Sonographer

NHS; Huddersfield; On-site; GBP 47,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company, Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, seeks a Sonographer for their Huddersfield location. This permanent role involves high-standard ultrasound examinations, patient care, and professional leadership in a multidisciplinary environment. Successful candidates will need appropriate qualifications and a commitment to continued development.

Qualifications

• HCPC Registration required.
• BSc/DCR and PG Diploma in Medical Ultrasound at Masters level preferred.
• Experience in ultrasound and interventional procedures.

Responsibilities

• Perform complex ultrasound examinations according to departmental protocols.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff and students.
• Ensure high patient care standards, addressing clinical needs.

Skills

Counseling skills

Communication

Attention to detail

Ability to prioritize

Methodical approach

Accurate work

Ability to work under pressure

Education

BSc/DCR

PG Diploma in Medical Ultrasound or DMU Ultrasound

HCPC Registration

Evidence of self-development and CPD

Job description

Go back Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Sonographer

The closing date is 01 July 2025

o Work as an Advanced Practitioner performing and reporting on a range of ultrasound examinations

o Provide a high standard of care at all times to patients and relatives.

o Be responsible for professional leadership and the education, training and development of self and others.

o Work across professional and organizational boundaries to improve patient outcomes.

Main duties of the job

To perform a range of scans and report on highly complex images whose acquisition is operator dependent, accurately differentiating between normal and pathological findings

o To perform biopsies and other interventional procedures (if suitably qualified) when appropriate

o To be a source of expertise for clinicians and more junior team members

o To work as a team member with a multidisciplinary approach to the service provided

o To provide a high standard of patient care at all times.

o To be responsible for education, training of self and others.

o Work in collaboration with other health care professionals and medical staff and across medical boundaries

o To facilitate a single team approach to develop a cross site ultrasound service

o To assist in developing cross site working patterns which will allow the delivery of an efficient and effective ultrasound service.

o Undertake out of hours duties as required by the service.

About us

We employ more than 6,500 staffwho deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals,Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, healthcentres and in patients' homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children's and young people's services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation.Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS- yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boardslisten to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members - patients, staff andthe local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in thechanges to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Job responsibilities

To plan and perform complex ultrasound examinations in accordance with Trust and departmental agreed working protocols, ensuring high standards are maintained.

To analyse clinical histories to perform the most appropriate technique/examination to answer the clinical question.

To be responsible for the quality of work of all staff and that of students, other health professionals and medical personnel being trained within the department, ie act as a clinical role model.

To ensure the highest standards are maintained to accommodate the clinical, physical, mental and cultural needs of the patient.

Use of clinical skills to recognise and act swiftly in emergency situations, ie, cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest, MAJAX cascade.

Assist Consultant radiologists with complex procedures.

Supervise and support/mentor students and junior staff & undertake staff assessments when required.

Ensure safety of patients, staff, carers and visitors when operating all ultrasound and related equipment within the department

Participation in quality assurance programmes recording faults and take action where appropriate.

Promote best practice, advising and sharing knowledge to the profession and beyond.

Provide clinical counselling to the patient and their relatives following good, bad, unexpected unwelcome news, ie discovery of malignancy

Acknowledging when changing care is required and having the authority to recommend further imaging.

To communicate effectively with patients of all ages and abilities to gain a positive identification and co-operation in order to obtain high quality images

To communicate effectively with all grades of staff and clinicians in and outside the clinical area

Freedom to act independently on own interpretation of findings

Ability to work autonomously when justifying the relevance of requests, taking into account previous examination and reports using clinical details and obtaining a verbal history

Prioritising and managing workload as an individual and as part of a team

Communicating results immediately in certain situations to enable rapid response from clinicians, ie when working on ITU/SCBU

Instigating a fast track pathway where necessary to ensure appropriate treatment is commenced in a timely way, ie, Haematuria Clinics, TIA Clinics etc. Patients are prioritised with reports being typed immediately for One Stop clinic situation

Provide care and support to women and their families following diagnosis of foetal abnormality

Provide a high level of tact, empathy, discretion and sensitivity in emotional situations

Develop new protocols using evidence based practice and participate in delivering strategies outlined in guidelines which have been produced

Maintain awareness of current trends in all professional matters in the field of ultrasound

Effective cleaning and disinfecting of equipment and ancillary equipment in line with the Trust policy on infection control

Participate in MDT meetings, justifying accuracy of biopsies/reports

Maintain personal contact with patient/clients and relatives and other HCPs

Close involvement with the universities and medical schools involving setting out courses and content for future development of the service

Participation in the attendance of courses to update knowledge and cascading of information to the rest of the team

Completion of equipment check lists to ensure the use of new equipment is understood by all

Taking responsibility for own CPD with accurate and up to date records

Attendance of courses to update knowledge and cascading of information to the rest of the team

Arrange equipment checks as and when required

Assess equipment for suitability of purpose

Collaborate with all service areas

Participate in research and development and clinical trials as required

Maintain awareness of current trends in all professional matters in the field of ultrasound

Promote best practice, advising and sharing knowledge of the profession and beyond

Bring up-to-date relevant reports, guidelines and policies on health and clinical practice and implement where required

Organise the induction of new staff, including medical staff within the department

Assess students undertaking ultrasound courses from the university as required throughout the region.

To be aware and comply with the Trust and departmental and clinical/non clinical incident reporting

To undertake quality assurance initiatives and audit projects related to all aspects of current practice

Escalate reports of incidents to Team Leader/Service Lead with responsibility for risk management

Ensure all equipment is in good working order and maintain a safe working environment for patients, staff and visitors

Ensure safety of patients, staff, carers and visitors when operating all ultrasound and related equipment within the department

Participation in quality assurance programmes recording all faults and bringing to the attention of the Team Leader /Service Lead

Ensure all trust resources are utilised in an appropriate manner & not wasted.

Person Specification

QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING

• BSc/DCR
• PG Diploma in Medical Ultrasound or DMU Ultrasound (at Masters level)
• HCPC Registration
• Evidence of self-development and CPD
• Attendance at relevant updates
• Study days and courses
• Evidence of further studies i.e. MSc in Medical Ultrasound
• Post Graduate Certificate in Breast Ultrasound
• Post graduate certificate in vascular ultrasound Management qualification in-house or otherwise

KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE & EXPERTISE

• To be aware of current trends in all professional matters in ultrasound.
• Counselling skills
• Musculoskeletal experience
• Neck scanning
• Paediatric scanning
• Interventional procedures
• Experience in ultrasound of carotid and sonovenogram examinations or other vascular procedures
• Knowledge of computers.
• Evidence of extended role, for example, interventional work
• Evidence of audit/research projects

COMMUNICATION AND RELATIONSHIPS (INCLUDING MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES)

• Use own initiative
• Methodical and accurate
• Pay attention to detail
• Ability to prioritise work
• Ability to work under pressure

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.

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Details

Date posted

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

£47,810 to £54,710 a yearper annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Reference number

372-FSS2784

Job locations

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust