Principal Sonographer

Job summary

We are seeking a Principal Sonographer to join Torbay South Devon Foundation Trust. You will be a qualified Reporting Sonographer and will lead the Ultrasound service, managing 15 Sonographers across Non-obstetric and Obstetric service. The service delivers 32,000 studies per annum, supported by an Independent Sector provided Community Diagnostic Centre.

You will join our team at a time of significant change in leadership in Radiology and be responsible for Ultrasound service delivery supported by the Radiology management team. You will provide strategic, managerial, clinical and professional leadership to the team and drive the service forwards contributing to directorate meetings, service planning and clinical governance with ambition to make significant quality improvements.

As a clinical Reporting Sonographer, you will work independently acquiring and interpreting diagnostic ultrasound images. The role includes acute and elective general ultrasound scans, obstetric work and includes weekend working.

Working in cooperation with Radiology support workers, sonographers, and consultant radiologists, you will lead the service, delegating tasks as required and engage in all four pillars of practice to assure to a high-quality ultrasound service that is resilient, progressive and committed to providing the best care possible.

Join us to lead to the delivery of a highly skilled patient-focused ultrasound service and a team that is strategically going on an improvement journey.

Please note this will be 8a pending matching/consistency checking.

Main duties of the job

Leadership & Management

• Manage theradiology and obstetricUltrasound Service's workforce

• Ensure compliance with Trust policies and national targets

• Represent Ultrasound at meetings

Clinical Excellence & Standards

• Undertake and supervise high-quality ultrasound imaging and reporting

• Vet referrals, prioritiseclinical and managerialworkloads

• Produceaccurate clinical and managementreports

• Provide expert clinical advice as required

• Promote evidence-based,safe and ergonomic practice

Quality Assurance & Governance

• Develop,deliverandmonitor QA programmes, including national screening requirements

• Ensure equipment maintenance, servicing, QA testing and prompt resolution of faults

• Monitor service performance, manage risksincidentreporting and complaintsand support governance

Service Development & Innovation

• Lead strategic and operational planning for the Service, aligning with Trust and national priorities

• Use complex data to inform redesign, capacityplanning and service improvement

• Modernise pathways embed innovation and challenge practices to improve patient flow and meet demand

Collaboration & Communication

• Maintain effective communication with all stakeholders

• Disseminate information to the ultrasound team and senior leadership

• Present complex information to committees and MDTs

• Engage sensitively with patients, often communicating difficult news

About us

Why Work With Us

Our Sonography team is made up of 15 (12WTE) Radiographer and Midwife Sonographers who collectively support 25,000 examinations each year.

We operate across 10 modern ultrasound rooms: five within the Women's Health Unit, three in the main Radiology Department, and two at Newton Abbot Community Hospital. Our service plays a key role in supporting a wide range of clinical teams, including Acute Medicine, Surgery, MAAT/DVT, Paediatrics, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Fertility, sexual health unit as well as GP, outpatient, and inpatient services. We also collaborate closely with a local Independent Sector Community Diagnostic Centre, which undertakes approximately 8,500 examinations annually.