Mammographer

Job overview

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of London’s largest and busiest teaching hospitals.

In line with being at the forefront of many developments in Breast Screening and diagnosis. You will operate between our two static sites and six mobile units throughout the South East of London.

We are increasing our establishment and are looking for a qualified and experienced mammographer able to work autonomously within specialist areas and will be accountable for your own professional actions.  You will assess, manage and prioritise a caseload, giving advice and guidance to patients and other health care professionals.

You should be a radiographer registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and will hold either a BSc in radiography or the Diploma of the College of Radiographers.  You should hold the UK Postgraduate Award in Mammography.  You will have excellent communication skills and a strong commitment to providing the best possible quality in both the technical and patient care aspects of your work.  We are one of the five designated National Breast Screening Training Centres in England therefore an interest in clinical teaching is desirable.  You will be flexible and adaptable and able to travel between all sites in South East London.

A Genuine Occupational Requirement under the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act Section 7(ii) applies to this post so we are only looking for female applicants.

Main duties of the job

As a qualified and experienced mammographer you will be able to work autonomously within specialist areas, consulting senior staff as and when necessary, and will be accountable for your own professional actions.  You will assess, manage and prioritise a caseload, giving advice and guidance to patients and other health care professionals. You will participate in multiple site rotations as and when necessary.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Participate in multiple site rotations as and when necessary. Act as an Operator under the IR(ME)R Radiation Regulations and assess the clinical justification of referrals to ensure that the benefit to the patient outweighs the radiation risk associated with the examination. Act as patient and staff advocate minimising their exposure to radiation. Provide timely, efficient and courteous provision of radiographic services to the agreed standards of the department taking account of the patient/clients clinical, physical and cultural needs. Monitor and adjust work priorities in conjunction with other professionals to take into account changing demands on the diagnostic services due to emergencies, ensuring that the Trust targets are met. Accountable for own professional actions and work within codes of Practice and professional guidelines Apply in-depth knowledge of anatomy, pathology and equipment to determine appropriate imaging techniques for the individual patient condition. Responsible for the safe use and maintenance of complex, high capital cost specialist imaging equipment Be responsible for ensuring the legal documentation on the Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving Communications System (PACS)  Receive and welcome patients and staff and deal with any enquiries in a kind and courteous manner. Communicate with the referrer any changes to referrals after assessing the clinical justification for an x-ray examination against IR(ME)R and local protocols. Deal sensitively with patients or carers under emotional stress, including the terminally ill and bereaved. Deal with potentially aggressive patients Communicate complex information relating to conditions and procedures to staff, patients and carers and ensure informed consent for examinations. Communicates effectively on a daily basis with patients with communication difficulties and cognitive impairment Anticipate and interpret customers’ needs, defining the level of customer care required on an individual basis Communicate effectively with staff within and outside of the department  Give factual information to patients, including children, regarding examinations and understand the necessary preparations Work with other Radiographers, Consultant Radiologists, Health Care Professionals to assist them with breast imaging examinations and other procedures. Ensure the safety and well being of patients, staff and visitors within the department Ensure patients receive timely and accurate information about their examination, and ensure urgent findings are communicated in the appropriate way to referrers. Position patients accurately for each examination, adapting techniques in accordance with the patient’s needs Be competent in the utilisation of complex and specialised imaging equipment Operate advanced software on specialised radiological equipment requiring in-depth anatomical, pathological and technical knowledge Be able to decide on additional views when required in line with professional knowledge Comply with the requirements of CNST Demonstrate problem-solving approach, evaluating the need to refer problems to the line manager Be accountable for own professional actions and working within codes of practice and professional guidelines, consulting senior staff as and when necessary Act as a source of knowledge to be consulted by other professionals Safely administer contrast media and other drugs in accordance with protocols as required Ensure the safe transferring of patients and equipment, following manual handling guidelines and using risk assessment Assist with changing and personal care of patients as necessary including immobile and disabled Operate a wide range of radiological equipment requiring excellent hand-eye co-ordination. e.g. post processing of images Operate Modality and PACS equipment within a VDU environment Physically position patients accurately for each examination, adapting techniques in accordance with the patient’s needs Ensure appropriate infection control measures are utilised where necessary. Paying particular attention to personal protection as well as the management of equipment and linens contaminated by bodily fluids. Management Responsibility

Organise and manage an agreed workload with support from other health care professionals and senior staff as appropriate Ensure that all Trust and local policies, protocols and procedures are adhered to by colleagues as appropriate Work within and support the multi-disciplinary team Maintain effective communication and professional relationships with all areas within Radiology  Share knowledge and skills developed with other members of the multi-disciplinary team Supervise the work of training radiographers and assistant practitioners within the local area, training staff in the imaging required for Breast Radiology as appropriate Observe personal responsibility for resource management Responsible for daily resource management of the local area Observe a general duty of care for the health, safety and well–being of self, work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management associated with this post Demonstrate a level of competency in line with King’s Radiography Competency Framework and is responsible for maintaining their own personal development with support As part of individual professional responsibility actively lead and participate in the departmental Quality Assurance Programme including the completion of Equipment Competencies and reject analysis Deal with complaints in accordance with Trust complaints procedure Report any Adverse incidents and be familiar with the AI trigger list Ensure Clinical Governance protocols are complied with and corrective actions taken where required Aid the Head of Breast Radiography/Clinical Specialists with standard setting and policy formation for the service area Contribute to service improvements and re-design in line with the NHS plan and local service strategies Assess the needs of patients and plan the delivery of imaging and care around these needs within a specialist area Co-ordinate services within each section, and liase with other wards and sections/departments, to provide a comprehensive and efficient Imaging service On a daily basis, in the absence of more senior staff, deputise for the clinical specialists/Head of Breast Radiography In line with the Trust Appraisal process undertake the appraisals of Radiographic Department Assistants and Assistant Practitioners Contribute to data collection for statistics on capacity, demand & backlog and other management activity.  Aid with maintaining the level of stock and consumables within each area and liaise with equipment companies in case of equipment failure Ensure compliance with Trust Health and Safety policies and procedures within the area, including ionising radiation and infection control to provide a safe and secure environment Support new staff in induction Act both as role model and clinical expert to facilitate development of others through example and education Demonstrate, maintain and update skills and knowledge of evolving practice and legislative requirements Provide professional support to other radiographers Actively lead in the training and development of Radiographers, Assistant Practitioners and Student Radiographers, assuming professional responsibility for their work Train Radiographers and Assistant Practitioners where appropriate in the utilisation of highly complex, high capital cost specialist imaging equipment Train Radiographers and Assistant Practitioners where appropriate, in how to position patients accurately for each examination, adapting techniques in accordance with the patient’s needs Review, develop and write protocols with a view to improving service  Demonstrate, maintain and update skills and knowledge of evolving practice and legislative requirements

Responsible for individual CPD and support others. Also participate in the department’s CPD program.  Initiate and participate in audit including contribution to imaging data collection Contribute to practice development in reaction to the findings of audit and recent evidence, implement recommendations, and monitor their effectiveness Participate in clinical research within the department Work with others in the development of research protocols Adhere to research standards, protocols and documentation. Lead, coach and manage the performance of the team in line with good people management practices. Ensuring excellence is recognised and under performance is addressed. Participate in regular performance appraisal meetings and ensure each member of the team has a clear set of objectives and development plans. Identify and fill any vacancies that arise within the team in line with the Trust’s recruitment policy and process. Ensure overall wellbeing of the team is maintained. Continuously support in improving the morale of the team and implementing a culture of zero-tolerance for bullying and harassment.