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Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologist/Clinical Scientist

The closing date is 24 July 2025

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Job summary

Expected Shortlisting Date

23/07/2025

Planned Interview Date

28/07/2025

We are looking to recruit a number of Highly Specialist Cardiac Physiologists / Clinical Scientists at Band 7 level to join our Cardiac Ultrasound team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dynamic and forward-thinking BSE-accredited department, dedicated to supporting team development and delivering the highest standard of care to service users

The successful candidates will hold Level 2 BSE Adult Transthoracic Accreditation and be capable of independently practising at an advanced level in echocardiography. They should be confident in the use of advanced imaging modalities, including speckle tracking and global longitudinal strain (GLS), and able to provide imaging support for transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) and stress echocardiography.

They will apply their expertise across a range of advanced physiologist-led specialist clinics at Leeds and be committed to ongoing professional development that enhances both their role as a sonographer and the wider service. Strong day-to-day leadership skills are essential, as is a willingness to contribute to service development initiatives and collaborate closely with the Service Manager in delivering both practical and theoretical training.

Main duties of the job

The post holders will be responsible for performing and reporting a wide range of specialist echo procedures. They will demonstrate the ability to make accurate and reproducible measurements, independently interpret findings, and produce reports to the highest standards.

The continuous development of advanced echocardiographic skills will be supported, with training provided to facilitate active participation in established physiologist-led services; ICC, valve and stress echo.

The post holders will take ownership of a sub-specialty within the service and expected to lead, motivate and develop small teams within their area of expertise.

As part of the senior team, the post holders will contribute to the day-to-day organisation of service delivery and play active roles in the departments extensive audit, quality assurance, and governance programmes.

Applicants should be well-organised, adaptable, and dependable, with the ability to work effectively under pressure. Strong prioritisation and teamwork skills are essential, along with a commitment to supporting the development of junior staff.

The echocardiography department has a strong role in education and training, contributing to student programmes and the development of multidisciplinary healthcare professionals from both within and outside the organisation. There will be opportunities to assist in designing training plans and delivering both practical and theoretical teaching.

About us

Come and join our team in Leeds and become part of The Leeds Way sharing our vision and values. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest acute health providers in the UK and based in one of the fastest growing and vibrant cities in the north.

The Cardio-Respiratory Clinical Service Unit aims to be fair and supportive with positive, caring teams who are champions of the Leeds Way values. Our values are part of what make us different from other organisations, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work.

Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Date posted

03 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 7

Salary

£47,810 to £54,710 a year

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

C9298-CRS-280

Job locations

St. James's University Hospital

Beckett Street

Leeds

LS9 7TF

Job description

Job responsibilities

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

Clinical Duties

To be professionally and legally accountable for all aspect of own work, including the management of patients in your care.

Routinely undertakes assessment of both in-patients and out-patients prior to a range of Cardiological Investigations and uses own discretion in order to ensure the patient is suitable for the investigation.

Gives lead specialist advice during highly complex situations where analytical judgement is required to all other members of the multi-disciplinary team including consultant physicians.

Carries out all aspects of clinical work as approved by their Line Manager.

Lead Specialist in own clinical field. Implements change in own specialist area based on own experience and evidence-based practice.

Works within and towards national guidelines and directives, e.g., BSE guidelines.

Works as an autonomous practitioner within established departmental policies and those recognised by international organisations.

Communicates with all members of the multidisciplinary team to ensure the best possible care for patients, including: negotiating, reassurance, empathy, and persuasiveness.

Communicates sensitive information about routine and complex cardiac investigations to patients and relatives/carers and those with learning and/or physical disabilities.

Calibrates and manipulates a wide range of complex, expensive, technical equipment which process, create, update and store information.

Performs / provides factual reports on a number of the following investigations on a region-wide range of Cardiac and Medical patients including acutely ill patients and elderly patients and those with a range of physical and learning disabilities:

- Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)

- 3D/4D Echocardiography

- Strain/speckle Echocardiography

- Bubble Contrast Echocardiography

- Left Ventricular Opacification Echocardiography (LVO)

- Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy (CRT)

- Physiologist Led Stress Testing

- Sonographer Led Valve Clinic

- Support for Transoesophageal Echocardiography

- Support for Interventional Cardiology

Reports equipment faults in accordance with departmental policy.

Demonstrates personal duty of care for safe use of expensive and highly complex equipment. Is responsible for ensuring that others are fully trained in the safe use of such equipment within their specialist area.

Responsible for maintenance of stock levels by ordering from pre-agreed tender schedules and by seeking new resources as service demands change.

Responsible for day-to-day security of expensive equipment, e.g., portable ultrasound machines, TOE probes.

Professional

Responsible for maintaining own technical competencies in clinical areas.

Responsible for reporting clinical incidents and adverse events to the Service Manager, e.g., ultrasound probe heating / Datix.

Maintain state registration.

Responsible for formal mentorship and coordination of training for designated staff in training within own specialist area.

Provides highly specialist training on a day-to-day basis for doctors and cardiac physiologists.

Be an active member of the in-service training programme by attendance at, and participation in, in-service training programmes, tutorials, individual training sessions, external courses and peer review.

Undertakes Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in accordance with Personal Development Plan (PDP) as developed with Line Manager.

Attends and participates in departmental staff meetings.

Maintains and develops current knowledge of evidence-based practice in each clinical area.

Responsible for the implementation and evaluation of capital and consumable equipment prior to purchase to ensure the equipment fulfils both service requirements and budget restrictions.

Frequently undertakes collection of data for use in audit, research projects and equipment testing.

Regularly undertakes clinical trials involving new and emerging technologies.

Regularly provides training in Highly Specialist Cardiological techniques to staff members including specialist physiologists and medical staff.

Collaborates with the Service Manager towards changes that may impact the wider service provision.

Organisational

Ability to prioritise and organise the clinical caseload within a designated area of Cardiology. Includes planning and organisation of expected and acute workload and deployment of more junior staff within that area.

Accountable for the delivery and day to day management of the delegated area of responsibility within their speciality.

Effort

Required to exert moderate physical effort. Frequent transferring of patients and equipment on both trolleys and wheelchairs. Prolonged MSK activity whilst performing ultrasound scans.

Is forced to deal with confrontation from industry representatives who can be demanding and intrusive.

There is a frequent requirement for prolonged periods of concentration. Occasional requirements for both prolonged and highly intense levels of concentration.

Frequently interrupted during clinical work to give highly specialist advice to peers, physicians and takes urgent calls from other sources, e.g., staff at other hospitals within the region whom are seeking urgent advice.

Exposure to highly distressing situations, e.g., cardiac arrhythmias, anaphylaxis, respiratory and cardiac arrest.

To comply with the Trusts manual handling policy at all times.

Frequent exposure to unpleasant working conditions on a regular daily basis e.g.: bodily fluids including blood, sputum, vomit, urine, fleas and lice.

Occasional exposure to highly emotional situation away from own clinical area, e.g., having to perform echocardiography as part of assessment for organ retrieval.

Occasional exposure to verbal and physical aggression.

Frequently deals sensitively with patients who have high levels of anxiety and aggression caused by pain, dementia or limited mobility.