Join our experienced and supportive Respiratory team, where you'll play a key role in delivering high-quality pulmonary function testing to support the diagnosis and management of patients with respiratory disease. Working within a well-established multidisciplinary team, you'll provide a range of specialist diagnostic investigations and physiological assessments that directly inform patient care.
The role also offers the opportunity to contribute to our developing Sleep Service. We welcome applications from candidates with experience in sleep diagnostics and CPAP management, as well as those who are keen to develop these skills through training and support. This is an exciting opportunity to work flexibly across both respiratory physiology and sleep services, helping to deliver patient-centred care in line with service needs while developing a broad and rewarding skill set.
Please note this is a 12 month fixed term position.
Please note that if you currently work for another NHS Trust or UHSussex and you are applying to accept this position as a secondment opportunity, before applying you must seek agreement and authorisation from your current Trust/Manager. Secondments can’t be agreed without this approval. If you are unable to gain approval, you should refrain from applying unless you wish to take this role as a fixed term position.
Key responsibilities include:
Respiratory Physiology (Primary Focus)
Perform a range of pulmonary function tests, including spirometry, gas transfer, lung volumes and arterialised capillary blood sampling.
Ensure high-quality data acquisition, calibration, and reporting
Support delivery of respiratory diagnostic pathways, including triaging and prioritising referrals, balancing routine outpatient activity with urgent inpatient requests and service demand.
Contribute to quality assurance, audit, and SOP development within the lung function service
Sleep Service (Desirable / Flexible Component)
Support delivery of sleep diagnostics (e.g. home sleep studies)
Assist with CPAP setup and follow-up clinics where appropriate
Contribute to sleep pathway administration and MDT discussions as required
Cross-Service Responsibilities
Work flexibly across respiratory and sleep services depending on demand
Support service development, audit, and QI initiatives
Provide daily supervision, practical training, competency assessment and portfolio support for undergraduate and postgraduate trainees undertaking clinical placements within the department.
Support competency assessment and development of learners within the service.
Participate in assessment and sign-off of learner competencies in accordance with local and national training standards.
At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.
Candidate Information Pack
https://www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/resources/candidate-information-pack/
Detailed duties:
Perform and report pulmonary function tests in accordance with SOPs
Maintain equipment standards including calibration and quality assurance
Perform arterialised capillary blood sampling as part of specialist respiratory physiological investigations.
Safely handle, transport and replace compressed medical gas cylinders used within respiratory diagnostic services.
Calibrate and maintain specialist respiratory physiology equipment requiring precise manual dexterity and adherence to safety procedures.
Contribute to efficient patient flow within respiratory diagnostic pathways
Deliver sleep diagnostics and CPAP services where required
Participate in MDT meetings and clinical discussions
Educate patients on procedures and equipment use
Undertakes and contributes to audit activity regularly, on at least a monthly basis, participating in clinical audits, quality improvement and service evaluation activities.
Collects, analyses and presents clinical audit and service data relating to capacity, demand, utilisation, waiting times and clinical risk to support evidence-based practice improvements (minimum monthly data collection) to service delivery and to ensure clinics are operating efficiently.
Collates and presents clinical audit and service data within monthly Lung Function Service meetings and contributes to service development initiatives arising from the findings. This includes designing and undertaking audits and quality improvement projects to evaluate and improve service performance, patient access and clinical pathways. Outcomes are shared through Clinical Governance processes and may also be developed into Quality Improvement Projects (QIP) submissions for presentation by the post-holder at regional or national meetings.
Participates in research projects alongside other Healthcare Scientists and Clinicians as and when required.
Contribute to implementation of evidence-based practice within respiratory and sleep physiology.
Develop and review SOPs and patient information materials
Escalate clinical concerns appropriately
Triage and prioritise respiratory and sleep physiology referrals, balancing outpatient activity with urgent inpatient requests and service demand.
Plan and organise diagnostic investigations, clinics and follow-up activity, making frequent short-term adjustments in response to clinical urgency, patient needs, equipment availability and service pressures.
Coordinate respiratory and sleep diagnostic pathways to support timely diagnosis and treatment.
Contribute to respiratory function lab activity if appropriately trained
Escalate clinical concerns appropriately and safely
Comply with data protection legislation and Trust information governance policies
Ensure accurate documentation and record-keeping across all activities
Analyse and interpret complex respiratory physiology data including spirometry, gas transfer and lung volume measurements.
Identify technically inadequate or physiologically inconsistent results and determine appropriate corrective action.
Recognise patterns suggestive of obstructive, restrictive, neuromuscular and sleep-related breathing disorders.
Independently determine when escalation to senior staff or medical teams is required.
Please see Job Description and Person Specification for more information.
This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds, and any role-specific criteria.
