Employer Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust Employer type NHS Site Darent Valley Hospital Town Dartford Salary £57,888 - £64,880 incl HCAS per annum pro rata Salary period Yearly Closing 18/02/2026 23:59
Echocardiography Lead Cardiac Physiologist
Band 8a
Job overview
This role will be responsible for providing expert clinical investigations in addition to specific area management.Direct line management of the echocardiographers and the echocardiography service.
This post will primarily be based at the Heart Centre at Darent Valley Hospital. This may include cross-cover at the North Kent Community Diagnostic Centre. To work as a highly specialist practitioner across the range of Echocardiography imaging procedures performed in the Heart Centre, and to provide operational managerial support to the cardiology general manager.
To provide nationally accredited, highly specialist expertise for clinical practice, ensuring that all procedures and data produced meet the required standard and are documented in accordance with Operational Procedures/BSE national guidelines. Supporting the department to achieve BSE accreditation.
Main duties of the job
To be responsible for managing capacity and demand of the echo service, avoiding 6 week breaches whilst also ensuring a timely inpatient service.
Able to prioritise and manage own work and that of the team.
Able to exercise initiative when dealing with issues from own specialist area. To monitor waiting list times for echo studies, ensuring waiting times are minimised.
To support the implementation of Trust initiatives and strategies within the caregroup.
Working for our organisation
We are committed to being an inclusive and diverse employer. We strive to employ people who reflect the communities we serve, and aim to create an inclusive culture where everyone can reach their full potential. Whatever your race, ethnicity, belief, generation, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, disability or experience, you’ll appreciate the opportunities we give you to work in an inclusive atmosphere. We welcome applications from people of diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences to build on the progress we’ve achieved to make our Trust diverse and the best place to work. We celebrate the diversity of thought, viewpoints and ideas that help us overcome challenges and embrace new possibilities. We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant Pledge and have a commitment to the Armed Forces Community.
We are dedicated to using our Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) approach as our shared organisation model of change to enhance our services and ensure excellence in patient care.
If you are considering applying for a role, please be aware that as an NHS Employee you may have contact with vulnerable service users. We strongly encourage that all our staff are vaccinated against COVID-19 and are vaccinated annually against Flu, in order to protect the health and safety of our staff and patients. Your commitment will help us to put the safety and care of our patients first, as well as helping us to protect you and your colleagues.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
For a detailed description of the Job roles and responsibilities please see the attached job description.
Person specification
Education and Training
* • BSc in Clinical Physiology or equivalent
* • Evidence of CPD
* • >3 years experience as a band 7 cardiac physiologist.
* • Experience of Stress and Trans oesophageal echocardiography
* • Evidence of leadership/management training.
* • Experience of physiologist led clinics.
Knowledge and Skills
* • Experience of managing a cardiology department or an area of cardiology.
* • Ability to acquire and communicate highly complex knowledge in challenging environments.
* • Knowledge and skills required to perform the diagnostic investigations required
* • Excellent communication skills both written and verbal
* • Excellent organisational skills
* • Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
* • Knowledge of PAS (Patients appointment System)
* • Knowledge of Trust departmental data base.
* • Familiarity of procurement systems.
* • Participation in cardiac research
Experience
* • Previous management experience as a healthcare professional
* • Competent to perform basic cardiology / respiratory investigations
Personal Attributes
Our staff are our most valuable asset. We are committed to making staff feel appreciated, supported and included in the Trust’s successes. Our mission is to be an outstanding place to work providing the very best care for our patients and excellent career opportunities for our staff. Everything we do is guided by our core values and behaviours, identified by our staff and embedded throughout the organisation.
Would you like to work flexibly? In the NHS, we are reminded every day of how important life is. As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us, for our patients and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement
We have the highest CQC rating of all Acute NHS Trusts in Kent and Medway (Good). The CQC highlighted that managers promoted a positive culture that supported, valued staff and created a sense of common purpose based upon shared values.
The Trust is a great place to work, stay, develop a career and enjoy a healthy work life balance. We have made and are delivering on a wide range of commitments to staff; health and wellbeing; equality; diversity and inclusion; access to education and career development. During 2020 we sett up quality councils, driven by our staff to create a culture of shared governance and quality improvement.
We have a strong focus on innovation and improvement. Part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ (GSTT) ‘Healthcare Alliance’ we are introducing new models of care to improve clinical outcomes for patients. Our association with GSTT also gives staff wishing to develop their skills excellent opportunities to work across numerous specialities.
As our local population increases, our services and skills are expanding and adapting to meet demand. We are continuously looking at best practice models to enhance and improve the services we offer.
The Trust provides services at Darent Valley Hospital and Queen Mary’s Hospital, for a local population of over 500,000 people.
If you would like to be part of our innovative and forward thinking team putting patients at the centre of all we do, we invite you to #joinourfamily.
The NHS are striving towards “we work flexibly” as a workforce, we want to ensure that you can work in a way that is best for us, our patients, and importantly for you. We offer many flexible working opportunities, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement for you and if it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Please note this vacancy may close earlier than stated to aid efficient processing of applications. To ensure your application will be considered please submit it at your earliest convenience. If you have not heard from us within 21 days of the closing date please assume that you have not been shortlisted on this occasion.
Please note, that due to the limited number of car parking spaces, car parking permits will be allocated subject to compliance with the Trusts eligibility criteria and availability of spaces. Permit holders are not guaranteed a car parking space.
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust is a smoke free organisation. To improve public health smoking or vaping is not permitted anywhere on the hospital site.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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