Mammographer / Trainee Mammographer

Following staff upskilling, a highly desirable opportunity has arisen to join the Breast Imaging Team based at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

You will providea quality evidence based service for Herefordshire and Worcestershire National Health Service Breast Screening Program (NHSBSP) and Symptomatic Services within the Trust. You will undertake mammography and participate in Assessment clinics involving specialised radiographic techniques. To ensure that patients/clients are professionally cared for during the examination in Radiology departments, assessment clinics and on mobile screening units. To ensure clients /patients have confidence in the service and can make informed choices to promote their health. To utilise highly developed communication skills to assess the emotional needs of clients and patients and respond accordingly. To work as part of a multidisciplinary team using initiative to ensure clinics run effectively to deliver a quality service and that the clinical needs of the client/patient are met. To actively participate, and adhere to the quality standards of the NHSBSP, contributing to improving protocols and procedures for service improvement.

Job description

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

Clinical and Service Provision:

To work as a trainee mammographer / mammographer to a high professional standard producing quality mammograms while adhering to time constraints and ensuring a positive experience for the client to encourage re attendance.

During and/or following training:

To undertake complex and highly specialised techniques including the use of stereotactic equipment for wire localisations, core biopsy and VABs.

Participate in Multi-Disciplinary Assessment Meeting to determine patient pathways through clinic.

To communicate effectively with clients and patients to ensure they understand the screening or symptomatic pathway.

Utilise medical and radiographic knowledge to assess the ability of the client/patient to comply with the examination and adapt technique if required.

Checking patients/clients details prior to examination and ensuring that such details are present and correct on the request form/computer. Requests must be justified, as per departmental protocol and as per statutory regulations, Ionising Radiations (Medical Exposure) Regulations (IR(ME)R) and the radiographer must use their professional judgement to refuse inappropriate requests.

Elicit relevant clinical history and gain consent prior to examination.

Maintain up to date knowledge of breast disease and other issues relating to women's health including Hormone Replacement Therapy. Able to provide specialist, in depth information and support. Supplies relevant health promotion information and answers general health queries, referring to General Practitioner on other health issues if necessary.

Ensures that all mammography and ultrasound images are properly labelled with patients name, side examined, and date of examination and coded if appropriate. To enter information of the examination into the Radiology Computer System/National Breast Screening Service(NBSS).

Ensures that radiation safety measures are being observed within the limits of the procedure being carried out and that own standard of Radiation Protection is in accordance with the "Ionising Radiation Regulations 2017". IR (ME)R 2017 and any other relevant legislation.

Ensuring that, on completion of examination, the patient/client is informed how they will get their results and when they may leave; arrangements are to be made for transport if necessary.

To care for the patients in the department especially in their own area of work. To communicate to patients any delays likely to affect them, and within the standards set by the HCPC to describe examination findings, if appropriate. Occasionally communicating unwelcome news to patients within the clinic environment.

When required to advise on patient preparation and/or seek advice as appropriate.

To be responsible for own workflow within the designated area ensuring that clinical requests are acted upon as appropriate and that a good throughput of patient examinations is achieved.

Have a flexible attitude towards the hours of work and participate in work and duties as required within the directorate.

Maintain own area of work in a clean and tidy condition.

To take appropriate action to ensure the safety of patients and others. To report and document any accidents/incidents to a senior member of staff.

Ensures the mobile screening van is maintained as a suitable environment for staff and clients by checking for and reporting any external damage prior to daily use.

Takes delegated responsibility whilst working on mobile units for the relevant legislation relating to Health and Safety, Ionising Radiation Regulations, Fire Procedure and procedures for ceasing screening when equipment fails to perform to quality and/or safety standards.

Ensures the unit is correctly packed and secured for transportation when applicable.

Quality

Has understanding of NHSBSP guidelines and quality standards and ensures these are upheld.

Monitors quality of Radiographic technique to ensure less than 2.7% of clients are recalled for repeat examination.

Participates in peer review of images and works with colleagues to identify problems and trends.

Undertakes daily, weekly and monthly performance monitoring tests on equipment to ensure optimal technical quality of images.

Has underpinning knowledge to interpret Quality Assurance test results and know when and how to take remedial action.

To participate in Medical/Clinical Audit of examinations.

Finance, Information and Resources:

To ensure the effective use of resources.

To liaise with the senior radiographer on stock levels.

Professional:

To contribute and participate in appraisal and work to achieve agreed set objectives.

To attend professional training/development courses as appropriate and provide appropriate feedback that would benefit or enhance the service.

To maintain an up-to-date knowledge of and expertise in mammography and other imaging areas.

This will include maintenance of a personal CPD file.

To be responsible for own registration with the HCPC. To maintain a professional attitude at all times, maintaining and developing the role of the profession in accordance with the HCPC Code of conduct.

To identify to your manager any known limitations within your professional competence.

Educate the general public about the benefit of attending for screening and breast awareness.

Other:

Any other Ad Hoc duties that may be required.

Participate in any out of hours programme that is currently in operation or implemented in the future.

Ongoing requirement for moderate physical effort and repetitive movement under a time constraint taking a minimum of 4 separate images on each woman.

Ongoing requirement for travelling to mobiles/static units.

Person specification

Knowledge

Essential

• Awareness of the NHS Breast Screening Programme including policies, guidelines and technical knowledge of specialist mammography equipment.
• Knowledge of Clinical Governance including Quality Assurance and Audit.

Skills

Essential

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels in an emotive environment

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma/Degree in Radiography.
• HCPC Registration.
• Possess or work towards a Post Graduate Award in Mammography Practice.
• Current state registration.
• Evidence of relevant courses/CPD.

Experience

Essential

• Experience at Band 6 level.
• High standard of clinical skills.
• Experience of working as part of a Radiography team and/or
• Multidisciplinary team.
• Reliable and capable of working with confidential and sensitive information.

About the employer

Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is a large acute and specialised hospital trust that provides a range of local acute services to the residents of Worcestershire and more specialised services to a larger population in Herefordshire and beyond.

The Trust operates hospital-based services from three sites in Kidderminster, Redditch and Worcester

Our workforce is more than 7,000 strong, and our caring staff are recognised as providing good and outstanding patient-centred care. You could be one of them.

We are committed to recruiting the best people to work with us. Our values, which we ask all staff to demonstrate, underpin our everyday work and remain firmly at the heart of all we do.

Being open and honest

Ensuring people feel cared for

Showing respect to everyone

We are proud to have achieved Timewise accreditation - this means we are committed to embedding flexible working within our organisation as a flex positive employer.

DBS Checks and Costs

Any applicants who are offered posts requiring a DBS check as part of their employment check will have the cost of this check (at the current rate) deducted from their salary. Please see link in Supporting Information section for more details on DBS checks and costs.