Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To provide timely, efficient and courteous provision of ultrasound services to the agreed standards in the general ultrasound department.
• To take responsibility for own case load and report independently on the images at the time of the examination and to discuss results, give reassurance when appropriate to patients
• To be accountable for own professional actions and work within codes of Practice and professional guidelines 
• To communicate complex information relating to conditions and procedures to staff, patients and carers, and ensure informed consent for examinations.
• To position patients accurately for each examination, adapting techniques in accordance with the patient’s needs.
• To take a full history from the patient to ensure that the correct organs are examined and extend the examination to other organs if necessary.
• To determine appropriate imaging techniques for the individual patient condition.
• To ensure the safe transferring of patients and equipment, following manual handling guidelines and using risk assessment.
• To communicate effectively on a daily basis with patients with communication difficulties and cognitive impairment.
• To deal sensitively with patients or carers under emotional stress, including the terminally ill and bereaved.
• To optimise the ultrasound scanner using excellent hand-eye co-ordination to produce optimal images for diagnosis.
• To work alongside the consultant radiologists to provide a high quality service.
• To meet the needs of patients, ensuring that changes in service provision, patients requirements and clinical practice are recognised, planned for, implemented and monitored.
• To contribute to standard setting and policy formation for the ultrasound department.
• To contribute to service improvements and re-design in line with the NHS plan and local service strategies.
• To determine appropriate imaging techniques for the individual patient condition.
• To co-ordinate services within the ultrasound department, and liaise with other wards and sections/departments, to provide a comprehensive and efficient Ultrasound Service for PRUH and South Sites. To ensure the safety and well being of patients, staff and visitors within the department.
• To assess the clinical justification of referrals and reject where necessary and to accept and scan urgent referrals after agreement with the referring clinicians and justifying refusal if an inappropriate request for an urgent scan is made. 
• To be responsible for either giving the report to the patient or contacting the relevant clinician to discuss findings where further management is necessary.
• To be responsible for recommending further imaging on a report or referral to a particular team within the hospital as per department protocol, organising immediate clinical review when necessary.
• To present abnormal findings to patients sensitively.
• To ensure Clinical Governance protocols are complied with and corrective actions taken where required.
• To be responsible for updating the patient record and maintaining imaging databases, work lists and waiting lists
• Must have the appropriate interpersonal skills to teach student radiographers, student sonographers.
• To work as part of a close knit team of highly skilled sonographers.
• Extended scope of clinical practice.

Management Responsibility

• To supervise, train and appraise student sonographers and Band 7 Sonographers.
• Effective staff communication both within the Imaging Department and the wider Trust.

• To be responsible for the safe use and maintenance of specialist ultrasound scanners.
• To manage patients’ images and data, including processing and archiving.
• To promote awareness of and compliance with policies and protocols for the correct use of radiological services.
• To report faults with equipment immediately to the appropriate company.
• To ensure compliance with Health and Safety policies and procedures within the area, including infection control and manual handling techniques, to provide a safe and secure environment.
• To report any Adverse incidents in line with Trust Policy
• To attend MDM’s in area of Specialist Interest and cascade back to rest of team. Use   

             feedback to underpin and maintain  high standards of scanning within the dept.

Professional & Practice Development, Training & Education

• To demonstrate, maintain and update skills and knowledge of evolving practice and legislative requirements.
• To contribute to the training and development of staff within the team by running dedicated training lists and support new staff in induction.
• To provide professional support to other sonographers particularly in own Specialist Interest area.
• To develop and adapt learning programmes for training with regard to the departmental and individual learning needs.
• To ensure the 4 pillars of advanced clinical practice are incorporated into everyday practice

Research & Audit

• To undertake audits in own Specialist area of responsibility.
• To contribute and participate in practice development in reaction to the findings of audit and recent evidence, implement recommendations, and monitor their effectiveness.
• To participate in clinical research within the department.
• To work with others in the development of research protocols.
• To ensure research standards, protocols and documentation are adhered to.

Generic responsibilities for all staff

• You have a general duty of care for the health, safety and well-being of yourself, work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King’s College Hospital NHS Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff, in line with the Trust data protection policy.
• To provide support to the management team.
• To take an active role in your own personal development also that of your colleagues.

This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post-holder.

Safe Guarding

The Trust takes the issues of Safeguarding Children, Adults and addressing Domestic Abuse very seriously. All employees have a responsibility to support the organisation in our duties by;

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• attending mandatory training on safeguarding children and adults
• familiarising themselves with the Trust's processes for reporting concerns 
• reporting any safeguarding child or adult concerns appropriately

Confidential Information

All staff of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, have, a legal obligation to comply with all appropriate legislation in respect of Data, Information and IT Security and to comply with guidance issued by the Department of Health and the NHS Executive. This includes but is not limited to the Data Protection Act 1998, the Department of Health Confidentiality NHS Code of Practice, Records Management NHS Code of Practice, and Information Security NHS Code of Practice.

This clause applies to any information you may acquire or have access to during the course of your employment with Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust including but not limited to patient/staff records and details, information relating to organisation or business contracts, information relating to financial affairs, service or commercial contracts and information relating to confidential policies of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and its successor organisations (“Confidential Information”). Equal responsibility will apply whether working on or off site (including home working and remote access working.)

You shall not, during the continuance of your employment or at any time after its termination for any reason, use or disclose to any person or persons whatsoever (except the proper officers of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust or under the authority of the Board) any trade secrets, secret information or confidential information and you shall use your best endeavours to prevent any such use or disclosure.

You are required to know and follow Trust Information Governance policies and procedures and to recognise that good records management and data quality is vital to the Trust and is the responsibility of everyone working on behalf of the Trust. You must not act in any way that would compromise records management, data quality, data protection, information security or confidentiality.

You should ensure that any actions that may contravene Information Governance standards are brought to the attention of management.

Any breach of the conditions outlined in the Trust’s Information Governance Policies and

Procedures may result in suspension of access to Trust information and systems. Formal action may also be taken in line with the Trust Disciplinary Policy.