Diagnostic Radiographer

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Service Delivery

• Act as Operator under IR(ME)R 2017 Radiation Regulations, assess the clinical justification of referrals to ensure that the benefit to the patient outweighs the radiation risk associated with the examination.
• Act as patient and staff advocate minimising their exposure to radiation.
• Provide timely, efficient and courteous provision of radiographic services to the agreed standards of the department taking account of the patient/client clinical, physical, emotional and cultural needs.
• Perform out of hours duties without supervision, often as the sole-worker.
• Monitor and adjust work priorities in conjunction with other professionals to take into account changing demands on the diagnostic services due to emergencies or increased demand from A&E, particularly during out of hours duties.
• Assess and treat own workload of patients, communicate work priorities, organising work load in conjunction with other team members.
• To work as part of a team within the respective work area.
• Responsible for the safe use and maintenance of imaging equipment, reporting faults to senior staff or directly to the manufacturer.
• To participate in the 24/7 departmental rota, being flexible in responding to service needs.

Communication

• Receive and welcome patients and staff to the relevant Radiology reception areas and deal with any enquiries in a kind and courteous manner.
• Communicates with the referrer any changes to referrals after assessing the clinical justification for an x-ray examination against IR(ME)R and local protocols.
• Deal sensitively with patients or carers under emotional stress, including the terminally ill and bereaved.
•  Deal with potentially aggressive patients.
• Communicate information relating to conditions and procedures to staff, patients and carers and ensure informed consent for examinations.
• Communicate effectively on a daily basis with patients with communication difficulties and cognitive impairment.
• Anticipate and interpret patient needs, defining the level of care required on an individual basis.
• Communicate effectively with staff within and outside of the department to ensure the smooth operation of the service. Including liaison with ward staff.
• Give factual information to patients, including children, regarding examinations and understand the necessary preparations.
• To work with other radiographers and health care professionals to assist them with diagnostic examinations and other procedures.
• Ensure the safety and wellbeing of patients, staff and visitors within the department.
• Ensure patients receive timely and accurate information about their examination, and ensure urgent findings are communicated in the appropriate way to referrers.

Knowledge, training and Experience

• Position patients accurately for each examination, adapting techniques in accordance with patient need.
• Be able to decide on additional views when required in line with professional knowledge.
• Comply with the requirements of clinical governance procedures.
• Demonstrate a problem-solving approach to issues arising at a local level, evaluating the need to refer problems to the line manager.
• To be accountable for own professional actions and working within codes of practice and professional guidelines, consulting senior staff as and when necessary.
• Act as a source of knowledge to be consulted by other professionals.
• To be aware of Trust and departmental policies relevant to clinical practice and adhere to them.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• Be responsible for ensuring the legal documentation on the Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving Communications System (PACS) associated with each completed patient episode. Ensure timely provision of images to referrers.
• Be able to prepare a sterile biopsy and drainage trays for minor specials procedures within fluoroscopy.
• Assist Radiologists in performing barium and fluoroscopy studies.
• To safely administer oral contrast media and other drugs in accordance with protocols as required.

Physical Skills and Effor

• To ensure the safe transferring of patients and equipment, following manual handling guidelines and using risk assessment.
• Assist with changing and personal care of patients as necessary including immobile and disabled.
• To operate a wide range of radiological equipment requiring excellent hand-eye co-ordination.
• To ensure that all equipment is free from damage and wear and tear by employing appropriate equipment handling.
• To operate imaging modality and PACS system computer hardware appropriately
• To ensure appropriate infection control measures are utilised where necessary; paying particular attention to personal protection as well as the management of equipment and linens contaminated by bodily fluids.

Management Responsibility

• To organise and manage workloads with support from colleagues and senior staff as appropriate.
• To ensure that all Trust and local policies, protocols and procedures are adhered to by colleagues as appropriate.
• To work within and support the multi-disciplinary team.
• To maintain effective communication and professional relationships with all areas within Radiology and with associated clinical areas within the Trust.
• To share knowledge and skills developed with other members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• To observe personal responsibility for resource management.
• To observe a general duty of care for the health, safety and well–being of self, work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management associated with this post.
• The post holder will demonstrate a level of competency in line with King’s ‘radiography competency framework’ and is responsible for maintaining their own personal development with support.
• As part of individual professional responsibility actively participate in the departmental quality assurance programme including
• Completion of equipment competencies in areas relevant to clinical practice for role.
• Review own performance in relation to reject analysis statistics.
• Deal with complaints in accordance with Trust complaints procedure.
• Report any ‘adverse incidents’ (AI) and be familiar with the AI trigger list.

Professional & Practice Development, Training & Education

• Supervision and training of assistant practitioners, junior colleagues, non-radiographic staff and student radiographers, assuming professional responsibility for their work.
• Responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• Demonstrate, maintain and update skills and knowledge of evolving practice and legislative requirements.
• To be responsible for individual CPD and participate in the department’s CPD program. In accordance with an assessment of own professional needs, participating in both internal and external events as well as private study.

Research & Audit

• Participating in audit and clinical research including contribution to imaging data collection.
• Contribute to practice development in reaction to the findings of audit and recent evidence.
• Adhere to research standards, protocols and documentation.

General

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King's College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• To live and role-model the King’s Values of being a Caring, Collaborative, Inclusive and Innovative.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• All employees must hold an 'nhs.net' email account which will be the Trust's formal route for email communication.

 Safe Guarding

 The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibility to support the organisation in our duties by;

• Attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults.
• Familiarising themselves with the trust's processes for reporting concerns 

Reporting any safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately

Infection Control Statement

The post-holder has a key responsibility for maintaining high standards of infection prevention and control. They must be fully familiar with, and adhere to, all relevant hygiene and infection control procedures when working in clinical areas.

These requirements are outlined in the National Code of Practice on Infection Control and in local Trust policies and procedures, which will be explained during induction and reinforced through regular refresher training. Compliance with these standards is mandatory at all times.