Job Details:
Banding: 8b
Hourly Rate: £29 - £32 per hour
Working Hours: 8.30 - 17.30
Payment Method: Umbrella
Contract Type: Locum
Contract Length: Ongoing
Job Summary:
This post is for a Consultant Breast Radiographer with post graduate experience and qualifications in breast image interpretation, breast ultrasound, and breast intervention. The post holder must hold or be working towards a master’s degree in Breast Imaging. It is within the breast imaging team providing a breast imaging and diagnostic service for the Wiltshire Breast Screening Service and the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust symptomatic breast service.
The post holder will be expected to work alongside Consultant Radiologists and specialist Doctors in providing an imaging, interventional, and ultrasound service within the breast screening unit, to include reporting breast images, localisation of breast lesions, leading assessment clinics and multi-disciplinary meetings, undertaking ultrasound lists and providing imaging and biopsy/FNA’s for symptomatic clinics.
The post will be 37.5 hours per week, principally within 8.30-5.30 normal working hours.
a) Patient Client Care
Key Responsibilities:
Ultrasound
- Undertake and independently report on breast ultrasound, issue reports and further recommendations as appropriate. Perform image guided intervention. To assess critically any change in ultrasound practice within the unit, interpreting conflicting information and instigate any resulting change in practice. Provide highly specialist advice on service.
Image interpretation
- Report mammography images originating from the screening programme, symptomatic and breast screening cancer follow–up programmes.
- To be a source of information and advice for colleagues with regard to abnormal image recognition. To assess critically any change in reading practice within the unit, interpreting conflicting information and instigate any resulting change in practice. Provide highly specialist advice on service.
- To recommend further specific views or procedures in order to assess abnormal imaging.
- To participate in multidisciplinary meetings, and chair the meeting if necessary.
Clinical
- To be able to work autonomously within the breast team and exercise clinical judgement using skill and professional knowledge to ensure clinical practice is carried out correctly, professionally and within the legal framework.
- To run the imaging side of breast clinics autonomously, issuing reports and giving advice to other clinicians.
- Be sufficiently informed and professionally competent to identify and address patients’ information needs with respect to breast awareness and other health issues and able to discuss complex and sensitive health problems with the patient.
- To use professional discretion and experience to work outside of departmental standards when clinical circumstances necessitate for example analysing conflicting evidence and recommending further action, undertaking additional views or specialist techniques or recommending a change in practice.
- To assess and justify referrals under Ionising Radiations (Medical Exposure)Regulations 2000, IR(ME)R following practitioner guidelines.
- To be conversant with the computerised systems within Diagnostic Radiology and the Breast Screening Unit.
- To be fully conversant and comply with all protocols and procedures of Diagnostic Radiology department including IRM(E)R and COSHH.
Professional
- To participate in Continual Professional Development. Attend relevant study days. Attend, chair and contribute towards multidisciplinary meetings.
- Take a lead role in research and development within the department, working with the Breast Centre Manager, the Lead Radiographer and the Breast Screening Director to promote and coordinate and implement research and audit.
- To have a complete understanding of the breast screening programme and be able to assess critically any change in practice within the unit, interpreting conflicting information and instigate any resulting change in practice. Provide highly specialist advice on service and have ability to develop highly specialised programmes to enhance the service to patients and clinicians. Have an impact beyond Breast Screening Department, for example designing protocols and care pathways which impact on other areas.
- To undertake self-audit and partake in the national audit of film reading accuracy (PERFORMS) Undertake any training recommended to maintain standards.
- Adopt an active role in the promotion of Health Awareness. Be sufficiently informed and professionally competent to identify and address patients’ information needs with respect to breast awareness and other health issues. Plan and implement health promotion activities.
- To be involved in collation and distribution of statistical data, being able to interpret the data and act upon any discrepancies identified. Work with local Quality Assurances teams to contribute to national guidelines and policies.
- To monitor, by self-audit, personal radiographic standards ensuring that they comply with NHSBSP standards. Receive any training necessary to maintain it.
Communication
- To carry out discussions with the patient regarding clinical implications and outcomes. To be able to present potentially complex clinical options to the patient, explain them and help the patient/client come to a decision. Deal appropriately with complex, sensitive or contentious information on a regular basis.
- To establish and maintain close and harmonious relationships with all staff and external contacts, representing the Breast Screening Service if required.
- To communicate effectively and appropriately, with all users of the service, across all age groups and abilities.
- To write formal reports in a concise and professional manner, being able to interpret complex facts and information in a clear and succinct presentation.
- Observe confidentiality and conform to the data protection act.
Physical Effort & Working Conditions
The post holder will:-
- Have highly developed physical skills and high degree of precision during imaging, for example in breast ultrasound procedures and interventional procedures such as core biopsies and localisations.
