Diagnostic Radiographer

King's College Hospital; Greater London; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a motivated Band 5 Diagnostic Radiographer for the Princess Royal University Hospital site in Orpington. The post involves rotation across radiology sections, training, and contributing to a 24/7 service with out-of-hours shifts.

You will train in x-ray imaging for trauma, inpatients, and outpatients, while supporting theatre work and supervising colleagues as required. HCPC registration and CPD are expected.

Qualifications

• BSc Diagnostic Radiography with HCPC registration or on qualification.
• Recent clinical radiography experience and CPD evidence.
• Knowledge of IRR17 and IRMER 2017 regulations.

Responsibilities

• Train and rotate through radiology sections including x-ray imaging.
• Provide timely radiographic services for trauma, inpatient and outpatient referrals.
• Work autonomously in 24/7 rota with out-of-hours duties.
• Supervise students and junior staff where appropriate.
• Maintain imaging equipment and report faults per procedures.
• Ensure patient care and safety in line with protocols.

Skills

Radiography

IRR17

IRMER 2017

CPD

Education

BSc Diagnostic Radiography

Tools

PACS

EPIC

Job description

Main area Radiology Grade NHS AfC: Band 5 Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (This role includes participation in the out of hours roster, to support a 24/7 service.) Job ref 213-Division-A-8413031

Employer King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Princess Royal University Hospital Town Orpington Salary £36,943 - £44,900 Per annum, including high cost area supplement Salary period Yearly Closing 25/11/2026 23:59

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£2.1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and more than 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in the London Borough of Bromley.

We encourage all our staff to have a healthy work/life balance. In doing so, you can apply for flexible working from the beginning of your employment. We offer a range of options which are designed to suit different circumstances and priorities in line with service requirements.

We are looking for a highly motivated and enthusiastic radiographer with a keen desire to learn and develop their skills in our busy and exciting department.

This Band 5 Diagnostic Radiographer role advertised is based in Radiology, Princess Royal University Hospital, Orpington.

Main duties of the job

Successful applicants can expect to train and rotate through various sections of the department, including x-ray imaging services for trauma, inpatient, outpatient and general practice referrals using static, mobile and fluoroscopy x-ray imaging systems as appropriate. You will rotate through our theatre departments.

The post holders will contribute to out of hours working within the departments shift system, operational 24/7 Monday to Sunday, including bank holidays and religious festivals. Our roster is designed around staff feedback. Shifts for standard full-time posts are organised over a four-day working week with extended working days. Night duties are a three shift or single shift pattern with days off, thus allowing for planning of annual leave around shift work.

The post holders will work autonomously and prioritise work in line with clinical need. They will be responsible for the supervision and teaching of students, assistant practitioners, junior staff and colleagues as appropriate.

Working for our organisation

The Trust provides a full range of local and specialist services across its five sites. Transforming Healthcare is the vision at the heart of the King’s Strategy – 2026 to 2031. Together, we are pursuing six strategic ambitions: delivering high-quality patient care; being a great place to work; leading pioneering research, innovation and education; building strong and successful partnerships; providing timely and efficient care; and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. Achieving these ambitions will require all of us to work as one Team King’s, united by a shared commitment to our values of being caring, collaborative, inclusive and innovative. By living these values every day, we will transform healthcare for our patients, our communities and each other

We are at a pivotal point in our history and we require individuals who are ready to join a highly professional team and make a real, lasting difference to our patients and our people.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

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 Effort

• 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.

Please find remainder of job details and responsibilities in the attached job description and person specification.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• BSc Diagnostic Radiography (or equivalent), or working towards
• Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) Registration as a Diagnostic Radiographer, or expect to gain on qualification

Knowledge and Experience

• Recent clinical experience in a radiology department, either as a student or qualified healthcare practitioner
• Knowledge of The Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017 (IRR17)
• Knowledge of Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017 (IRMER 2017)
• Evidenced knowledge and experience in provision of patient centred care
• Comprehensive knowledge of anatomy and pathology that can be used to justify examinations and image appropriately
• Evidence of continued professional development (CPD)
• Evidenced knowledge of confidentiality and the Data Protection Act 1998
• Evidenced experience in use of PACS, EPIC and other key IT systems

Skills and Competencies

• Evidenced radiographic skills and adaptive clinical practice
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Ability to care and work with patients and colleagues of different abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and values

IMPORTANT

• Check your email account regularly as this is how we will communicate with you
• If you delete the job from any of your accounts, you may be prevented from accessing further communications
• To enquire about your application or inform us of any changes in your circumstances, please contact the named person on this advert
• Please provide email addresses for referees where possible
• Please review the documentation on our recruitment microsite, particularly the Trust’s criminal records checking policy
• All staff have a responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and for ensuring they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.
• Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasion, we might close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

AI tools like chatbots and virtual assistants can support you as you complete your application. For example, they can check for spelling or grammar errors, or help you to decide what to include. They shouldn’t however replace your own responses or be used to write the application for you.

Relying too much on AI can negatively impact your chances of success because automatically generated answers:

• might not be specific or relevant enough to address the criteria in the recruitment profile
• often seem generic and not personalised enough – an AI response won’t show your unique voice and perspective
• could misrepresent information about you, such as your qualifications, skills and experience

We monitor applications for any behaviour that could create an unfair advantage, and we check all references carefully. You are likely to be tested on your experience at interview, so be honest and make sure all the information in your application is correct.

King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Annual Reports and Other Corporate Publications

King's Health Partners Academic Health Science Centre Website

King's College Hospital is part of King's Health Partners Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC), a pioneering collaboration between King's College London, and Guy's and St Thomas', King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts.

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.

Application numbers

Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. On occasions, we may close a vacancy early due to a high number of applications being received. You are advised to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.