Specialist Clinical Engineer

Integrated Care System; Blackburn; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

A healthcare organization is seeking a Specialist Clinical Engineer to join their Clinical Engineering team. The ideal candidate will ensure the proper maintenance and repair of medical devices in a clinical environment. Responsibilities include fault diagnosis, mentoring junior staff, and maintaining accurate records. A Level 4/5 qualification in engineering or equivalent experience is required. This role is based in Blackburn, with some travel expected to other nearby hospitals.

Benefits

Mileage reimbursement

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum Level-4/5 qualification in Engineering or equivalent experience.
• Specialist training in multi-disciplinary medical equipment.
• Professional registration with relevant institutions is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Service and repair medical devices in a safe manner.
• Conduct planned preventative maintenance and fault-finding.
• Mentor junior engineers and support team collaboration.

Skills

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Technical knowledge of medical devices

Education

Level 4/5 qualification in Engineering or Physical Science

Technical apprenticeship in Electrical or Electronic Engineering

Tools

Calibration equipment

Medical device management systems

Job description

An Exciting opportunity is available to join our Clinical Engineering team as a Specialist Clinical Engineer. Ideally you will have a minimum of HNC (Level 4) or equivalent in electronic or medical engineering.

If you have no previous medical equipment experience but can demonstrate equivalent engineering experience on equally complex equipment and are interested in this role we want to hear from you.

The post holder will work as part of a small specialist team engaged in inspecting, testing,maintaining and repairing a wide range of medical equipment. The post holder will have the relevant technical qualifications, combinedwithpractical engineering experience and the ability to work on their own initiative with sophisticated and complex medical devices in a patient sensitive environment.

The engineerisalsoexpected to service andmaintain a wide range of equipment including a significant proportion of high risk devices. Fault diagnosis maybeundertakenwhilst equipment is connected to, orin close proximity topatients.

Additionalduties includementoring junior staff and upholding team-centered working relationshipswithin the department and across the organisation.

Your primary base will be Royal Blackburn Teaching Hospital but you will be expected to work at our Burnley General Teaching Hospital site as part of a rota system.

Main duties of the job

Undertake servicing and repair of medical devices in a safe, professional and organised manner in accordance with departmental procedures, trust policies and manufacturers' recommendations.

Carry-out planned preventative maintenance (PPM), fault finding, repair and calibration of high-risk complex medical equipment.

Understand the clinical applications of medical devices and have the required skills to discuss clinical equipment issues with medical staff.

Be able to make safe devices that may have been exposed to contamination and bodily fluids whilst exposed mains and/or other lethal voltages.

Maintain accurate, timely and accurate equipment records for a range of equipment activities across the equipment life-cycle.

Acceptance testing of new equipment to ensure compliance with appropriate standards.

Use digital systems and sophisticated test equipment to calibrate, diagnose faults and upgrade medical equipment.

Support junior engineers and those with less experience.

Hold a full driving licence and be eligible for business insurance and willing to use your own car for for attending local district and community sites we support (mileage can be claimed).

About us

Clinical Engineering is a specialist team engaged in overseeing all aspects of medical equipment management, which spans from research, design and installation, through to maintenance and eventual disposal. Incorporated within Clinical Engineering,is the Medical Equipment Library (MEL): whose primary focus is distributing medical devices where needed and device consumables in a timely manner.

The Clinical Engineering team is part of OneLSC a Corporate Collaboration hosted by East Lancashire Hospitals Trust which includes: Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals of Morcambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.

Job responsibilities

Accountable to the Head of Clinical Engineering for providing support within the technical and maintenance elements of managing medical equipment.

Assist with the planned preventative maintenance (PPM) schedule for the Trusts medical equipment. Though not an exhaustive list, these duties include comprehensive service and repair on the following devices:

Patient monitoring and telemetry equipment

Patient/anaesthetic gas monitors, diathermy units and camera imagingsystems

Defibrillators, ECG recorders, blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters

Infusion and syringe pumps

Neonatal incubators and transport incubators

Act consistently in a manner that prioritises patient safety and patient care.

PPM or repairs on the following devices: ventilators, anaesthetic machines, diagnostic ultrasound, and ophthalmic diagnostic equipment.

Escalate to relevant staff, any faults or potential faults on equipment that may be hazardous to patients, users or fellow engineers.

Participate in investigations of adverse incidents relating to medical devices.

Participate in the evaluation on new equipment and provide technical advice during trials of new equipment.

Undertake installations and modifications that are non-routine, yet appropriate to the individuals responsibility.

Working within and contribute to the departments quality system.

Respond to urgent repair call-outs and act accordingly.

Advise clinical users in proper use and care of equipment.

Liaise with equipment manufacturers to obtain spares and service data.

Develop relationships with equipment manufacturers and suppliers to attain best value and quality within the supply of products and services.

