Lead Sonographer

Job overview

An exciting opportunity exists for you to be a senior figure who will work in a clinical environment to deliver high quality care, whilst developing staff and working alongside managers. You will help to shape the future of the Ultrasound service as the Lead Sonographer of our team of dedicated and friendly Paediatric Sonographers. We are looking for a knowledgeable, and experienced Sonographer with a passion for paediatrics, who will embrace the opportunity to manage their own team and to lead and develop the Ultrasound service at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. Our Ultrasound department currently has 4 rooms all with Philips Epiq 5 ultrasound machines and 2 Philips Affinity Portable ultrasound machines, for use on the wards and in the interventional suite. We perform a wide range of paediatric examinations including Abdominal, Female Pelvis, Renal, Testes, Cranial, Spine, Neck, Hip, Soft tissue ultrasound and more specialist techniques including Musculoskeletal, Transcranial doppler and Orbit ultrasound. The service is currently provided over 5 days per week 8.30 - 5pm.

Main duties of the job

Responsible for the management and delivery of a comprehensive and effective Ultrasound imaging service. To manage within the Ultrasound service, the staff, personal development, PDR’s, and act as first line manager for sickness/absence, capability, disciplinary and professional issues. To provide professional support for staff and to develop plans to improve patient care within current professional and legal standards, local and national policies. To monitor the effectiveness of departmental protocols and procedures utilising audit/research/best practice to initiate and implement new protocols and procedures.

To work with the QSI lead radiographer and Radiology Management to ensure Key Performance Indictors and Governance Standards are met.

Facilitate the training and development of sonographers, student sonographers, and imaging department assistants. To act an as expert resource to provide clinical and technical advice to sonographers and other clinical staff. To participate in research and audit within the speciality and the wider MDT. To uphold the Trust values and NHS values at all times, behaving in a professional, empathetic, inclusive, safe, confidential and compassionate manner towards all staff, patients, visitors and carers.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Be responsible for effective communication within the Ultrasound team, MDT and department with regards to clinical protocols, safety issues, governance, and KPI’s.
• Communicate with referrers, radiologists, imaging service managers and the wider MDT to ensure appropriate referrals, and to ensure the patient pathway is seamless and that care is optimised.
• Communicate multifaceted and difficult information to patients/carers to gain their cooperation and understanding especially in stressful situations or more complex procedures, or where there are barriers to understanding. Give specialist advice to patients with regards to services available to them and contact numbers they may require.
• Communicate specialist information regarding Ultrasound Imaging to users of the service, patients, relatives and other health professionals.
• To act as an expert practitioner leading, demonstrating and disseminating advance practice and knowledge within the Ultrasound service in conjunction with the North-West Imaging Academy.
• Discuss issues of image interpretation with clinicians to ensure optimum outcome for the patient at the time of attendance to include recognition of acute pathology which may be also discussed with a radiologist.
• Interpret clinicians’ requirements to determine the appropriate scanning technique and ensure it is performed and reported on, in accordance with best practice. Use discretion to work outside of departmental standards when clinical circumstances necessitate.
• To carry out all aspects of Ultrasound examinations both as autonomous advanced practitioner and as part of the MDT. Develop and maintain skills to the highest level.
• Responsible for all staff within the Ultrasound department on a daily basis.
• To facilitate, organise and manage the sonographers working pattern, ensuring staff and patient safety at all times.
• To perform and offer reports for high quality ultrasound imaging to assist in diagnosis and treatment