About this role
Job summary
To work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide high standards of patient care, assisting the Radiologists and Radiographers in the Clinical area across a wide range of Radiology examinations. The post holder will work under the supervision of a Radiographer/Radiologist qualified in their relevant area. The post holder will be responsible for managing and supervising the radiology department assistants and the radiology Support workers (RDA/RSW) team.
Main duties of the job
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. To assist the Radiologists/Radiographers/Sonographers during patient examinations in the Radiology Department working within the scope of department procedures and practices.
2. To be responsible for the care and comfort of the patient whilst in the Department and throughout their examination.
3. To prepare and assist with general and specialised procedures e.g Ultrasound guided biopsies/drainages.
4. To aid in the training of staff in clinical procedures / systems of work in Radiology.
5. To be responsible for the supervision and management of radiology assistants, ensuring high standards of service provision are maintained.
About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
Our services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:
Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018 Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal) National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.
Job description Job responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. To assist the Radiologists/Radiographers/Sonographers during patient examinations in the Radiology Department working within the scope of department procedures and practices.
2. To be responsible for the care and comfort of the patient whilst in the Department and throughout their examination.
3. To prepare and assist with general and specialised procedures e.g Ultrasound guided biopsies/drainages.
4. To aid in the training of staff in clinical procedures / systems of work in Radiology.
5. To be responsible for the supervision and management of radiology assistants, ensuring high standards of service provision are maintained.
Communications
6. To liaise with and maintain good working relationships with other disciplines of staff within the Trust and the Directorate.
7. To maintain a high standard of communication with all patients/ visitors/external organisations to the Radiology Department and Trust.
8. To communicate effectively with patients and carers providing an appropriate level of support particularly where there are barriers or difficulties with understanding and tact.
9. Keep up to date with all internal communications (trust, division and department memos, emails, newsletters, team brief).
10. To report any breakdown or malfunction of equipment immediately to the appropriate Lead Radiographer.
11. To communicate relevant information to their team when necessary.
Responsibility for Patient Care
12. To assist in the care of patients and their carers in the department as necessary. This will include moving and handling, escorting and preparing patients for Radiology examinations e.g measuring and issuing of contrast and bowel preparation for patients undergoing specific Radiology examinations.
13. To maintain patient privacy, dignity and respect
14. Inform the Radiologist/Radiographer/Radiology nurse/Sonographers of any changes in the patients physical condition or situation, and any significant factors relevant to the patient.
15. To be aware of the radiation protection implications within the Radiology Department.
16. To adhere to departmental local rules and IR(ME)R procedures where appropriate.
17. To perform general housekeeping duties to maintain a pleasant environment for patients waiting for examination.
18. To provide assistance to Radiologists during Radiological procedures using aseptic technique to apply primary and secondary pressure dressings following application of wound pressure.
19. To perform intravenous cannulation in order to facilitate the patient journey through the CT scanning Department.
Planning and organising
20. Produce the RDA/RSW rotas in conjunction with the duty superintendents ensuring that adequate staff cover is maintained at all times.
21. To assist with the introduction of any new systems of work ensuring staff receive training and support.
22. To assist with the management of patient lists co-ordinating the porters, other Radiology Assistants ensuring an efficient, robust service delivery.
23. To prepare the examination room including set up of sterile trolleys for biopsies/drainages if and when required.
Person Specification
Our Values Essential
We are Kind We are Open We are Inclusive
Qualifications Essential
NVQ 3 in care or equivalent experience in Radiology Leadership qualification/experience 3 GCSEs including Maths and English
Experience Essential
Previous leadership/supervisory experience Understanding of the different modalities in Radiology Knowledge of the radiology information system
Desirable
Previous care work/experience in a healthcare setting Previous radiology experience
Skills Essential
Ability to work under pressure Evidence of being a reliable team player IT Skills - excel, Word and Outlook Ability to cope in difficult situations Caring manner Good Communication Skills Ability to demonstrate initiative Good organisational and planning skills Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills
Desirable
Ability to interpret documented information and act on it Willingness to learn and develop
Other Essential
Ability to travel various hospital locations by own car/ assisted driver Able to work the hours and duties required by the post Able to adopt flexible approach when required Ability to build and maintain good working relationships Comply with Trust policies and procedures Commitment to quality Understanding of confidential nature of role and awareness of Data Protection Act Ability to assist in moving and handling patients in order to achieve images/examination required
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details Employer name Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Address St Helens and Knowsley sites
Whiston
L35 5DR
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.merseywestlancs.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)