Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist/Radiographer

Guy’s and St Thomas’ is among the UK’s busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide a full range of hospital and community services for people in south London and as well as specialist care for patients from further afield including cancer, renal, orthopaedic, respiratory and cardiovascular services.

St Thomas’ has one of the largest critical care units in the UK and one of the busiest emergency departments in London. It is also home to Evelina London Children’s Hospital.

Our community services include health visiting, school nursing and support for families of children with long-term conditions.

Our adult community services teams deliver care at the heart of the local communities we serve, working in partnership with GPs, local authorities and other healthcare and voluntary sector organisations. Working with our partners in Lambeth and Southwark, we are focusing on new ways of working to improve care for local patients.

In February 2021 the Royal Brompton and Harefield joined Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, bringing together world-leading expertise in the care and research of heart and lung disease. Our merger provides a once in a generation opportunity to build a lasting, world-renowned heart and lung centre, providing the highest quality care for patients and conducting world-leading research.

We have a reputation for clinical excellence and high quality teaching and research. We are part of King’s Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. In partnership with King’s College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities including an MHRA accredited Phase I clinical trials unit.

Our adult community services achieved a rating of ‘outstanding’.

We know this has a positive impact on the care provided to our patients.

We have one of the most ambitious capital investment programmes anywhere in the NHS.

Job overview

Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist / Radiographer – Band 7

We have an exciting opportunity within our multi-disciplinary team for a Senior Nuclear Medicine Technologist/Radiographer to cover maternity leave for a period of approximately one year. We are looking for an individual who is professional and caring, who is ambitious and forward-thinking, and who is keen to help develop our service and our staff, so that our Nuclear Medicine service exceeds the expectations of our patients.

If you share this vision, and you have an in-depth knowledge of all Nuclear Medicine procedures and investigations in conjunction with excellent leadership and management skills, then this role is for you.

You will perform a wide range of Nuclear Medicine procedures, both simple and complex, along with DEXA imaging, cardiac stressing and image evaluation. You will undertake a significant supervisory role and be required to provide clinical leadership and supervision of junior members of staff at your designated site.

HCPC registration as a Radiographer, or registration with an appropriate PSA-accredited register (for example, the RCT or AHCS) as a Clinical Technologist specialising in Nuclear Medicine is essential.

However, an Annex 21 position may be considered for suitable candidates who are in the process of applying for registration with the RCT/AHCS.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will perform all diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures on patients of all ages, who are suffering from a wide range of illnesses including life threatening conditions and terminal illnesses, requiring empathy and skills to help patients through difficult and complex procedures.

You will demonstrate partnership in professional development issues maintaining a high level of professional, technical and theoretical skills through personal CPD.

You will participate in the governance of the Department in areas including Risk Management, Health and Safety, Research and Audit activities. You will manage workflow and ensure all data inputs are recorded for both patient records integrity and statistical evaluation purposes.

Working for our organisation

The Nuclear Medicine Service is one of the largest in the country with revenue streams of approximately £6.5M, a dedicated workforce of around 55 WTE, and an international reputation for teaching, research and professional development. The department is located over two sites and currently has six gamma cameras (including three hybrid imaging scanners), three DEXA scanners and an onsite Radiopharmacy.

The Nuclear Medicine team is a large, multidisciplinary workforce and comprises of individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and expertise. The department strives to provide excellence in all Nuclear Medicine procedures, and our work is carried out in a mutually supportive atmosphere where we can use our combined knowledge to always put our patients first.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities:

1. To perform all standard and complex Nuclear Medicine, SPECT/CT procedures using highly specialised equipment in a timely and accurate manner with due regard to the Health and Safety of self, staff and patients.
2. To specialise and actively participate in one or more advanced areas of Nuclear Medicine, such as cardiac stressing, paediatric imaging, hybrid imaging etc.
3. To ensure that all standard operating procedures, protocols and guidelines are adhered to by junior members of staff and students and that any adaptation of technique is technically and clinically justified.
4. To act as an operator under IR(ME)R.
5. To be able to operate all hardware and software used in the department.
6. To ta.ke responsibility for patient consent, identification and relevant clinical history taking prior to commencement of imaging in accordance with Trust and professional legislation.
7. To undertake both routine and advanced administration of diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals and advanced phlebotomy and laboratory skills.
8. To provide clear instructions and descriptions of all procedures to staff, patients and relatives as necessary.
9. To provide clinical information to the patient whilst interpreting, negotiating and adapting the procedure as appropriate.
10. To optimally use all supporting and immobilisation devices on patients to achieve diagnostically accurate studies.
11. To ensure that all images are of the highest diagnostic quality possible and that they are presented for reporting in timely and accurate manner.
12. To act as the lead source of reference for the development and introduction of new techniques as part of the delivery of the service.
13. To undertake the preparation and production of all radiopharmaceuticals.
14. To assist in Quality Assurance of all relevant equipment and take responsibility for reporting discrepancies to appropriate personnel.
15. To participate in waste monitoring and storage.

