Highly Specialist Cardiac Healthcare Science Practitioner/ Scientist

Job Summary

We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated Highly Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner / Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist / Clinical Scientist to work as part of our friendly team providing a Cardiology and Respiratory diagnostics service. The principal hospitals within County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust are The University Hospital of North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Bishop Auckland Hospital and Shotley Bridge Hospital. The Cardiology & Respiratory Investigations Units comprise a team of approximately 40 staff who provide a broad range of invasive and non-invasive procedures including echocardiography, stress echocardiography, trans-oesophageal echocardiography, diagnostic angiography, pacemaker implant / follow-up, complex device follow up, tilt testing and nerve conduction studies. The hospital base for this post is the University Hospital of North Durham. We are actively developing services and we encourage personal development / extension of roles. We are committed to providing learning and development opportunities. We actively encourage and support all appropriate professional development.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will work as part of a team in the busy Cardio-Respiratory departments. They will be highly specialist in Cardiac Devices and Cardiac Rhythm Management and will have a responsibility for the delivery of the highest quality services within their team. They will perform a range of physiological tests available within the department and produce evidence based clinical reports. They will provide training to other healthcare professionals and students and will supervise junior staff as well as deputise for more senior staff on occasions. They will work closely with colleagues to ensure that protocols and procedures meet local and national requirements for good practice and service delivery.

Job Description

Job responsibilities

The candidate will independently perform a range of Physiological investigations and be a specialist in Cardiac Device implant and follow up and Cardiac Rhythm Management, and will derive clinical reports from highly specialist diagnostic and follow up procedures. They must have experience of working in a Cardiac Investigations department at band 6 level and have achieved the minimum academic qualifications in the Person Specification. They must be registered on the AHCS / HCPC register.

They must have BHRS Certification / HRUK Certification / IBHRE Allied Professionals Certified Cardiac Device Specialist Exam. They must maintain membership and certification / accreditation with BHRS / IBHRE.

They must hold a current certificate in Immediate Life Support, or be willing to undertake this within 6 months of employment.

Person Specification

Skills

Special Skills & Knowledge Essential

1. Specialist in the field of CRM / Devices, able to provide clinical advice to a range of healthcare professionals, as well as patients and carers
2. Ability to provide operational leadership for CRM/Devices
3. Organizational skills
4. IT skills
5. Experience of involvement in programmes of research/audit
6. Ability to audit and supervise the work of others
7. Ability to prioritise workload
8. Good communication skills written and verbal.
9. In depth knowledge of pathologies relevant to Cardiology
10. Ability to analyse complex information, interpret results and provide accurate reports to Medical staff and other Healthcare professionals within primary and Secondary care.
11. Able to provide advice to clinicians.
12. Ability to assess patient condition and seek expert assistance when required.

Desirable

1. Ability to train other staff of all levels and act as mentor.
2. Ability to liaise with other staff both in Primary and Secondary care.
3. Able to manage resources within budgetary limits and service requirements.
4. Presentation Skills.
5. Able to use evidence based practice to ensure quality standards.
6. Negotiation skills
7. Leadership skills.

Special Requirements Essential

1. Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post.

Qualifications Essential

1. BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science: Cardiac Physiology or MSc Clinical Science (Cardiac Science) or equivalent, with acceptance onto AHCS / HCPC professional register.
2. BHRS certification / HRUK certification / IBHRE Allied Professionals Certified Cardiac Device Specialist exam.
3. Immediate Life Support certificate, or be willing to undertake this within 6 months of employment.

Desirable

1. Teaching / mentoring qualification.

Statutory Registration Essential

1. Registered with AHCS or HCPC.

Experience Essential

1. Significant experience in the field of Cardiac Rhythm Management/Devices with highly Specialist knowledge.
2. Experience at Specialist level (Band 6 level) or equivalent.
3. Experience of working within a Cardiac investigations Unit.
4. Experience of a broad range of diagnostic procedures within Cardiology.
5. Experience of audit and quality assurance programmes.
6. Experience of training staff from a range of disciplines.

Desirable

1. Able to work in a range of clinical environments.
2. Experience of implementation and reviewing new services.
3. Experience of budget management.
4. Experience of supervising staff teams.
5. Experience of Service Development and change management.
6. Experience of participating in local, regional and national professional meetings and conferences.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

Employer details

Employer name: County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Address: University Hospital Of North Durham, North Road, Durham, DH1 5TW

Employer's website: https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/