Director of Breast Screening

Job overview

The Breast Imaging Radiology team in Plymouth has a longstanding reputation for excellence in breast screening and symptomatic breast services.

The Primrose Breast Care Centre in Plymouth opened in 2001. The Primrose Breast Centre provides a combined screening and symptomatic service and screening is carried out on one mobile van in addition to 1 static unit as well as within the unit at Derriford Hospital.

Please note - this role is open to all clinical staff who meet the criteria

Main duties of the job

The Director of Breast Screening has overall accountability for the safe and effective provision of the local breast screening service. This is from the identification of the eligible screening cohort to the point of diagnosis as commissioned by NHS England.

They will be responsible for providing strategic leadership alongside their operational management colleagues (Service Line Director and Service Line Manager), operational oversight and ensuring the delivery of a high-quality breast screening service aligned with NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) guidelines. The role involves working with multidisciplinary teams to enhance service standards, achieve compliance, and maintain patient-centred care.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• 1.    Understand the NHS Breast Screening Programme (NHSBSP) standards, ensuring compliance with the national breast screening service specification. 2.    Ensure all staff involved in diagnostic work-up are appropriately trained, with relevant competency sign-off. 3.    Provide assurance that image readers and pathologists routinely participate in external quality assurance (EQA) schemes. 4.    Address health inequalities by understanding the local eligible population and improving access. 5.    Encourage participation in approved screening research trials with appropriate ethical and national approvals. 6.    co-ordinates with breast screening colleagues the running of the service, communicating with the management and clinical leads within the Trust, with commissioners and with screening and immunisation leads (SILs) within local commissioning teams 7.    works with the lead radiographer, programme manager and screening office manager to agree appropriate delegation of tasks which must be reflected in job descriptions and be adequately resourced 8.    takes responsibility for data accuracy, accurate allocation of named individuals on NBSS and the completeness of the NBSS record 9.    makes sure the service’s working environment is open and transparent, developing a learning culture and avoiding a blame culture 10.  works with the management team to maintain adequate numbers of trained, qualified and competent staff to provide a high-quality breast screening service in line with national guidance 11.  attends regular management meetings within the Trust, programme board meetings and director of breast screening professional network meetings with SQAS (Screening Quality Assurance Service). 12.  makes sure there are regular senior leadership team meetings with the lead radiographer, programme and screening office manager (no less than monthly) to discuss operational aspects of the programme

Clinical accountability

The Director of Breast Screening:

• 13.  Promotes clinical decision making based on screening guidelines at multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings, dealing with concerns about individuals working within the screening service and reporting and escalating performance concerns in accordance with SQAS and Trust processes 14.  makes sure all performance monitoring and mandatory audits are undertaken according to and all performance data is reported, including: a.    national audits: NHS BSP and  (ABS), interval cancers and others b.    KC62 Department of Health returns c.     KPI and routine monitoring statistics 15.  examines ad hoc audits for national collation, statistical returns and audits before submission, formally signs them off as appropriate and makes sure any resulting actions to improve performance are undertaken