Consultant Sonographer

Job description

Job responsibilities

- The post holder will be an expert practitioner within ultrasound demonstrating excellent technical skills in all aspects of ultrasound, with the exception of obstetric ultrasound. They will function at the same level as a Consultant Radiologist.

-To spend approximately 80% of the time providing direct clinical care, through clinical sessions. This involves the utilisation of highly developed specialist knowledge, critical thinking and expert decision-making skills in order to produce and review radiological images and produce highly complex and sensitive formal reports.

-Scans performed and reported will include a variety of skills within non-obstetric ultrasound.

-The post holder will be required to acquire specialist skills for interventions performed under ultrasound control.

-To drive forward the boundaries of own practice and that of advanced practitioners.

-To provide clinical leadership, consultancy and professional education as part of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. This will include giving professional opinion on images and imparting highly complex information to one or more professional colleagues within multidisciplinary team meetings, justifying interpretation and advising on patient diagnosis.

-Communication of such reports is generally in the written / electronic format, but specialist opinion may be provided orally as and when required.

-Exercise a high degree of professional and personal autonomy, acting as a consultant practitioner, demonstrating advanced clinical competence, decision making and a knowledge base beyond those associated with conventional Advanced Practitioner Sonographer roles, thereby acting as an expert in their field.

-To independently undertake and provide reports for ultrasound examinations to inform diagnosis / treatment in line with agreed competencies and individual defined scope of practice. This image interpretation involves exercising judgement in assessing complicated images, where the appearances may be indicative of a number of clinical conditions.

-To have detailed awareness and understanding of the importance of other imaging modalities and investigations and refer for patients for further imaging in line with agreed departmental protocols, to aid diagnosis where necessary and show judgement in the consideration of possible options

-To use good analytical and judgemental skills to interpret the images when reporting, in order to accurately differentiate between normal and pathological findings thereby providing highly specialist clinical technical services and contributing to patient diagnosis, care and treatment

-To use analytical and judgemental skills to view the images they produce, to assess their technical quality and to have the ability to identify either technical or pathological reasons for performing additional examinations appropriately.

-To perform audit and attend multidisciplinary meetings to discuss cases as appropriate. Imparting highly complex information and advising on patient diagnosis.

-To maintain and develop clinical skills. Maintain fitness to practice within Professional Code of Conduct and through CPD.

-Ensure the most efficient use of resources whilst ensuring service delivery.

-To maintain a flexible approach to working hours, working core hours at any specified times over a 7 day period, in order to promote a high-quality service.

-Acts as a role model to all other staff, promoting Consultant Radiographer / Sonographer practice and providing expert assistance to Advanced Practitioners.

-Utilise advanced keyboard and sensory skills in order to manipulate images on an ultrasound machine / PACS workstation in order to maximise image appearances to inform diagnosis.

-Demonstrate advanced skills to utilise equipment and Radiology Information System available to provide electronic reports e.g. use of voice recognition technology if available.

Motivate and develop the Sonographers to unlock their potential.

-Lead on ultrasound audit sessions, developing and performing CPD activities such as presentations and workshops.

-There is a requirement to use Visual Display Unit equipment more or less continuously on most days.

-Develop and sustain relationships with patients and all members of the interdisciplinary team across care settings and traditional boundaries in order to maintain effective communication and exchange of information.

-Provide a consultancy service for patients, carers, primary care and secondary care health professionals and external agencies.

-To attend and support relevant multidisciplinary teams ensuring sound clinical decisions are made in relation to ultrasound.

-Develop links with other Consultant Radiographers / Sonographers, promoting the role and the organisation and creating a network for best practice.

Lead by example and be a visible presence within the department, promoting the team and the field of ultrasound.

-Provide clinical leadership for a sub-speciality within ultrasound. This includes responsibility for protocols, governance and audit.

-To exercise leadership in the development and implementation of policy and care pathways with all stakeholders to improve the patients experience of healthcare.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• DCR/BSc Diagnostic Radiography.
• Post graduate diploma in medical ultrasound
• Additional ultrasound qualification / experience
• Masters degree, relevant to medical ultrasound, or working towards.

Professional registration

Essential

• Registered with HCPC or equivalent professional body (e.g. NMC, GMC).

Experience

Essential

• Specialist expertise underpinned by theory and extensive practical experience obtained and supported through a masters level education programme.
• High standard of clinical reporting skills.

Competency

Essential

• ust have advanced specialist knowledge in the area of medical ultrasound, exercising judgement in assessing complicated images

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

Address

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

Moat Road

Walsall

WS2 9PS

Employer's website

https://walsallhealthcare.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)