Job summary
Working Full Time: 37.5 Hours Per Week
An opportunity has arisen to work closely with Corporate Nursing, Medical Engineering and the Divisional teams for a Medical Devices Safety Officer (MDSO). Applications welcome from registered nursing, midwifery, allied health professional staff in addition to those that have come through other roles.
The MDSO is a key role in promoting and improving the safe use of medical devices in the Trust, including medical device trai8nin competence and reporting as well as learning from medical device related incidents. This role provides a link on Medical Device Safety for MHRA, NHS England and device manufacturers concerning identified safety issues.
Main duties of the job
The MDSO's key role is to promote reporting and learning and safe use of medical devices across our organisation and be the main expert resource in this practice area. In addition to improving the quality of reporting, the MDSO would serve as the essential link between the identification and implementation of (local and national) medical device safety initiatives and the daily operations to improve the safe use of medical devices.
Leads on the investigation of serious device related incidents or significant near misses to determine root causes, implementing the necessary changes in procedure, training, or culture to reduce the likelihood of reoccurrence as far a is practically possible.
In conjunction with the Head of Clinical Engineering leads medical device governance for the Trust creating a programme of medical device safety improvement including Improving the frequency and quality of incident reports involving devices. Responding to nationally reported device safety initiatives.
About us
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
- The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds.
- Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.
- Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 6258 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 407,000. This includes 357,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. The cost of the DBS application is £23 (standard) or £43 (enhanced), this cost will be deducted from your salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £13 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc or HND in a relevant scientific or engineering subject
- Master's degree (or equivalent level combination of post-graduate study and experience) in medical device or other healthcare technology.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Possess suitable qualifications and experience to provide professional advice relating to medical device management, legislation and regulatory compliance.
Desirable
- Membership of a relevant professional body .
- Project management qualification, e.g. PRINCE 2
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Experience in operation and function of patient-critical equipment and techniques in healthcare.
- Ability to interpret national guidance and legislation and demonstrable experience in developing and implementing policy across a complex and geographically large healthcare environment.
- Extensive practical experience in electro medical engineering workshop practices and techniques, equivalent of independent practice including preventative maintenance, servicing, inspection, repair, calibration, quality control, safety, acceptance testing and procurement.
- Experience of undertaking risk assessments on medical devices and have ability to find novel solutions to minimise risk where appropriate.
- Experience in the use and operation of a quality management system such as ISO 9001:2000.
Desirable
- Specialist training on the maintenance and repair of a range of medical devices.
- Broad knowledge of medical device operational management.
- Experience in research and development, so able to advise on the design, implementation and analysis of product trials and reviews, using good research principles.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc or HND in a relevant scientific or engineering subject
- Master's degree (or equivalent level combination of post-graduate study and experience) in medical device or other healthcare technology.
- Evidence of continuing professional development.
- Possess suitable qualifications and experience to provide professional advice relating to medical device management, legislation and regulatory compliance.
Desirable
- Membership of a relevant professional body .
- Project management qualification, e.g. PRINCE 2
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Experience in operation and function of patient-critical equipment and techniques in healthcare.
- Ability to interpret national guidance and legislation and demonstrable experience in developing and implementing policy across a complex and geographically large healthcare environment.
- Extensive practical experience in electro medical engineering workshop practices and techniques, equivalent of independent practice including preventative maintenance, servicing, inspection, repair, calibration, quality control, safety, acceptance testing and procurement.
- Experience of undertaking risk assessments on medical devices and have ability to find novel solutions to minimise risk where appropriate.
- Experience in the use and operation of a quality management system such as ISO 9001:2000.
Desirable
- Specialist training on the maintenance and repair of a range of medical devices.
- Broad knowledge of medical device operational management.
- Experience in research and development, so able to advise on the design, implementation and analysis of product trials and reviews, using good research principles.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
