Job responsibilities
Job Purpose
Lead Countywide antenatal and
newborn screening service in line with the service standards and specifications
of the national screening programmes.
Provide specialist knowledge,
skills, education and training for midwifery and medical staff, related to
antenatal and neonatal screening programmes.
Provide specialist knowledge
directly to women/families.
Co-ordinate and audit screening
programmes.
Ensure that the antenatal and
newborn screening service provided within Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust
is in line with regional and national standards.
Co-ordinate the Fetal Medicine
service/team within Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust. This includes the
triaging process for all new referrals as well as supporting the Fetal Medicine
Consultants during clinics.
Key Duties:
Management:
Be responsible for the co-ordination
of all antenatal and newborn screening programmes, ensuring they are delivered
effectively at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals Trust, monitoring the quality
assurance of the programmes and ensuring appropriate fail safes are in place.
Lead and support antenatal screening
at a service level, based within the Maternity Unit and Antenatal clinics,
having direct responsibility for overseeing the programme at a local level in
counselling women and their partners regarding high chance/screen positive
results.
Identify and propose recommendations
and work closely with the Director of Midwifery in the implementation of new
antenatal and linked newborn screening documents.
Co-ordinate a multi-disciplinary
approach within the Trust Maternity Services, in all issues relating to
antenatal and newborn screening provision and the delivery of a recognised
standard of care across all areas of the maternity services.
Support Trust wide Antenatal
Screening Steering Group accountable to Trust Board in relation to screening
issues, provision of service and monitoring of standards.
Co-ordinate the development and
implementation of antenatal and newborn screening policies and protocols of
care in line with local and national recommendations.
Collaborate and work closely with
the Quality Assurance Manager, ICB, NHS England and user groups within the
locality and Clinical Governance team within their Trust to establish a uniform
standard of care within their area.
Manage sensitive or contentious
situation for patients and staff by advanced communication skills, thus
facilitating good patient care.
To lead and develop the service by
planning and use of organisational skills in line with regional and national
guidance.
Maintain knowledge base in
specialist area by attending regional and national training days pertinent to
specialised area of work.
Maintain midwifery skills by working
in the clinical field at regular intervals and by attending mandatory updates.
Participate in research projects
where appropriate, reporting findings within a multi-disciplinary framework.
To be professionally accountable for
ones own midwifery practice, acting in a professional manner at all times,
abiding by the Midwives Code and all other relevant NMC and Trust practice
protocols and guidelines.
To be responsible for the
maintenance and improvement of own professional knowledge and competence in
keeping with the practice and CPD standard laid down by the NMC to ensure
revalidation and professional registration.
Devise and disseminate standard
multi-disciplinary guidelines and policies which are evidence based and in line
with national recommendations.
Utilise risk management strategy to
ensure related policies and guidelines are implemented effectively through
clinical governance processes.
Provide and present annual reports,
detailing performance of local screening provision to the Director of
Midwifery, Clinical Director, Regional and National Departments.
Review information for patients and
ensure that literature is based on national accepted standards, ensuring
availability in languages relevant to the locality.
Provide effective leadership and act
as a good role model.
Awareness of financial issues
related to the provision of services and the implementation of new
developments.
Oversee the development,
implementation and evaluation of fetal medicine referral pathways.
Co-ordinate and provide support to
fetal medicine clinics working closely with fetal medicine consultants.
Be aware of local and national
maternity strategy and how this will shape the future of maternity services
including working in partnership with other providers.
Patient Care:
To maintain skills and expertise and
be responsible for the management of high chance results.
Accountable for the management of
care of women with high chance results.
Provide specialist counselling
information, support and advice to women and their partners concerning high
chance results or unexpected news.
Inform couples directly the results
of diagnostic tests and provide ongoing specialist advice and support.
Work closely with ultrasound
department and laboratories to ensure appropriate management and continuity of
care for women.
Facilitate informed choice by
providing appropriate post-test discussion sessions and subsequent management
of care dependent on outcome.
Provide ongoing support for those
women/couples declining diagnostic testing.
Assist with diagnostic session and
co-ordinate and disseminate results.
Liaise with regional tertiary units.
medical staff and GPs as indicated with the management of care following
counselling and/or diagnostic testing.
Ensure the screening patient journey
is in line with national recommendations and local policy.
To be fully conversant in dealing
with complex midwifery problems such as child protection issues.
Education & Training:
To liaise with the Regional Quality
Assurance Manager in the development of a multi-disciplinary training strategy
pertinent to the requirements of their locality.
Provide specialist advice and act as
a resource for multi-disciplinary levels of staff and women, partners and their
families.
To develop an infrastructure to
support staff involved in the programme and enable the dissemination of
information and sharing of best practice.
Provide specialist expertise,
underpinned by practice and theory to all levels of staff ensuring a high level
of knowledge and excellent patient care.
Ensure that staff reach their full
potential by enabling them to develop professional, clinical, and managerial
and communication skills, which will be identified via training needs analysis
and effective communication skills.
Plan and participate in the teaching
programmes of students and medical staff, monitoring the learning environment
in accordance with their objectives, working closely with local education
providers.
Personnel:
Investigate complaints and incidents
according to Trust policy/Datix management.
Lead SI investigations according to
Trust policy reporting to external organisation if required.
Monitor action plans from any
complaints of incidents.
Audit & Monitoring:
Ensure the maintenance
of Trust wide speciality related I.T information systems and assist with the
collection of data as indicated by national policies.
Conduct internal annual
audits.
Lead antenatal and
newborn screening audit programmes, evaluate data and produce action plans to
ensure lessons are learned and risks reduced.
Implement
and audit fail safe procedures as required.
Complete
quarterly and annual templates to provide KPI data and produce annual report
for Trust Board and regional/national reporting.
