About this role
Job summary
We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Consultant Radiographer in Breast Imaging to join our multidisciplinary breast care team at Warwick and Stratford upon Avon hospital. The post holder will provide expert clinical leadership across breast imaging services, delivering advanced autonomous practice in mammography, breast ultrasound, image interpretation, and image-guided procedures.
The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting high-quality, patient-centred care across symptomatic pathways, contributing to early cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Working collaboratively with radiologists, breast surgeons, oncologists, pathologists, and breast care nurses, the Consultant Radiographer will contribute to multidisciplinary decision-making and service development.
This is an excellent opportunity for an advanced practitioner with substantial breast imaging experience and a strong commitment to clinical excellence, compassionate care, and continuous improvement.
Main duties of the job
The consultant radiographer in breast imaging will provide expert clinical leadership, advanced practice, and strategic development within the breast service. The post holder will deliver highly specialist clinical practice while leading service innovation, education, research and professional leadership in line with NHS and organisational priorities.
About us
Come and join a Trust rated Outstanding by the CQC. South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust have been rated as outstanding following our latest inspection by the CQC and we are recruiting new staff to come and help us improve even further. In addition our staff survey results have placed us 4th in the country for recommended place to work.
We provide services across Warwickshire and beyond ranging from Hospitals in Warwick, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Royal Leamington Spa and Shipston-on Stour to Community Services across the county. We are a progressive, expanding organisation with great ambition around improving quality, integrating pathways and delivering high levels of productivity.Our values can be summed up in one sentence. We are 'Trusted to provide safe, inclusive, effective and compassionate care'. Throughout the recruitment process you will be asked to think about how you demonstrate these values and how they impact on your work. It doesn't matter what role you do, whether it is patient facing or not, we are all working in the same way with our values at the core.
As part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion we encourage all applicants to complete a short survey. This can be accessed via the link below:
https://forms.office.com/e/ahWY3eAGM2
We appreciate you completing the survey.
Job description Job responsibilities
Job summary:
The post holder will have to possess the following:
Post Graduate qualification in Advanced Mammography Practice at a masters Level or equivalent.
Post graduate award in Mammography.
Have significant advanced post registration experience in breast imaging and reporting.
HCPC state registered.
Tomosynthesis and stereo-core biopsies would be an advantage. They will execute the four pillars of consultant radiography Practice.
Professional and Clinical:
Deliver autonomous, advanced-level breast imaging practice including mammography, ultrasound, image guided procedures and reporting.
Clinical duties without supervision, would include Breast ultrasound, pre-surgical image guided localisation procedures (wire guided, magseed), image-guided core biopsies and suction biopsies, free hand ultrasound-guided techniques including cyst aspirations and core biopsies according to the National Occupational Standards using all types of available x-ray equipment in the breast imaging department.
In addition to having experience in image interpretation and able to interpret and diagnose mammograms according to local and national protocols.
Provide expert opinion in complex and non-routine breast imaging cases.
Contribute to the multidisciplinary (MDT) meetings, supporting diagnostic and management decisions.
To be proficient in the delivery of subcutaneous local anaesthetic during imageguided biopsy procedures to enable the post holder to act as a prescriber.
To undertake administration of local anaesthesia and prescribe medication within the defined departments patients group directive.
Ensure high standards of patient-centred care, safely and quality.
To demonstrate clinical leadership, consultancy and professional education as part of a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care.
To maintain and promote partnership working with other healthcare professionals with expertise in the field of breast imaging e.g. clinical nurse specialists, radiologists, surgeons, pathologists and oncologists.
Undertake any other tasks or duties appropriate to the post.
Training and Supervision:
Lead and support education, training and competency development for radiographer and other healthcare professionals.
Act as a mentor and clinical supervisor for advanced and consultant practitioners.
Contribute to the academic partnership and post graduate delivery.
To encourage the development of, and provide expert assistance to, more junior radiographers and act as a role model to all members of staff.
To supervise and teach radiological specialist registrars and to organise suitable educational experiences within the breast unit for medical and other health professional students.
Share professional knowledge and expertise through formal and informal teaching using flexible methods of delivery.
Identify and respond to any appropriate education needs within the Trust, enabling practitioners to develop clinically based competencies, thus ensuring that they are effective in providing quality service provision.
Promote a reflective, questioning approach to clinical practice and support the use of clinical supervision to enhance the quality of patient care.
Provide inter-professional support and education within the speciality for staff of all disciplines studying at undergraduate and post-graduate levels.
Facilitate others to develop and deliver appropriate strategies to meet the educational needs of patients and monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies.
Clinical Governance:
At all times adhere to the Health Professions Council and the Society of Radiographers Code of Professional Conduct, local Trust policies, protocols and guidelines and be actively involved in clinical supervision and peer review.
Contribute to Clinical Governance and Clinical Effectiveness agendas relating to breast imaging by ensuring best practice guidelines in breast imaging which improve patient care. These agendas may cross organisational, professional and speciality boundaries.
