Lead Sonographer Fetal Medicine

Job overview

The post holder will be based in the Fetal Medicine Unit (FMU), North Wing St. Thomas’ Hospital. FMU is a tertiary referral centre covering South East London and some of the neighbouring counties.

There are a team of FMU Specialist Consultants, sub-specialty trainees and lecturers in Fetal Medicine, FMU sonographers and FMU midwives.  FMU performs almost 12,000 scans per year including responsibility for the running and co-ordination of the First Trimester Screening Programme, which includes nuchal translucency and first trimester biochemical screening.

The Sonographer will provide education and training to student sonographers in all aspects of Obstetrics and Gynaecological diagnostic ultrasound including some complex specialist obstetric imaging.

Main duties of the job

• To be the clinical lead for obstetric ultrasound.
• To manage the clinical workload within the Department adapting the service to respond to long and short-term demands. Ensuring the daily workload is organised in line with clinical priorities. Rearranging work lists in case of equipment failure and being responsive to the inconvenience caused to patients.
• To work as a specialist diagnostic sonographer and to demonstrate a high level of competence and understanding across a wide range of diagnostic examinations including a variety of complex clinical presentations whilst managing patient priority as appropriate.
• Providing a high level of technical expertise in a comprehensive range of examinations and maintaining a high standard of care for all patients requiring examinations.
• The ability to demonstrate an expert knowledge base with complex decision-making skills and the clinical competency for extended scope of practice within radiology.
• To provide specialist knowledge and advice to patients, carers, and other members of the sonography team as well as other staff including clinical fellows.
• To take an active part in the supervision and training of qualified sonographers, trainee sonographers, clinical fellows, and midwives with their individual development needs in mind and to provide induction support and mentorship to new members of staff. ·

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached job description and person specification for full details.

• Maintain effective communication and professional relationships with all areas within obstetrics and with associated clinical areas within the Trust acting as a point of advice for referrers and patients when clarification is needed.
• To contribute to service improvements and re-design in line with national and local service strategies, National Service Frameworks, NICE guidance, and emerging relevant NHS policies.
• To assist in the drafting, and share accountability for, the service continuity plan ensuring that it is communicated to all relevant staff groups.
• To contribute to a professional, high quality, effective, flexible, and efficient radiology service implementing best practice, local and national guidelines, and policies.
• To support the Early Pregnancy Unit and Acute Gynaecology, Rapid Access in McNair GOPD and the Assisted Conception Unit with clinical supervision.