Professional Responsibilities:

1. To work in accordance with all legislation and departmental policies during exposure to sealed and unsealed radioactive material, blood samples and other hazardous waste, and to ensure that best practice is maintained by self and junior members of staff.
2. To attend and facilitate appropriate professional meetings as required.
3. To understand and apply all relevant legislation when performing Nuclear Medicine investigations.
4. To ensure personal responsibility is taken for reporting potential and actual adverse incidents to appropriate personnel and assist junior staff in completion of these.

Education & Professional Development:

1. To take responsibility for continuing professional development whilst liaising with the Education, Workforce & Professional Development Lead and Chief Technologist for advice, guidance and allocation of appropriate resources for training and development.
2. To undertake post graduate training as and when appropriate.
3. To undertake areas of advanced practice in Nuclear Medicine when required.
4. To assist students undertaking the clinical competency program and to assist in the training and supervision of other students in the department.
5. To participate in all Research and Development studies that being carried out in the department as required.

Management:

1. To deputise for the Site Principal Technologist and Chief Technologist in their absence and to liaise with all Nuclear Medicine staff to allow the facilitation of the service.
2. To act as a team leader within the department and provide support, direction and leadership.
3. To supervise junior members of the Technologist team and to conduct appraisals/Performance Development Reviews as and when appropriate.
4. To take responsibility for individual workload in liaison with colleagues in order to facilitate all aspects of the patient’s investigation and equipment usage.
5. To assist in the planning of staff rotas and designation of resources.
6. To schedule all Nuclear Medicine studies in accordance with departmental protocol and ensure that there are no outstanding bookings on a daily basis.
7. To participate in routine enquiries, ensuring the delivery of an effective and responsive Nuclear Medicine service.

Information Management:

1. To read and respond to all electronic mail and other documentation in a timely and appropriate manner.
2. To complete and maintain all department records, both electronic and hardcopy, in a timely and accurate manner.
3. To maintain an up to date record of Continuing Professional Education for Departmental and HCPC/RCT/AHCS registration purposes.
4. To provide work load analysis as and when directed.

General:

1. To establish, build and maintain good relationships with clinical and non-clinical staff, both internal and external, as part of the role.
2. To ensure that patients and users of the service are dealt with efficiently and courteously.

Person specification

Knowledge

• BSc (Hons) Radiography/Nuclear Medicine or equivalent
• Cannulation/IV Administration qualification
• Registration with HCPC/RCT or other appropriate professional body
• PgD/MSc Nuclear Medicine, or equivalent experience to MSc level

• BLS/ILS qualification
• Basic/advanced ECG interpretation qualification

Experience

• Proven experience in a wide range of Nuclear Medicine investigations and cardiac stressing
• Competent in all data acquisition and analysis
• Ability to work in a multi disciplinary team
• Proven experience of ability to agree and deliver departmental and Trust objectives

• Experience in supervision and training
• Significant experience in an acute healthcare environment

Skills

• Competent to follow department procedures and policies unsupervised whilst understanding the need for Senior Managers’ intervention and support
• Take responsibility for Continuing Professional Development in conjunction with planned training and development, appraisals and relevant professional meetings and courses
• Demonstrate a duty of care to patients and staff
• Understanding of the need to adhere to relevant legislation, national standards, professional and other guidelines including IRR, IR(M)ER 2018, ISO 9001:2000, MARS (ARSAC) EA guidelines and registration, MHRA
• Able to deal with distressing/difficult circumstances
• Good interpersonal skills demonstrating an ability to work with patients and staff from diverse backgrounds.
• Capable of managing sensitive information.
• Familiar with appropriate techniques for immobilising paediatric/noncompliant patients during injection and for the duration of the imaging procedure.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ celebrates, respects and values the diversity of its staff and patients. We review our policies, procedures and practices to ensure that all employees, patients and carers are treated equitable according to their needs. We are actively committed to ensuring that no one who applies for a job, works or study’s at the Trust, or accesses our services is discriminated against on the grounds of race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion or belief, age, gender identity , gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity/paternity, or marital/civil partnership.

Applications are welcomed from applicants with a disability. We can make reasonable adjustments and offer support and advice in a variety of ways throughout the application process. Equality of opportunity is our policy.

As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients. This means that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or at weekends.

Flexible working

We encourage all prospective applicants to discuss their individual circumstances with the recruiting manager as part of the on-boarding process.

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