County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner/ Clinical Scientist
The closing date is 02 July 2025
PREVIOUS UNSUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS NEED NOT APPLY
We are seeking an enthusiastic andhighly motivated Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner / SpecialistCardiac Physiologist / Clinical Scientist / Echocardiographer to work as partof our friendly team providing a Cardiology and Respiratory diagnosticsservice. The principal hospitals withinCounty Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust are The University Hospitalof North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Bishop Auckland Hospital andShotley Bridge Hospital. The Cardiology& Respiratory Investigations Units comprise a team of approximately 40staff who provide a broad range of invasive and non-invasive proceduresincluding echocardiography, stress echocardiography, trans-oesophagealechocardiography, diagnostic angiography, pacing implant / follow-up, complexdevice follow up, tilt testing and nerve conduction studies. The hospital basefor this post is Darlington Memorial Hospital. We are actively developingservices and encourage personal development / extension of roles. We arecommitted to providing learning and development opportunities. We activelyencourage and support all appropriate professional development.
Main duties of the job
Thesuccessful candidate will work as part of a team in the busy Cardio-Respiratorydepartments. They will be a specialistin echocardiography, but will also perform a range of other physiological testsavailable within the department. They will produce evidence based clinicalreports. They will provide training to other healthcare professionals andstudents and will supervise junior staff as well as deputise for more seniorstaff on occasions. They will work closely with colleagues to ensure thatprotocols and procedures meet local and national requirements for good practiceand service delivery.
About us
If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager
You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks
We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented
Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents
Over reliance onAI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances ofsuccess
For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.
From April 9th 2025 - Healthcare assistants - You must have a minimum of two yearsof experience working within the NHS as a HCA for the Trust to considersponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria andhave a current visa expiring within 3 months)
Job responsibilities
The candidate will be a specialist in echocardiography, andwill derive clinical reports. They musthave experience of working in a Cardiac Investigations department at band 5 or6 level and have achieved the minimum academic qualifications in the Person Specification. They must be registered on the AHCS / HCPCregister or on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography Register and workingtowards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence. For applicants not on oneof these registers, Annex 21 will apply until the advanced professionalqualification (British Society for Echocardiography transthoracic adultaccreditation) is obtained
They must hold a current certificate inImmediate Life Support, or be willing to undertake this within 6 months ofemployment.
Person Specification
Experience
* Experience in the field of echocardiography.
* Experience at Band 5 or Band 6 level, or equivalent.
* Experience of working within a Cardiac investigations Unit.
* Experience of a broad range of diagnostic procedures within Cardiology.
* Experience of audit and quality assurance programmes
* Experience of training staff from a range of disciplines.
* Able to work in a range of clinical environments
Satutory Registration
* Registered with AHCS or HCPC, or on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography register and working towards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence
Qualifications
* BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science: Cardiac Physiology or MSc Clinical Science (Cardiac Science) or equivalent, with acceptance onto AHCS / RCCP / HCPC professional register.
* Or BSc in a relevant scientific subject, and on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography Register, and working towards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence.
* For staff who are not on a register, Annex 21 will apply until the British Society of Echocardiography transthoracic Adult Accreditation is obtained.
* Have, or be working towards the British Society of Echocardiography Transthoracic Adult Accreditation.
* Immediate Life Support certificate, or be willing to undertake this within 6 months of employment
Special Requirements
* Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post
Special Skills & Knowledge
* Organizational skills
* Ability to prioritise workload
* Good communication skills written and verbal.
* Ability to perform a range of cardiology and/or respiratory diagnostic procedures.
* Underpinning knowledge of physiology applied to the cardiovascular system
* Knowledge of pathologies relevant to Cardio-Respiratory medicine.
* Knowledge of medication which may be administered within Cardio-Respiratory Physiology and ability to administer as appropriate
* Ability to analyse complex information, interpret results and provide accurate reports to Medical staff and other Healthcare professionals within Primary and Secondary care. Provide advice to clinicians.
* Ability to assess patient condition and seek expert assistance when required.
* Able to provide day to day supervision of section / group of staff.
* Undertaking audit and participation in research programmes
* Supervisory experience
* Ability to train other staff of all levels and act as a mentor
* Ability to use evidence based practice to ensure quality standards.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
£37,338 to £44,962 a yearAFC Band 6 per annum pro rata
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