Job responsibilities
The
role is that of clinical lead with highly-specialist scientific and technical
knowledge to ensure the quality of the outputs from the rehabilitation
engineering and clinical measurement services. The clinical lead ensures services are
delivered to appropriate standards in order to support patient care. There is
a strong innovation and improvement aspect to the role as well as service
delivery.
The
staff management aspect of the role involves
healthcare scientist staff (clinical technologists and clinical
scientists). The role also involves
responsibility for trainees (STP and Medical Engineering apprentices) when
they are working in the area.
The
service scopes are as follows:
Functional
Electrical Stimulation about 80 new referrals per year plus over 200 follow
ups.
Gait
analysis 60 referrals per year, plus 60 follow ups.
Wheelchairs
over 1000 clinical episodes per year
Scientific
and technical advice (based on data analysis, reporting) is also provided on
an ongoing basis to the Trusts externally provided prosthetics and orthotics
service (over 9,000 patients seem per year) and the renal dialysis service
for service assurance, monitoring and improvement activity (148 dialysis
stations in used over multiple shifts daily).
The
post holder has ongoing responsibility for the medical devices issued to a
cohort of about 180 patient who use the Functional Electrical Stimulators in
the community and about 100 medical devices in storage or being adapted
within the service.
PRINCIPAL
DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
Patient
Care
Clinical
lead, who is able to provide all aspects of the highly specialist gait
analysis service including:
- Gait measurements from patients,
- Physical examination of patients,
- Set up and calibration of measuring
equipment,
- Analysis of complex gait data which
requires advanced analytical skill to ensure data quality.
- Interpretation of gait data
requires high levels of theoretical knowledge on clinical conditions and
options for intervention.
- Presentation of results to
multidisciplinary teams,
- Justification of intervention
recommendations, based on data.
- Preparation of clinical reports
Clinical
lead, who is able to provide all aspects of the highly specialist FES service
including:
Patient
histories and physical examination,
Set
up and review of FES equipment for individual needs,
Assessment
of efficacy and safety of equipment for individuals.
Training
patients in the use of equipment
Leads
CEs scientific support for other specialist clinical services. These services include body composition
monitoring undertaken as part of renal dialysis.
Leads
scientific and technical support for the Trusts wheelchairs and seating,
orthotics and prosthetics services. The support includes set up of equipment,
risk assessment, incident investigations, device evaluations.
Monitors
and responds to demand from clinical referrals and other requests for
support.
Professional
Works
seamlessly with clinical leaders from other healthcare professions to deliver
clinical service in rehabilitation and scientific / technical support for
clinical services.
Monitors
service output indicators such as waiting times, patient feedback and takes
responsibility for performance.
Works
to improve service delivery, by monitoring relevant policies and standards;
proposing, developing and implementing changes to policy within services when
required. Ensures any changes are
recognised and adapted to by MDT colleagues and service users.
Monitors
clinical and scientific practice regionally and nationally and technological
innovations to ensure our service is adopting and leading best practice.
Able
to cover relevant aspects of Head of Clinical Engineering role when required,
including attendance at Senior Management Group meetings.
Education:
Provides
specialist training and assessment of practice for staff and trainees from a
healthcare background for competency in the field.
Also
teaches practitioners and students from healthcare science, medicine, therapy
and engineering background, covering advanced specialist knowledge in
rehabilitation engineering and clinical measurement.
Ensure
professional practice and skills are met by trainees such as apprentices and
STP trainees.
Information
and Data
Ensures
that clinical notes and patient data are recorded and stored by self and all
other staff within service in line with service standards.
Ensures
data on/from medical devices within own service areas is stored in line with
Trust standards.
Quality,
Professional and Occupational Standards
Ensures
work done in the service is undertaken based on underlying professional and
occupational policy and standards (for example, Clinical scientist standards
of proficiency, register of clinical technologists Code of Professional
Conduct). Local policies include, for
example, health and safety, recruitment practice, supporting performance,
professional registration.
Collaborates
with other CE and MP&E managers to ensure effective integration of all
aspects of the service. Examples of
areas of collaboration include medical devices safety, research and
innovation, training of staff, organisational assurances.
Ensures
gait analysis service maintains Clinical Movement Analysis Society (CMAS)
accreditation, by meeting their standards.
Ensures
work done in the service is undertaken within the framework of the Medical
Physics and Engineering Quality Management System and works with the Medical
Physics and Engineering quality manager to maintain ISO9001:2015
registration, by ensuring the requirements of the quality management system
are met.
Ensures
there is regular internal and external audit of own services.
Staffing
Responsibilities
Leads
staff working in rehabilitation engineering/clinical measurement team to
optimise service delivery as described below.
Ensures
work is distributed within team in line with different roles.
Monitors
professional standards for staff and ensures training framework is in place
for staff to have knowledge to meet service demands.
Ensures
effective team working. Delegates
work, reviews and supports progress.
Ensures effective teamwork is in place in all areas of the service.
Ensures
long term workforce plan together with staff recruitment plan is in place and
progressing.
Ensures
environment and working practices are compliant with health and safety for
staff working within service.
Financial
and Physical Resources Responsibilities
Clinical
Engineering budget holder for a Medical Physics and Engineering Cost
Centre(s). Responsible for authorising
spend, including on medical equipment, on own Cost Centre budgets.
Identifies
and communicates service needs at budget setting and through business
planning. Works with finance
colleagues when there are cost pressures in the service,
Has
responsibility for the safety and security of medical device assets in own
services, whilst they are in the Trust and when they are issued to patients
for use in the community.
Planning
and Organisation
Plans
clinical service activities and clinical workload, to ensure the services run
smoothly. Ensures there is sufficient
resources available for the clinical
activity eg staff, equipment, administrative support, space. Planning may require adjustment to routine
practice for example, ad hoc urgent appointments.
Undertake
longer term planning for service continuity (for example, covering staffing,
changes in available technologies and techniques, financial framework). This includes identifying areas for
improvement. Ensures plans are
reviewed, and there are actions for implementation.
Makes
decisions and recommendations on individual patient matters in situations
involving complexity (for example weighing up options which all involve
risks). There may be unknown factors
affecting risks at a time when a judgement is needed.
Research
and Innovation (R&I) Duties
Identifies
the need for research and innovation activity in rehabilitation engineering
and clinical measurement based on gaps in clinical knowledge, potential
extensions to clinical practice and advanced technologies.
Works
with stakeholders to develop proposals, coordinates research studies and
participates in the activity as required.
Coordination
includes: review of research findings, dissemination, and adoption of results
into clinical practice as required. It also includes presentation of findings
at national and international conferences.