Main area Consultant Radiographer in Breast Imaging Grade NHS AfC: Band 8b Contract Permanent Hours
* Full time
* Part time
37.5 hours per week Job ref 179-6863292-C
Employer West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site West Suffolk Hospital Town Bury St Edmunds Salary £62,215 - £72,293 Per Annum, Pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 20/02/2025 23:59
Consultant Radiographer in Breast Imaging
NHS AfC: Band 8b
Job overview
To undertake skilled clinical practice in all aspects of Breast Imaging techniques, working as part of the breast consultant radiology team to ensure that the symptomatic and breast screening clinics are covered at all times.
To provide a consultant service offering a specialist opinion for breast imaging. This includes mammography interpretation, performing and interpreting breast ultrasound, performing biopsy and localisation procedures under x-ray and ultrasound guidance and recommending further action where necessary.
Provide expert professional advice to other professionals, multidisciplinary groups, patients and carers.
Play a pivotal role in the integration of research evidence into practice by delivering enhanced quality in the areas of assessment, diagnosis and management to improve outcomes for patients.
Undertake research, audit and education activities.
Contribute to the operational and strategic development of breast imaging services whilst ensuring delivery of the clinical governance agenda of the West Suffolk Hospital Trust.
Main duties of the job
Undertake and independently report on breast ultrasound, issue reports and further recommendations as appropriate. Perform image guided intervention using ultrasound and x-ray. 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.
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 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.
If you are a professional, positive-thinking individual with demonstrable relevant experience, who is well organised and motivated looking for a rewarding and varied role in which you can use and develop your skills, then we are looking for you to join us. You will be required to work with all colleagues, peers, and external parties to ensure successful delivery of the service.
Working for our organisation
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community.
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and teamwork guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyone’s voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Job responsibilities:
1. Communication:
* Be an excellent communicator with staff and patients.
* Have great skill in relaying information that at times may be sensitive or complex.
* Contribute to debates and be able to communicate professional views to colleagues.
* Play a part in the wider radiography team and motivate other staff members.
* Be confident to give presentations, relay audits, chair meetings.
2. Analytical and judgemental:
* Good problem-solving skills.
* Be able to exercise own judgment in clinical situations.
* Undertake research in collaboration with others in order to contribute to the existing evidence base in relation to breast imaging.
* Promote radiographer involvement in audit and research and actively encourage and support those involved.
3. Planning and organisational Skills:
* Facilitate service improvement by developing and promoting greater multi professional working and integrating four tier skill mix.
* Maintain personal development by attending local and national conference.
4. Clinical Duties:
* Be highly skilled in all aspects of breast practice - ultrasound, biopsy, film reading, x-ray guided procedures.
* To be a core member of the breast Multidisciplinary Team working in collaboration with the team to influence the patient pathway.
* To be recognised as an expert within their specialty and have an impact on breast care services locally and nationally.
* To be responsible for, and manage an advanced practice caseload of mammographic reporting, ultrasound performance and reporting, image guided biopsies, localisation procedures and other advanced duties appropriate to this role.
* Reading of tomosynthesis and CESM images and clinical action of findings.
* To be responsible for recommending patients for further related investigations in line with best practice, according to findings during advanced practice duties.
* To exercise a high level of clinical judgement.
* To be professionally accountable and legally liable for their acts and omissions as an independent clinical practitioner.
* To identify, develop and introduce innovative practice and service delivery models to enhance service to patients and clinicians with the aim of providing examples of best practice and therefore setting standards locally and/or nationally.
* To be a role model for radiographer advanced practice and promote a learning culture enabling others within the department to develop their potential.
* Contribute to debates in the multi-disciplinary arena and challenge current structures/traditional ways of working.
5. Governance:
* Design, perform and evaluate audit to facilitate quality service improvement.
* Review imaging protocols and collaborate on their revision to ensure continued best practice.
6. Leadership and management:
* Provide effective clinical leadership, motivating and inspiring radiographic staff, providing direct support and supervision for assistant, specialist and advanced radiographer roles undertaken in breast imaging, regularly reviewing these roles in conjunction with the superintendent radiographer in order to develop the staffing structure to meet service needs.
* Promote and develop a learning environment within the unit which will enable others to reach their potential so that the service is demonstrably one which continues to improve and develop.
* Provide a source of expertise and to contribute to the strategic planning process for radiology service developments.
* Lead, develop and participate in research and development which will include clinical trials, audit and accreditation.
* Develop and maintain links and networks both locally and nationally within breast imaging.
7. Information Resources:
* Staff are expected to develop the IT skills necessary to support the tasks included in their post. They will, therefore, be required to undertake any necessary training to support this.
* Accurate data entry is vital to ensure patient records are up to date.
8. Research & Development:
* Share skills and knowledge, both within and out of the West Suffolk Breast Unit through attendance and facilitation of forums such as study days, conferences and teaching sessions using a variety of delivery methods.
* Support the education of all staff within the radiographer’s career progression framework including student radiographers, by devising and undertaking specialist teaching, training and mentoring appropriate to their professional and personal development.
* Take a role in the clinical education of multidisciplinary staff including medical students and specialist registrars.
* To recommend further specific views or procedures in order to assess abnormal imaging, including tomosynthesis.
* To participate and present in multidisciplinary meetings.
* To run the imaging side of breast clinics autonomously, issuing reports and giving advice to other clinicians.
Person specification
Education and qualifications
* BSc/DCR Diagnostic Radiography or equivalent qualification
* Post-graduate/ Master’s level qualification in breast
* Leadership training or equivalent experience
* Comprehensive, up to date CPD portfolio related to advances in breast imaging
* Additional training/ qualification in a specific area of breast imaging
* Willingness to work towards a PhD in the future
Experience and knowledge
* Demonstrable clinical and leadership experience as a mammographer in the NHS Breast Screening Program
* Knowledge of booking and capacity planning
* Experience working in a hospital environment that supports a wide range of complex clinical breast examinations
* Good understanding of the Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI)
Skills and abilities
* Good written and verbal communication skills, able to discuss complex information at relevant MDTs
* Good organisational and leadership skills
* Able to implement evidence-based practice
* Able to use a wide range of IT systems effectively
* Working knowledge of Imaging Regulations and governance processes
* Aware of all current topics and developments within the field of breast imaging
* Ability to motivate and develop others
* Ability to undertake difficult conversations with patients
* Acts as an effective role model, demonstrating WSFT Trust values at all times
* High self-awareness, understanding own emotions, strengths and limitations
* Able to encourage others to be innovative in finding ways of improving the quality of service
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
If you have the necessary skills, experience and qualities to help us to put patients first, please contact Sarah Holtby-Smith, Breast Imaging Service Manager on 01284 713938 for an informal discussion or to arrange a visit.
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