Fibroscan Technician/Hepatology Assistant

Job summary

Fixed Term 12 months

An exciting opportunity for a substantive Fibro-scan technician/Hepatology assistant in the Hepatology division of the department of Gastroenterology at The St Mark's National Bowel Hospital has arisen. This post is newly created, and we are looking for individuals with an interest in working in a busy hepatology service, particularly with regard to fibro-scanning and phlebotomy at both LNWUH and community clinics. Fibro-scan is a simple bedside non-invasive test, it is a portable machine which is used to assess the degree of scarring in the liver.

Full training will be provided for successful candidates

St Mark's is an internationally renowned centre of excellence for gastroenterology, endoscopy and colorectal surgery, as well as a tertiary referral and national training centre. The department delivers gastroenterology, Hepatology and endoscopy services across the Trust's four hospitals - St Mark's, Central Middlesex, Northwick Park and Ealing . Additionally, it provides an extensive range of advanced diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopic procedures for both local and nationally referred patients. We are working towards improving the quality of liver service provision trust wide with strategic planning. The Hepatology Technician post is intended to expand the workforce and provide the much-needed support to the Hepatology team.

Main duties of the job

The Post-holder will:

• To be responsible for blood collection, as requested by medical/nursing staff.
• To be responsible for fibro scanning patients referred by members of the multi-disciplinary team and internal and external Hepatology Services.
• Provide fibro scans across site, adopting standard protocols and in line with Trust policies and operational guidelines.
• Ensure that equipment is prepared adequately prior to the procedure and to carry out fibro scans in a safe environment, following the manufacturers safety guidelines.
• To communicate effectively with patients and family members, ensuring the procedure is explained fully, any questions are answered, and verbal consent is obtained.

In addition, the Post-holder will:

• Provide non-clinical advice, information and guidance to patients, clients and relatives when required.
• Support the team in developing the fibroscan service and organising new clinics.
• Responsible for the maintenance of the fibroscan machine including calibration of the probes.
• Support the team with accurate data collection and audits.
• Analyse and report basic data activity as requested, following training.
• Act as a liaison for all healthcare professionals involved in health care provision to facilitate Fibroscans.
• Provide general non-clinical advice, providing statistical data for senior clinicians regarding patient waiting lists, activity etc.
• Liaise with service users to clarify information, both face to face and over the phone

About us

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH) cares for the people of Brent, Ealing, Harrow and beyond.

Our team of more than 8,200 clinical and support staff serve a diverse population of almost one million people.

We run major acute services at:

• Northwick Park Hospital: home to one of the busiest emergency departments (A&E) in the country. The hospital provides a full range of services including the country's top-rated hyper-acute stroke unit and one of only three hyper-acute rehabilitation units in the UK
• St Mark's Hospital: an internationally renowned specialist centre for bowel disease
• Ealing Hospital: a busy district general hospital providing a range of clinical services, as well as 24/7 emergency department and urgent care centre, and specialist care at Meadow House Hospice
• Central Middlesex Hospital: our planned care site, hosting a range of surgical and outpatient services and collocated with an urgent care centre.

We are a university teaching NHS trust, in recognition of the important role we play in training clinicians of the future and bringing the benefits of research to the public.