Highly Specialised Cardiac Physiologist - Echocardiography

GEH; Nuneaton; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site nursery

27 days annual leave + bank holidays

Cycle to work scheme

Flexible working

Extensive in-house course learning

Job summary

George Eliot Hospital in Nuneaton is seeking a Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist in Echocardiography to join our Physiological Sciences Services. This role offers 37.5 hours per week across a 4-day week and is a fixed 12-month maternity cover.

You will perform adult transthoracic echocardiograms and transoesophageal exams, deliver high-quality reports, and support junior colleagues within a busy NHS setting.

Qualifications

• BSC in Clinical Physiology (Cardiology) or equivalent and relevant higher qualifications.
• Master level degree or equivalent in Healthcare Science.
• Accreditation with BSE or BHRS; membership with MSCST may be required.
• HCPC registered; Intermediate Life Support.
• DClinSci or PhD may be desirable.

Responsibilities

• Perform adult transthoracic echocardiograms, including urgent portable scans, to a high standard per BSE guidelines and standards.
• Identify when further imaging is needed and suggest alternatives.
• Produce accurate reports for each study and manage your own caseload.
• Lead junior staff and audit data quality.
• Provide clinical/technical assistance with Transoesophageal echo.
• Adhere to cleaning protocols for TOE probes.
• Lead CPD for junior staff.
• Maintain own competency through CPD and IPR processes.

Skills

Leadership

IT competency

Excellent communication

Analytical skills

Education

BSC in Clinical Physiology (Cardiology)

MPPM/HNC in Medical Physics and Physiological Measurement

Tools

BSE accreditation

HCPC registered

Job description

Highly Specialised Cardiac Physiologist - Echocardiography

Highly Specialised Cardiac Physiologist - Echocardiography

37.5 hours per week (4 day week: Monday - Friday)

Fixed term for 12 months (Maternity Cover)

Closing Date: Monday 30th November 2026

Interview Date: TBC

A great and friendly place to work, so bring your passion, commitment and expertise and enjoy the opportunities to make a difference every day.

The Physiological Sciences Services at George Eliot Hospital Nuneaton, are looking to recruit a Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist Echocardiography.

Main duties of the job

• The post holder will be a BSE accredited reporting Sonographer. They will be required to work along side the Lead. Echocardiographer to provide a comprehensive and high quality transthoracic and transoesophageal echo services and will provide professional expertise in this highly specialised discipline.
• The post holder will maintain a high standard of clinical practice and will act as a role model for junior members of staff within the Cardiac investigations department.

Highly Specialised Cardiac Physiologist-Echocardiography

• To perform adult transthoracic echocardiograms, including urgent portable scans, to a high standard in accordance with BSE guidelines and department standards.
• To identify and advise when transthoracic echocardiography is insufficient to answer the clinical question and proactively suggest alternative/additional investigations.
• To produce an accurate and comprehensive report for each study, with responsibility for your own caseload.
• To over report junior staff workload and ensure minimum data sets are obtained and standards are regularly audited.
• To provide clinical technical assistance with Transoesophageal echo.
• To ensure adherence to cleaning protocols for TOE probes.

About us

Here at George Eliot our vision to 'excel at patient care' taking centre stage. An ever evolving clinically- led acute service provider we are on a journey to continually provide high quality, safe and responsive health services delivered by inspiring and compassionate staff who share our corporate values:

Excellence and safety in everything we do

Challenge but support

Expect respect and dignity

Local health that inspires confidence

Benefits: On-site nursery, 27 days minimum annual leave plus bank holidays, cycle to work scheme, flexible working, extensive in-house course learning directory, buying and selling of annual leave, subsidised restaurant, tranquillity garden and generous subsidised on-site parking.

Job responsibilities

• To perform adult transthoracic echocardiograms, including urgent portable scans, to a high standard in accordance with BSE guidelines and department standards.
• To identify and advise when transthoracic echocardiography is insufficient to answer the clinical question and proactively suggest alternative/additional investigations.
• To produce an accurate and comprehensive report for each study, with responsibility for your own caseload.
• To ensure that personal knowledge base is current to reflect change in clinical echocardiography. Leading CPD of junior staff.
• To over report junior staff workload and ensure minimum data sets are obtained and standards are regularly audited.
• To provide clinical technical assistance with Transoesophageal echo.
• To ensure adherence to cleaning protocols for TOE probes.

