000 p.a. (pro rata)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Grade
- (NHS AfC: Band 8a)
Specialty
- Main area
- Ultrasound
- Interview date
- 18/06/2024
Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
Guy’s is home to the largest dental school in Europe and a £160 million Cancer Centre opened in 2016. As part of our commitment to provide care closer to home, in 2017 we also opened a cancer centre and a kidney treatment centre at Queen Mary’s Hospital in Sidcup. St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. We lead a number of specialist service networks aiming to ensure children are treated locally where possible, but have access to specialist expertise when they need it. Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.
Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.
In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.
Patients are at the heart of everything we do and we pride ourselves on ensuring the best possible patient experience as well as safe, high quality care. We are proud to have one of the lowest mortality rates in the NHS. Following a comprehensive Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in 2019 we maintained our overall rating of ‘good’. Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’.
The commitment of our 23,500 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care. The 2019 NHS staff survey results show that we have one of the most engaged and motivated workforces in the NHS. We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.
We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.
Job overview
Guy’s and St Thomas’s is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.
It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital. Evelina London cares for local children in Lambeth and Southwark and provides specialist services across south east England including cardiac, renal and critical care services. Evelina London has recently been chosen as the location for provision of the Children's Cancer Centre for London and the South-East.
In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.
The commitment of our 25,000 staff is key to our success. We are one of the largest local employers and we aim to develop and support all our staff so they are able to deliver high quality, safe and efficient care.
Advert
There are more than thirty sonographers working in the main radiology department, with the opportunity for a varied clinical rotation in both Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals and Women’s Services. Within these areas, we undertake a wide range of clinical work.
A smaller number of these sonographers also rotate through the Evelina London Children's Hospital where we undertake general abdominal scanning, gynaecological imaging, small parts (testes, thyroid and soft tissue lumps and bumps), neonatal hip scans in the context of developmental dysplasia, spinal scans and limited vascular work. We scan children from new born to 18 years of age, performing a variety of high quality ultrasound scans on paediatric patients from a variety of backgrounds and referral pathways. Ensuring accurate reports for these examinations are created, enabling the referrer to make the most appropriate decisions for the patients care.
Supervising the scanning and reports of sonographers and trainees.
This is a fixed term position covering the existing paediatric specialist sonographer. The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the standard of imaging remains high across the department; this involves teaching, audit, vetting and presenting. Participation in multidisciplinary team discussions and discrepancy meetings is expected, as is a level of managerial responsibility including ensuring competencies are maintained, personal development reviews/appraisals and disciplinary proceedings.
Working for our organisation
We value and are committed to developing our Sonographer workforce, with support from our Tutor Sonographer and access to a wide range of CPD and educational opportunities. During the past year, we have supported funding post graduate certificates, diplomas and Masters degrees, as well as virtual courses and webinars.
Research and audit are encouraged and supported throughout the department. Sonographers have the opportunity to present audits at departmental and external meetings and study days.
This role is in receipt of short-term Recruitment & Retention Premia (RRP), which is a supplementary payment based upon market research of pay levels for this specific job. This supplementary payment is subject to annual review and may therefore change. It is not pensionable, and is not included in calculating overtime, high cost area supplement, unsocial hours payments and any other payments linked to basic pay. This premium will not be included in any payment you may receive while off sick.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
- Manage operational delivery of paediatric ultrasound service.
- Deputise for the superintendent ultrasonographers as required across sites dealing with the day-to-day responsibility and organisation of the service.
- Take a lead in the implementation of protocols for paediatric ultrasound and for the supervision and training of sonographers, students and radiology registrars.
- Line management role including recruitment, PDR and disciplinary procedures.
- Perform a range of diagnostic ultrasound procedures as required throughout the department, managing patient priority as appropriate.
- Ensure the highest professional and technical standards are met by all staff.
- Leading role in the governance of the department.
- To be involved in recruitment processes for students and qualified sonographers following Trust process / procedure and liaising with the appropriate Departments where required
- Manage the Ultrasound referral workload in terms of individual list management, undertaking and reporting all ultrasound examinations and make referral to the appropriate Specialists and Clinics when required. Ensure urgent findings are communicated with clinicians accordingly following the Radiology Alerts process.
- To be experienced in a range of paediatric ultrasound examinations and familiar with the relevant complementary imaging associated with these examinations. To take a lead in the performing of paediatric ultrasound within the department, working closely with the Consultant paediatric radiologists.
- Perform training, instruction and clinical scanning to a high standard whilst maintaining a high level of accuracy. Maintain intense levels of concentration during sometimes prolonged examinations.
- A clinical knowledge of gynaecology, general abdominal, limited vascular (deep vein thrombosis) and small parts ultrasound scanning is expected and, depending on experience, the post holder may rotate through the adult ultrasound department undertaking and reporting on sessional basis working as part of a team.
- Perform the technical aspects of Ultrasound scanning in a safe manner and physically adapting technique where patient presentation dictates.
- Vet referral forms and analyse the clinical information and select the most appropriate scanning techniques. This may be prior to scanning or at the time of examination.
- Leading role in quality assurance and safety checks.
- To be an effective patients advocate. To exercise the highest standard of patient care and safety, actively improving the patient experience within the Ultrasound Department.
- Review and develop ultrasound imaging protocols following Trust Clinical Governance procedures.
Applicant requirements
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience scanning in an NHS setting
- Paediatric US experience
- Evidence of audit / governance /policy writing
- Teaching & assessing US students
Desirable criteria
- Experience scanning in an NHS specialist paediatric setting
Knowledge/qualification
Essential criteria
- PgDip or MSc (or equivalent) in medical ultrasound
- Experience in a wide range of paediatric U/S examinations
Skills
Essential criteria
- Leadership experience
- Awareness of quality & service requirements
- Team working and liaison
Desirable criteria
- Managerial experience
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Sharon Dam
- Job title
- Superintendent Sonographer
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 020718885546
- Additional information
Shelley Kundu, Guy's Superintendent Ultrasonographer
No longer accepting applications
Sorry, this vacancy is no longer accepting applications.
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