- Be subject to exposure to ionising radiation on a frequent/regular basis. Such exposure will be managed according the departmental protocols.
- Have regular use of VDU equipment.
- Have frequent exposure to distressing or emotional situations e.g. involved in imparting news of breast cancer diagnosis.
- Have occasional exposure to aggressive or abusive patients and relatives.
- Occasionally experience unpleasant working conditions. These include infection risk, head lice, foul body odours, bodily fluids.
b) Financial Responsibilities
- All staff will support their managers to make efficient and effective use of resources. All staff are responsible for identifying any actual or potential deviation from budgets and are to work with the budget holder or manager to find effective ways of handling it.
- All staff must ensure they use resources in a manner consistent with organisational objectives and policies, ensuring that resources are realistic, justified and of clear benefit to the organisation.
c) Budget Responsibilities
Not applicable – this is not a budget-holder post.
d) Responsibilities for People or Training
- The post holder will be required to demonstrate a portfolio of career long learning, experience and education with evidence of effective advanced practice. Highly developed specialist knowledge underpinned by theory and experience and be able to use this knowledge to provide highly specialist advice concerning care.
- To oversee training of assistant practitioners and Mammographers within the unit, liaising with the Trust Academy and outside agencies such as Higher Education Institutions.
- To mentor Mammographers undertaking advance practice such as image interpretation.
- To take the lead role in training and supervision of other professional staff or students, for example initiating and organising training for Radiographers in stereo core biopsy techniques.
- To participate in Individual Performance Review both as appraisee and appraiser.
- To undertake multi-disciplinary teaching sessions within and outside the Trust promoting Breast Awareness and best clinical practice. To assist with training and supervision of other professional staff or students as directed, in particular direct supervision of assistant practitioners.
Essential Candidate Criteria:
STAR VALUES
We will expect your values and behaviours to reflect the STAR Values of the organisation: Service - We will put our patients first Teamwork - We will work together Ambition - We will aspire to provide the best service Respect - We will act with integrity
Education, Qualifications and Training
- Degree in Radiography or equivalent Radiographic qualification.
- Current registration with the Health professions Council
- Post graduate Mammographic qualification.
- Masters level qualification in breast imaging interpretation.
- Masters level qualification in breast ultrasound
- Masters level qualification in breast intervention
- Full master’s degree qualification – can be made up of breast , research and interventional modules (or working towards.
Experience
- In depth experience of breast imaging and advanced mammographic practice experience, including reporting screening and symptomatic mammograms.
- Practical breast US experience.
- Experience of working with distressed or anxious patients
- Extensive experience of working within a breast unit and within a multidisciplinary team.
- Demonstration of a portfolio of career long learning, experience and education with evidence of effective advanced practice.
Knowledge and Skills
- Knowledge and understanding of the Breast Screening programme and Breast imaging.
- Competence in diagnostic breast ultrasound.
- Ability to perform stereotactic core biopsies and localisations
- US interventional skills
- Good customer service skills
- Advanced communication skills
- Able to deal with complex, sensitive or contentious issues
- Highly developed specialist knowledge, and ability to be able to work autonomously within the breast team and exercise clinical judgement using skill and professional knowledge to ensure clinical practice is carried out correctly, professionally and within the legal framework.
- Ability to use professional discretion and experience to work outside of departmental standards when clinical circumstances necessitate.
- Ability to initiate and act as a consultant for departmental audit.
- IT skills including the ability to produce accurate and concise documents for wider dissemination.
- A good standard of written and spoken English is required to be able to undertake the relevant duties.
Other Job-Related Requirements
- Keen to learn and develop, self-motivated.
- Ability to work autonomously.
- Accurate and organised.
- Caring and considerate nature.
- Confidence to carry out discussion with the patient regarding clinical implications and outcomes, and deal appropriately with complex, sensitive or contentious information on a regular basis.
- Confidence to be a source of information and advice for colleagues.
- Understand importance of patient confidentiality
- Team Player · Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to use own initiative
- Good time management
- High standard of accuracy and attention to detail
- Be prepared to attend relevant NHSBSP (National Health Service Breast Screening Programme) training where applicable · Enthusiasm and motivation.
- Flexible in approach in order to meet needs of department
Blackstone Benefits:
- Assigned specialised recruitment consultant
- Access to exclusive and flexible UK locum and permanent jobs
- Complete onboarding support
- Framework Rates
- Informed tailored career advice
- Personalised job alerts
- Unlimited referral bonus
- Prompt Payroll
For further information on this role, please contact Kirsty Chasmer at Blackstone Recruitment on the details provided or APPLY now.