The Ultrasound superintendent sonographer will be someone who is keen to be part of an imaging service with a difference. Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust’s (CWHFT) imaging directorate is going through a period of transformational change where innovation is at the forefront of what we do.
We have a culture which fosters innovation and supports new ideas whilst also ensuring our people are well supported so that they have high rates of employee satisfaction and are professionally developing
to be the leaders of tomorrow. Being one of only a handful of Trusts in London to secure Quality Standards in Imaging (QSI) accreditation by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS), we are keen to maintain the highest quality standards, and drive quality improvement (QI).
The post holder is responsible for the day-to-day management and coordination of the US department, working closely with the Clinical Imaging Head of Imaging and superintendent team.
The US superintendent on the West Middlesex Hospital site will take on an additional leadership role in Patient Safety, working closely with the Clinical Governance divisional director. The role will include supporting the divisional director in delivering the governance requirements of the division, implementing new processes and procedures across the division, reviewing incidents and patient safety concerns, acting as the lead AHP for the division, ensuring where improvements can be made they are.
- The post holder is responsible for the day-to-day management and coordination of the US department, working closely with the Clinical Imaging Head of Imaging and superintendent team.
- Ensure the delivery and monitoring of an efficient and effective service and to recommend any changes necessary to achieve exceptional levels of service performance.
- Successful applicant will be expected to produce high quality imaging services to assist in diagnosis and treatment and will also be responsible for coordinating training and supervising junior staff and students. Our staff are our most important asset which we want to ensure reach their full potential.
- The post holder will effectively, with the superintendent team, manage and rota staff in specific areas to ensure a robust service. In addition, there will be a significant clinical element to the role, which will include practical sonography, teaching and reporting with the support and direction of the US Clinical Lead Consultant Radiologist.
- The postholder will be responsible for overall ultrasound service delivery in Radiology and support services to ensure timely service delivery in line with national timeframes for all our patient pathways (DM01, urgent, cancer and planned pathway).
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of England's top-performing and safest trusts. We operate two main acute hospital sites—Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital—along with award-winning clinics across North West London.
Our nearly 7,500 staff care for a diverse population of 1.5 million, providing full clinical services, including maternity, A&E, and children’s services, plus specialist HIV and sexual health clinics. The Care Quality Commission rates us 'Good' in safety, effectiveness, care, and responsiveness, and 'Outstanding' in leadership and resource use.
We continually invest in our facilities, including a £30m expansion of critical care at Chelsea and Westminster and an £80m Ambulatory Diagnostic Centre at West Middlesex.
Our facilities are some of the best in the country. We have been investing around £10 million a year in our estate. We have recently completed a £30m expansion of our adult and neonatal critical care facilities at Chelsea and Westminster and are planning an ambitious £60m development of an Ambulatory Diagnostics Centre at West Middlesex.
Employment is subject to a six-month probationary period.
Some roles may require weekend shifts at multiple sites.
Roles and responsibilities
- Act as a point of contact for users of the service dealing with colleagues, patients, carers and relatives in a helpful reassuring, empathetic and friendly manner. - Have a key interest in both Radiology and O&G ultrasound services - Liaise with service users from other departments to maintain service delivery at times of disruption due to equipment failure or increased demand.
- Coherently and succinctly present to staff both within, and external to, the department.
- Provide professional and managerial support to, and work closely with the superintendent team and head of Imaging, manager cross site.
- Deal with highly complex, sensitive or emotional situations e.g., terminal illness, distraught relatives or situations of conflict etc.
- Respond to complaints and implement remedial actions to prevent recurrence.
- Ensure procedures are in place for effectively communicating messages to staff.
- Expedite the reporting of images that could urgently affect patient management.
- Ensure all communication, which may be complex, contentious or sensitive, is undertaken in a responsive and inclusive manner, focusing on improvement and ways to move to a resolution.
- Ensure all communication is presented appropriately to the different recipients, according to levels of understanding, type of communication being imparted and possible barriers such as language, culture, understanding or physical or mental health conditions.
- Maintain an expert level of understanding on all professional developments within their sphere of leadership.
