Healthcare Science Practitioner

As University Hospitals Dorset, we are a three-site acute trust with ‘university hospital’ status through our partnership with Bournemouth University, working with an annual budget of £730m.

We offer highly regarded health services, employing some 10,000 staff. Our ambitious £250m estates programme is well on the way to delivering state-of-the-art facilities over the next two years to meet the current and future healthcare needs of the populations we serve.

In an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with over seven miles of sandy beaches you’ll find inspirational opportunities to achieve your perfect work/life balance. With the New Forest and the Purbecks on our doorstep, we’re also less than three hours from London by road or train. The thriving towns of Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch give way to idyllic villages and unspoilt landscapes just minutes from our hospitals.

We believe that having a diverse workforce, and allowing people to be themselves, is essential in ensuring we offer an inclusive, welcoming and productive place to work.

We especially welcome applications from minority groups in the community who may be underrepresented in our workforce.

At UHD, our active staff network groups are the Women's Network, Black Asian Minority Ethnic Group (BAME), Pride Network, European (EU), Pro Ability Staff Network, and the Armed Forces Support Group.

As a Trust, we are proudly signed up to the Disability Confident and Armed Forces Covenant guaranteed interview schemes.

Job Overview

University Hospitals Dorset are looking for a Healthcare Science Practitioner to assist in the provision of diagnostic radiology physics and radiation protection services throughout East Dorset.

This post is fixed term to provide cover for staff undergoing the Scientist training programme. There is scope for this post to develop into an in-service STP position for the right candidate after two years.

Interview Date: TBC

Main Duties of the Job

• Entering information relating to the work of the group into databases and spreadsheets and ensuring all issues are followed up by scientific staff.
• Booking visits to clients for the purpose of radiation surveys etc.
• Booking rooms for and arranging meetings with the various QC and client groups.
• Development of spreadsheets and databases as required by the scientific staff.
• Day-to-day monitoring of the QC spreadsheets used by clients, ensuring all issues are followed up by scientific staff.
• Assisting the Radiation Protection Advisor (RPA) with administrative work as required.
• Follow departmental protocols and procedures to comply with current best practice and/or legislation.
• Creating and maintaining records of equipment QC testing and patient dosimetry audits.
• Preparation of documentation and equipment for work outside the department.
• Organisation of training meetings for external clients (e.g. private dental practices).
• Organisation of advertising of services of the group to local x-ray users.

Working for Our Organisation

Our values define who we are as #TeamUHD. They underpin everything we do now and in the future. They define how we treat our patients, visitors, and each other, our valued teammates and colleagues.

UHD are investing in services across the Trust, with many being transformed and developed following merger and the New Hospital Programme.

This means that some services may move site this year or next, either temporarily or long term. Recruiting Managers interviewing for this role will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have about this at interview.

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

Communication and Working Relationship Skills:

• Liaise with other Professional Staff, both inside and outside the Trusts, regarding relevant aspects of the Medical Physics service.
• To participate in the Department’s teaching activities, delivering training to internal and external clients.
• The post-holder will routinely provide and receive complex information, where high levels of understanding and interpretation are required, such as explaining the significance of adverse findings from QC testing of equipment that may require the users to take it out of service and arrange corrective action.

Analytical and Judgemental Skills:

• Acquire and maintain knowledge of appropriate NIR equipment and clinical techniques throughout the district in so far as they affect radiation exposure and/or image quality.
• The post-holder will be required to work through scientific and technical problems on a regular basis. This will require analysis of complex results using highly specialised and complex scientific equipment and techniques, with a high degree of accuracy. There is a regular requirement for prolonged concentration, both in conducting tests and in analysing data and producing reports, where advice is given.
• A knowledge of a range of routine and non-routine healthcare science duties acquired through training & experience to degree level.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• A good honours degree in Physics or related subject and/or equivalent knowledge/experience.
• Registration with The Register of Clinical Technologists (currently voluntary, but may soon be required).

Experience

• A knowledge of a range of routine and non-routine healthcare science duties acquired through training & experience to degree level.

Skills

• Able to use Excel, Word, Access etc. to set up documents, spreadsheets and databases and extract information. Able to use specialised scientific software to analyse complex data. Much of the complex medical equipment used is software-based.

Knowledge

• Some knowledge of a range of IR medical applications in diagnostic Radiology.
• Knowledge of radiation protection legislation is desirable, although full local training will be given. Understanding of risks arising from a range of NIR applications.

Language Requirement

• Able to speak English as necessary to undertake the role.

Please Note:

Staff recruited are expected to be available to work flexibly across all our Trust locations to meet service demands.

This advert may be closed early if sufficient applications are received.

COVID-19 vaccination remains the best way to protect yourself and our patients from the virus when working in our healthcare settings. Whilst this vaccination is not a condition of employment, we do encourage our staff to get vaccinated.

Internal Candidates: staff employed prior to merger who voluntarily change jobs will be appointed to UHD terms and conditions.

Employer Certification / Accreditation Badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.