Monitor stock-levels of appropriate components and spares, re-ordering when necessary.

Observe and comply with all policies and instructions regarding health and safety.

Follow the correct procedure in dealing with contaminated equipment.

Use the facilities and equipment provided in a proper and safe manner.

Refrain from any activity that contravenes health and safety, or any action that may endanger yourself or others.

Report to the Team Leader/Head of Clinical Engineering any hazards, potential hazards and/or defects, as soon as possible.

Safeguard own professional registration by enforcing professional codes of conduct applicable to respective organisations i.e. IPEM, RCT, AHCS and HCPC etc. If not currently registered be willing to work towards professional registration appropriate to role.

Act as a role model and mentor for junior staff - encouraging knowledge sharing and a strong learning environment across all staffing ranks.

Avoid conduct, which could be considered derogatory to the dignity of the profession, the professional institution, or the reputation of the Trust

Ensure that visitors to the department, including patients, their carers, other staff members and external clients, are dealt with in a professional and courteous manner.

Person Specification

Education

• Minimum Level-4/5 qualification in: ?Engineering or Physical Science; and/or ?Experiential equivalence underpinned by research and CPD
• Specialist, multi-disciplinary medical equipment training courses
• At least one of the following qualifications: ?Recognised technical apprenticeship in Electrical or Electronic Engineering. ?NVQ Level 4, or above in Engineering ?BSc/BEng. Electrical, Electronics, ?BSc/BEng. Clinical or Medical Engineering
• Professional registration with one (or more) of the following institutions: Academy of Healthcare Sciences (AHCS); Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM); Register of Clinical Technologists (RCT); Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

Knowledge

• Substantial experience of working with highly specialised medical equipment as a Senior Engineer within the NHS and/or private sector
• Extensive experience of working in Clinical Engineering, or with medical devices as a Band 5 or above
• General understanding of legislation, national standards and professional guidelines relating to the use and application of healthcare technologies
• Knowledge of policies and procedures relating to medical device management within a hospital environment, from procurement to disposal, such as MHRA DB2015, NICE guidelines, WEEE regulations etc.
• Understanding of the medical device, technological marketplace and relevant routes to procuring medical equipment
• Understanding of the medical devices, maintenance industry and its operational rules and regulations
• General appreciation of the relationship between medical devices and appropriate patient care pathways
• Knowledge of equipment projects, with an appreciation of costs, risks and issues effecting project delivery
• Understanding of quality management systems: ISO 9001, BSI 70000 and ISO 13485

Specialist Skills

• Practical knowledge of Clinical Engineering, including real-life clinical applications of medical devices and their respective human interaction
• Understanding of bespoke IT application packages and able to effectively employ information management systems to optimise service delivery e.g. EMAT, EQUIP etc.
• Comprehensive knowledge of multiple medical device service disciplines - highly-developed physical accuracy and dexterity, able to use fine tools for adjustment; and make accurate measurements and fault-diagnosis using sophisticated test equipment
• Capable of determining the causes of complex problems with varied and specialised medical devices, systems and networks
• Able to work on complex medical devices in patient-sensitive environments, often whilst devices are still connected to a patient or in-situ
• Proficient in the full use of MS Office Suite

Personal

• Well-developed analytical thinking skills and decision-making ability
• Clear and accurate communication skills via phone, email, face-to-face, written reports and presentations - frequently conveying complex problems and sometimes sensitive issues to colleagues at all levels
• Capable of working under emotionally stressful situations depending on different managerial and clinical environments
• Able to organise, prioritise, and work under pressure - managing numerous, highly complex activities at one time and meeting deadlines whenever required
• Ability to use own initiative and problem-solve without close supervision
• Demonstrable negotiating skills when dealing with colleagues, representatives of medical companies and device manufacturers
• Actively working towards enhancing their own knowledge and professional development

Additional

• Safe working knowledge with hazards such as: high-voltages, bio-hazards, compressed medical gases, ionising radiation etc.

Understanding of electrical and engineering guidlines and legislation.

• Level: basic / satisfactory / good
• understanding of healthcare legislation and guid3lines relating to medical equipment.

Understanding of the application of medical devices in healthcare.

• Level: basic / satisfactory / good

Good understanding of asset management databases.

• Level: basic / satisfactory / good
• Experience using medical devices asset management systems.

Experience in engineering fault finiding and use of test equipment.

• Experience in fault finding on medical equipment and use of test equipment.
• Level: basic / satisfactory / good

Knowledge and experience woring on projects.

Well developed analytical skills and decision making capability.

• Level: basic / satisfactory / good

Good knowledge of health and safety and wroking on electrical equipment.

• Level: basic / satisfactory / good

able to mentor and support junior engineers.

• Level: basic / satisfactory / good

Have an understanding of quality systems.

• Level: basic / satisfactory / good

Able to work under pressure and emotionally stressful situations.

• Level: basic / satisfactory / good

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.