Specialist Sleep Physiologist / Scientist

Job overview

Sleep Physiologist / Scientist – Band 7

Job summary

Opportunities are available to the successful candidate to have exposure in Respiratory function testing and Cardiology diagnostics if Desired.

This will include reviewing patients in the outpatient and inpatient setting, via telephone or face to face who present with a variety of sleep related disorders.

The Specialist Sleep physiologist / Scientist will be expected to manage their workload and work closely within the specialist Sleep MDT.

Main duties of the job

The Successful candidate will support the service lead and take on a managerial role within the department. Advising on professional matters, developing and maintaining protocols and management of department operational issues. They will also assist in the co-ordinating of sleep physiology education in house and externally.

Extensive knowledge and/or management of individuals with sleep related disorders is essential. The role will include care of patients with both breathing related sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) or obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) and non-breathing related sleep disorders such as Narcolepsy, REM behaviour disorders and circadian rhythm disorders.

Thorough history taking is essential, with the ability to perform appropriate clinical examination. Review patients, set them up with CPAP therapy, review efficacy of this therapy & identify further testing if required. Patients with OSA or OHS may be of a high clinical risk and the physiologist / scientist should identify deterioration, can escalate care when needed and be able to perform and interpret Arterial Blood gases.

Participation in the specialist sleep MDT.

Working for our organisation

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was born from a shared aim to improve the care we provide our patients.

UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities - from birth and beyond.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS. We provide general and emergency hospital care, alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West.

Liverpool Women’s Hospital specialises in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies in the UK’s largest single site maternity hospital each year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital is the largest hospital in the country to provide inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

• Perform a wide range of specialist sleep tests and assessments within the sleep service. Plan, implement and evaluate care delivery using advanced clinical knowledge and clinical skills.
• Assist with service development and service improvement objectives.
• Assist with operational management of the sleep service including appraisals, staff sickness and absences in line with trust policy.
• Assist with the delivery of all Staff development and educational needs in all levels of learners (2, 4, 6 and 7). This includes coordination of trainee placements and assessment of competency.
• Lead on governance, quality and patient safety ensuring that complaints, incidents, and risks are managed in line with trust policy.
• Lead clinical care by managing a patient caseload providing expert assessment, planning and evaluation.
• Contribute towards a multi-professional approach in the management of patients within the specialist area, especially in relation to ongoing care needs and discharge arrangements.
• Establish and maintain effective communication with patients and carers.
• Support patients and their families and ensure that they receive the required information to enable them to self-manage, lead or participate in their care.
• Recognise changes in patients’ condition that require the intervention of others and refer on as appropriate.
• To support, assist and encourage the multi-disciplinary team in resolving patient problems, by the provision of new and innovative models of case management.
• To provide specialist input and support to all members of the Sleep MDT to contribute to the service, in the delivery of high standards of patient care.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Degree in Clinical Physiology/or equivalent
• Registered RCCP
• Part I and Part II Professional Exams
• Post registration qualification in Specialist area
• Documented evidence of effective clinical practice and specialist technical knowledge

• Assessor qualification
• Leadership management

Experience & Knowledge

• Experience as a registered Specialist Respiratory Physiologist
• Participated in service development and implementation of change
• Broad experience of managing others
• Experience in Technician/Nurse led CPAP compliance clinics

• Financial knowledge and budget management

Please ensure you check the email account (including junk/spam boxes) from which you apply regularly as we will use this to contact you regarding your application.

Posts advertised to ‘internal staff’ are open to employees of hospitals within University Hospitals of Liverpool Group and you should confirm your employment within your application form.

Note: Under current Home Office Immigration Rules we are currently unable to offer right to work visa sponsorship for Band 2 and 3 roles with a salary of less than £25,000 pa as they do not meet the UK Visas & Immigration criteria.

Only those applicants who demonstrate clearly how they meet our person specification will be shortlisted for interview.

We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further applications when we have received a minimum number of applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role.

Candidates applying for the role of Healthcare Assistant on the staff bank should note that due to the nature of the role, workers must be aged 18 or above when commencing in post. Applicants are therefore welcome from those aged over 18 or within 3 months’ of their 18^th birthday.

Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working.

The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24.

Bank posts require upfront payment. DBS applications submitted from 2nd December will be subject to the new DBS fee of £26.50 (standard) and £54.50 (Enhanced).

From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years.

Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.

This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults’ policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures.

Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation.

All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action.

As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence.

If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on 0151 706 4666 at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post.

Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band.