Communication Skills and Working Relationships:
To demonstrate excellent verbal, non-verbal and written communication skills to communicate highly complex and sensitive information effectively with patients, carers and staff at all levels.
To be able to explain procedures and obtaining the necessary consent for the procedures.
To communicate clinical information clearly and compassionately, supporting informed decision-making and maintaining patient dignity, privacy and confidentiality in line with the NHS values.
To be responsible for reassuring and discharging patients from symptomatic clinics as appropriate.
Work collaboratively within the multidisciplinary team, contributing expert radiographic opinion to MDT meeting, clinical discussions and service planning.
Develop and maintain effective working relationships across specialities, departments and external organisations to support integrated, patient-centred breast services.
Provide professional leadership, advice and support to radiography colleagues and the wider MDT. Fostering a culture of openness, learning and continuous improvements.
Act as a role model for the NHS values and behaviours, promoting equality, diversity, inclusion and effective team working in all aspects of practice.
Ability to discuss diagnoses with patients and give bad news.
To respond to any questions or concerns from patients, clients and visitors professionally and with confidence.
Analytical and Judgement Skills:
To demonstrate leadership.
Support the multi-disciplinary team in delivering patient care ensuring sound clinical and ethical decision making in relation to breast diagnosis.
Ensure that appropriate, consistent and realistic information is provided to patients and relatives.
Continually assess, monitor and report clinical risk and challenge own and others practice.
To independently analyse complex clinical, imaging and pathological information to make expert decisions regarding the diagnosis, patient management and onward referral within the agreed protocols and scope of practice.
To interpret highly complex breast imaging findings across multiple modalities including mammography, ultrasound and image guided investigations.
To exert clinical reasoning to determine appropriate imaging pathways, further investigations and interventions, balancing clinical risk, patient safety and best practice.
Planning and Organisational Skills:
To be professionally accountable for own actions and advanced practice.
To be able to plan, coordinate and prioritise a broad range of clinical, managerial, educations and strategic activities often simultaneously within the environment of competing demands.
Provide cover for colleagues annual leave, sickness and during times of high volumes.
Report any sickness or absence from work of any member of staff to the Radiography Manager or Clinical lead for breast imaging.
Take part in the annual PDR review.
To contribute to the workforce planning, skills-mix development and succession planning for the service.
Freedom to Act:
Must be able to work autonomously within the clearly defined scope of practice, professional standards and organisational policies.
To exercise a high level of independent decision making and professional accountability.
To be able to demonstrate empathy and sensitivity.
To provide specialist advice locally, regionally and nationally on breast imaging practice.
Autonomously being able to report and/or interventional practice where applicable.
To provide expert advice to senior managers and clinicians and influence the service and strategic decisions at a divisional of Trust level.
To be accountable for the outcomes of the decisions and actions made and operate with minimal direct supervision.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
MSc. In Breast imaging Post graduate Award in Breast imaging studies or equivalent. HCPC State registration post-graduate. Certificate in Mammography film reading Post-graduate certificate in breast ultrasound Evidence of advanced training in breast imaging modalities.
Desirable
Willingness to study for a PhD in advanced Breast Practice Research methods or audit qualification
Experience Essential
Experience in symptomatic clinics Experience in supervising students Experience in conducting clinical audits Experience in manipulating, analysing, validating clinical information Experience with breast tomosynthesis and breast stereo-core biopsy.
Desirable
Evidence in participation in clinical research Evidence of peer reviewed articles.
Skills Essential
To have portfolio evidence of current CPD To have a sound knowledge of current issues in breast imaging across modalities. A Knowledge of the Data Protection Act Ability to use IT for the generation of reports during clinics, In-depth knowledge of PACS systems for film reporting and image archiving. To have good hand-eye coordination and dexterity with expert ultrasound biopsy skills. Be able to deal with stressful situations. Physically and emotionally be able to cope with clinics involving frequent patient contacts, multiple ultrasounds and interventional procedures. To be able to adapt to changing work environments. Highly developed problem solving and independent decision making. Experience in giving patients information about cancer and answering questions about their diagnosis. Experience in developing and implementing programmes of training in breast diagnosis for all levels of staff. Organisational skills, day to day planning of clinics and workload. Knowledge of clinical governance, information governance, data protection and use of clinical information systems.
Desirable
Working knowledge of governance strategies related to the NHS
Personal Qualities Essential
Must be able to work autonomously and as a part of the team. Be able to demonstrate empathy and sensitivity. Patient centred approach with sensitivity and compassion. Good communicator. Strong problem-solving skills and ability to manage uncertainty
Desirable
Ability to inspire and develop others
Other Essential
Ability to meet the physical, mental and emotional demands of the role. Must be able to work in an environment with frequent exposure to unpleasant conditions, challenging situations, clinical hazards. Demonstrate commitment to infection and prevention control safety measures. Flexibility to work across sites and adjust working patterns to meet service needs. Willingness to comply to Trust policies, professional standards and regulatory requirements.
Desirable
Ability to travel independently between sites
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).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust
Address Warwick Hospital
Lakin Road
Warwick
CV345BW
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.swft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)