- Organise, develop and maintain in-house training of junior radiographic staff, new starters and sonography students.
- Undertake clinical sonographer duties efficiently and to the highest possible standards.
- Specialist knowledge of anatomy and physiology required to best demonstrate a range of pathologies and conditions.
- Specialist knowledge of the needs of patient groups such as paediatrics and vulnerable adults.
- Reporting of images produced by themselves or other staff, and liaise with appropriate staff members when critical or unexpected findings need to be urgently escalated.
- Deliver practical training of radiographic staff and student Sonographers. - Support preceptorship pathway for newly qualified staff
- Evaluation of imaging equipment as required by Trust’s Procurement Department and Management team, providing detailed analysis and recommendations.
- Manage risk assessments, incidents (Datix) and any complaints in area of leadership to ensure the service is as safe and high-quality as possible.
- Day to day organisation of staff and workload to provide effective and efficient service.
- Ensure the delivery and monitoring of an efficient and effective service and to recommend any changes necessary to achieve exceptional levels of service performance.
- Ensure safe operation of local imaging equipment and monitor engineers working in their area.
- To report and record all equipment faults and ensure that all equipment records are up to date and available for inspection in line with Trust and Department requirements.
- To contribute to the preparation of modality specific business plans.
- Implement a robust but adaptable reporting Sonographer programme for the department, including future requirements.
- Comply with, and be able to demonstrate and instruct, safe manual handling techniques.
- Manipulate complex machinery with speed and accuracy in routine and emergency conditions.
- Maintain high professional standards of clinical skill and patient care.
- Work with the Clinical Imaging management team to identify improvements within their area keeping the needs of the patient central as per departmental/Trust philosophy.
- Work as part of the Clinical Imaging management team in ensuring that all national programmes involved in improving patient care and the patient environment are implemented.
- Ensure that patient environments are fit for purpose and compliant with national and Trust policies for information governance.
- Provide advice to patients with regards to their referral as required.
- Confidently and competently protocol imaging requests in area of expertise.
- Act as source of advice in the request and selection of most appropriate imaging based on clinical information and department protocol.
- Demonstrate a proactive leadership approach to patient safety
- Demonstrate a proactive approach to quality improvement (QI), actively supporting and driving innovation in the imaging service.
- Participate in and implement recommendations from clinical audit. - Responsible for and development of reporting Sonographers’ audit process to ensure it is safe, robust and fit for purpose.
- Ensure that all IR (ME)R, IRR and any other legislative guidelines and agreed Local Rules are adhered to and updated as required and to ensure Trust and staff compliance.
- Ensure that a modality specific quality assurance (QA) program is in operation.
- Work with departmental staff, equipment suppliers and the radiation physics team to ensure that all equipment is safe and meets all required standards.
- Ensure that the rules and procedures of the Health and Safety at Work Act are strictly adhered to, and that all working areas are kept clean and safe.
- Manage risks associated with adverse incidents
- Actively manage the delivery of a quality service within budgetary constraints with full oversight of income, spending and resource utilisation.
- Responsible for the monitoring of all supplies / consumables and ensuring adequate stocks to meet service demands at all times.
- Set and monitor standards of performance of the sonographer and associated technical staff.
- Undertake annual staff performance development reviews, for staff whom the post holder has responsibility.
- Plan staff shifts to ensure that staffing levels are adequate to meet service requirements at all times in all rooms they are responsible for.
- Record and monitor of sickness and other absence of imaging staff as required. This also includes finding replacements and performing Return to Work interviews as required.
- Monitor and coordinate annual leave and off duties and to ensure appropriate staffing levels are maintained.
- Plan effective modality specific induction programs for all new staff and monitor these programs.
- Ensure that Sonographers and healthcare assistants are competent to use the equipment and that the records are stored safely.
- The post holder will be required to actively plan and participate in a periodic performance appraisal, in accordance with the Trust guidelines.
- Ensure that their mandatory training, and the staff that they line manage, is up to date and to proactively plan and update training as required in line with Trust requirements.
- Possess the skills required to operate highly complex software driven imaging equipment.
Please see attached job description for the full role and responsibilities
