X-Ray Deputy Superintendent Radiographer

Job overview

The Deputy Superintendent Radiographer will be an experienced Diagnostic Radiographer with a strong interest in healthcare service delivery, leadership, radiographer development within the X-ray speciality. This is a key role within the Radiology service, supporting the delivery of high‑quality, patient‑focused imaging in line with Trust values and strategic objectives.

The post holder will play an integral role in ensuring key performance indicators are achieved, while maintaining excellent standards of patient care and safety. They will support the effective day‑to‑day running of the service and provide visible, supportive leadership to staff. This includes ensuring adherence to professional, ethical and regulatory requirements, and fostering a positive, inclusive working environment.

Effective communication is central to this role. The post holder will communicate clearly and compassionately with patients and carers, and work collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues and students, providing advice and information of varying complexity as required. They will hold line management responsibility for a range of staff, with a strong emphasis on pastoral support, staff wellbeing and ongoing professional development.

Main duties of the job

• Be accountable as the area Deputy Superintendent Radiographer, provide supervision and advice as required for staff and students. Provide leadership to support, or in the absence of, Superintendents as necessary.
• Organise and manage workloads, escalating issues and concerns appropriately.
• Apply in-depth knowledge of anatomy, pathology and imaging system technology to determine appropriate acquisition techniques for individual patient presentation
• Assess service requirements, identify capacity, demand and development on a strategic level.
• Ensure that Trust and departmental (local) policies, protocols and procedures are adhered to by colleagues and students. Assist with policy development and implementation.
• Demonstrate excellent radiographic knowledge and competency.
• Where advanced practice qualification/s are held, clinical practice and performance monitoring will be completed in line with local policy.
• The post holder will possess the knowledge and understanding of imaging techniques, equipment functionality and radiation physics to ensure optimisation of every exposure.
• Be accountable for own professional actions and working within codes of Practice and Professional Guidelines. Act as an Operator under the IR(ME)R 17 and hold detailed knowledge of IRR 17 and IR(ME)R 17 legislation.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Radiographic Practice

Demonstrate excellent radiographic knowledge and competency. Undertake radiographic clinical practice in line with local policy and procedure. Position patients accurately for each examination, adapting techniques in accordance with patient requirements. Additional views are to be completed in line with professional knowledge and departmental policy.

Where advanced practice qualification/s are held, clinical practice and performance monitoring will be completed in line with local policy.

The post holder will possess the knowledge and understanding of imaging techniques, equipment functionality and radiation physics to ensure optimisation of every exposure. They will competent in the use of specialised imaging equipment.

Be accountable for own professional actions and working within codes of Practice and Professional Guidelines. Act as an Operator under the IR(ME)R 17 and hold detailed knowledge of IRR 17 and IR(ME)R 17 legislation.

Uphold information governance standards when using departmental and trust level patient record IT systems. Specifically CRIS, PACS, EPR and EPIC. Ensure timely provision of images and/or reports to referrers.

Accountable for own professional actions (both clinical and managerial) working within HCPC codes of practice, SOR and RCR professional guidelines.

Education, Training and Development

Provide teaching and development for a range of staff and students. Incorporate clinical experience and academic knowledge into training to improve patient care, image quality, technical competence and professionalism.

Employ range of teaching methods to deliver educational material, clinical skills and staff development.

Where training needs are identified every effort will be made to provide this as necessary, this may include utilising external speakers or courses.

Liaison with the department's practice education team to help deliver and design required departmental or individual training and education.

Understand that individuals learn differently and different approaches may be applied to support learning and development. Consider neurodiversity when approaching teaching and training techniques.

Ensure opportunities for learning and development are provided fairly and that they are equitable. Where challenges arise in staff competency and learning seek advice in support using local and national resources, local protocols and advice from department leads, human resources and occupational health.

Responsible for own continued profession development (CPD) undertaking a range of evidenced activities. Maintain and update skills and knowledge of evolving practice, research and legislative requirements. Embed this into local practice as appropriate

Quality, Research and Audit

Undertake clinical audit and research to monitor and review standards, in particular evaluation of practice, x-ray imaging quality and radiation governance. Review data to identify trends or required service improvements. Ensure identified areas for improvement are addressed appropriately.

Review recent and relevant published evidence, research and legislation with a view ensure evidence based practice within the department.

Adhere to research standards, ethics and protocols. Ensure imaging examinations required as part of research studies are completed correctly, according to research protocols. Confirm that appropriate IRMER and Trust research and development authorisation has been granted prior to completing a research imaging exam.

Address quality issues that arise and implement improvements and training as appropriate.

Communication

Ability to communicate with patients, relatives and colleagues in a range of scenarios that may include busy or noisy environments, a highly emotional or sometimes antagonistic atmosphere. Apply de-escalation approaches to ensure the safety of self and others, and if appropriate, continuation of services.

Written material produced uses language and formatting so that it is appropriate for the intended audience, and clearly delivers the required message or information.

Provide sufficient information to enable patients to give informed consent, particularly from a radiation risk perspective. Communication should enable the patient to comply with any pre-examination preparation and instructions required during the exam.

Communicate with all patients with a range of presentations, ages, capabilities or disabilities; or where English is a person’s first language. Be considerate of any cultural or religious beliefs. Tailor approach to patients who may be incapacitated, sedated or intoxicated.

Anticipate barriers to effective communication and take steps to improve them.

Consider that non-communicative patients may still be able to hear and feel what is occurring around them.

Hold difficult conversations respectfully and with empathy. This is most likely to apply with staff in your line management capacity. If difficult conversations are required in a ‘clinician to patient’ scenario ensure you have the appropriate training to do so.