Clinical - Specialist Technical

• To undertake a range of cardiac clinical procedures to aid diagnosis and treatment ofreferred patients to include -
  • To record and interpret resting adult electrocardiograms.
  • To prepare, fit and remove 24 hour cardiac and blood pressure monitors.
  • To issue long term monitoring equipment, programming the device appropriate to patient symptoms
  • To be clinical lead during cardiac exercise tests, performing and interpreting in accordance with British Cardiac Society guidelines and department standards. To produce a diagnostic report.
  • To provide Cardiac Physiologist support during routine/ elective angiography

Other Requirements:

• To undertake duties as an autonomous practitioner.
• To analyse and interpret data, using specialist theoretical knowledge and experience, to produce procedure results and reports, which contribute to patient diagnosis and treatment.
• To communicate with medical and nursing staff to provide effective services for patient care, and to inform/alert them of any patients requiring immediate or urgent attention following interpretation and analysis of test results.
• To assess patients physical and mental abilities to perform and follow test procedures, and to use persuasive, motivation and reassurance skills to achieve optimum diagnostic results.
• To use a range of verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients who may have difficulties in understanding or communicating.
• To manage clinical risk and take responsibility for patient safety during test procedures. This may include initiating and leading Immediate Life Support.
• To provide specialised advice and instruction to patients, relatives, carers and other professionals on the use of loan equipment and to promote understanding of cardiac services.
• To have specialist knowledge and skills in the use and application of relevant equipment and to be responsible for your own and others safe and competent use of that equipment.
• To take appropriate action on unsafe/malfunctioning equipment.
• To follow departmental, Trust and manufacturers protocols and guidelines in the decontamination and sterilisation of equipment to ensure compliance with Health and Safety standards.
• To undertake any new technical developments and associated services and be prepared to participate in an on-call rota or flexible shift patterns to accommodate changing trends in health care.
• To participate in any department research, clinical trials or audit.

Professional:

• To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through CPD activities, and to maintain a portfolio which reflects personal development.
• To maintain and develop current knowledge of evidence based practice and incorporate new developments into your area of work.
• To participate in staff Individual Performance Review (IPR) appraisal scheme and be responsible for complying with your agreed personal development program to meet set knowledge and competencies.
• To attend and participate in in-service training programs, individual training sessions and external courses as expected/identified at IPR.
• To demonstrate a sound understanding of Clinical Governance and risk management and to apply to the work situation.

Organisational:

• To work in accordance with Trust and department policies and standards.
• To ensure that own practice meets the required professional standards of specialist expertise.
• To attend mandatory training sessions as determined by the Trust.
• To record activity by updating databases to enable performance monitoring.

Relationships

Internal:

• Department colleagues
• Patients and relatives
• Directorate managers
• Consultants and teams
• Ward managers and staff
• Finance and purchasing managers
• Stores and housekeeping
• PALS
• Information
• Complaints

External:

• Patients and relatives/carers
• CCG
• GPs within locality
• Voluntary/ charitable organisations

For a full comprehensive list of main responsibilities and duties, please kindly refer to job description and person specification attached.

Person Specification

Qualification and Professional Traing

• BSC in Clinical Physiology (Cardiology) or equivalent APEL and ONC, plus HNC in Medical Physics and Physiological Measurement (MPPM)
• Master level degree or equivalent qualification in Healthcare Science
• Accreditation with BSE or BHRS
• p of the Society for Cardiological Science and Technology (MSCST)
• HCPC registered
• Intermediate Life Support
• Mary Seacole NHS Leadership Award or equivalent
• DClinSci or PhD

Experience and Knowledge

• Extensive experience in a formal leadership role within an NHS Hospital Trust
• Experience as an independent practitioner across the range of routine and specialised investigations and therapeutic interventions, such as but not limited to o 3d Echo o Stress echo and TOE
• Evidence of clinical research and audit
• Developing and implementing training packages
• Experience of working with multidisciplinary teams
• Experience with governance, QA and/or complaint management
• Experience of planning and developing specialist services including contributing toward local and national policies
• Experience of Improving Quality in Physiological Services (IQIPS) accreditation process

Skills and Abilities

• Day-to-day local rota management
• Comprehensive leadership and management abilities
• Self-disciplined and self-motivated
• Ability to manage and lead team in emergency situations
• Ability to engage the team and develop changes in working practices including research and audit
• IT competency
• Excellent communication skills written and verbal
• Excellent analytical and influencing skills
• Able to prioritise workload as changes occur and to simultaneously focus on a particular task to meet set deadlines
• To be able to assist patients to dress and undress
• To be able to push, maneuver and assist patients to transfer from wheelchair to examining couch
• To be able to deal sensitively with anxious patients and relatives attending the department for tests and to answer patient complaints/ queries.
• To be able to deal with occasional exposure to distressing circumstances
• To be able to deal with and advise on personal and professional staff issues.
• To be able to apply concentration in the interpretation and analysis of test data and results, together with a high level of concentration during patient test procedures.
• To be able to concentrate for prolonged periods when producing service reports, business cases and planning.

Personal Qualities

• Professional manner
• To demonstrate the ability to lead and organise a team of staff
• To be able to combine the demands of leading a team with the commitment to clinical input
• Ability to form positive working relationships
• To demonstrate the ability to facilitate changes in practice
• Flexible and reliable
• Good previous health record

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.