Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic and
highly motivated Specialist Healthcare Science Practitioner / Specialist
Cardiac Physiologist / Clinical Scientist / Echocardiographer to work as part
of our friendly team providing a Cardiology and Respiratory diagnostics
service. The principal hospitals within
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust are The University Hospital
of North Durham, Darlington Memorial Hospital, Bishop Auckland Hospital and
Shotley Bridge Hospital. The Cardiology
& Respiratory Investigations Units comprise a team of approximately 40
staff who provide a broad range of invasive and non-invasive procedures
including echocardiography, stress echocardiography, trans-oesophageal
echocardiography, diagnostic angiography, pacing implant / follow-up, complex
device follow up, tilt testing and nerve conduction studies. The hospital base
for this post is Darlington Memorial Hospital. We are actively developing
services and encourage personal development / extension of roles. We are
committed to providing learning and development opportunities. We actively
encourage and support all appropriate professional development.
Main duties of the job
The
successful candidate will work as part of a team in the busy Cardio-Respiratory
departments. They will be a specialist
in echocardiography, but will also perform a range of other physiological tests
available within the department. They will produce evidence based clinical
reports. They will provide training to other healthcare professionals and
students and will supervise junior staff as well as deputise for more senior
staff on occasions. They will work closely with colleagues to ensure that
protocols and procedures meet local and national requirements for good practice
and service delivery.
About us
If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager
You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks
We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.
We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented
Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents
Over reliance on
AI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances of
success
For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.
From April 9th 2025 - Healthcare assistants - You must have a minimum of two years
of experience working within the NHS as a HCA for the Trust to consider
sponsorship (we will only consider sponsorship if you meet this criteria and
have a current visa expiring within 3 months)
Job description
Job responsibilities
The candidate will be a specialist in echocardiography, and
will derive clinical reports. They must
have experience of working in a Cardiac Investigations department at band 5 or
6 level and have achieved the minimum academic qualifications in the Person Specification. They must be registered on the AHCS / HCPC
register or on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography Register and working
towards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence. For applicants not on one
of these registers, Annex 21 will apply until the advanced professional
qualification (British Society for Echocardiography transthoracic adult
accreditation) is obtained
They must hold a current certificate in
Immediate Life Support, or be willing to undertake this within 6 months of
employment.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The candidate will be a specialist in echocardiography, and
will derive clinical reports. They must
have experience of working in a Cardiac Investigations department at band 5 or
6 level and have achieved the minimum academic qualifications in the Person Specification. They must be registered on the AHCS / HCPC
register or on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography Register and working
towards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence. For applicants not on one
of these registers, Annex 21 will apply until the advanced professional
qualification (British Society for Echocardiography transthoracic adult
accreditation) is obtained
They must hold a current certificate in
Immediate Life Support, or be willing to undertake this within 6 months of
employment.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in the field of echocardiography.
- Experience at Band 5 or Band 6 level, or equivalent.
- Experience of working within a Cardiac investigations Unit.
- Experience of a broad range of diagnostic procedures within Cardiology.
- Experience of audit and quality assurance programmes
- Experience of training staff from a range of disciplines.
Desirable
- Able to work in a range of clinical environments
Satutory Registration
Essential
- Registered with AHCS or HCPC, or on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography register and working towards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science: Cardiac Physiology or MSc Clinical Science (Cardiac Science) or equivalent, with acceptance onto AHCS / RCCP / HCPC professional register.
- Or BSc in a relevant scientific subject, and on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography Register, and working towards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence.
- For staff who are not on a register, Annex 21 will apply until the British Society of Echocardiography transthoracic Adult Accreditation is obtained.
- Have, or be working towards the British Society of Echocardiography Transthoracic Adult Accreditation.
- Immediate Life Support certificate, or be willing to undertake this within 6 months of employment
Desirable
- Teaching / mentoring qualification
Special Requirements
Essential
- Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Organizational skills
- Ability to prioritise workload
- Good communication skills written and verbal.
- Ability to perform a range of cardiology and/or respiratory diagnostic procedures.
- Underpinning knowledge of physiology applied to the cardiovascular system
- Knowledge of pathologies relevant to Cardio-Respiratory medicine.
- Knowledge of medication which may be administered within Cardio-Respiratory Physiology and ability to administer as appropriate
- Ability to analyse complex information, interpret results and provide accurate reports to Medical staff and other Healthcare professionals within Primary and Secondary care. Provide advice to clinicians.
- Ability to assess patient condition and seek expert assistance when required.
- Able to provide day to day supervision of section / group of staff.
- Computer literacy
- Undertaking audit and participation in research programmes
Desirable
- Presentation skills
- Supervisory experience
- Ability to train other staff of all levels and act as a mentor
- Ability to use evidence based practice to ensure quality standards.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in the field of echocardiography.
- Experience at Band 5 or Band 6 level, or equivalent.
- Experience of working within a Cardiac investigations Unit.
- Experience of a broad range of diagnostic procedures within Cardiology.
- Experience of audit and quality assurance programmes
- Experience of training staff from a range of disciplines.
Desirable
- Able to work in a range of clinical environments
Satutory Registration
Essential
- Registered with AHCS or HCPC, or on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography register and working towards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence
Qualifications
Essential
- BSc (Hons) Healthcare Science: Cardiac Physiology or MSc Clinical Science (Cardiac Science) or equivalent, with acceptance onto AHCS / RCCP / HCPC professional register.
- Or BSc in a relevant scientific subject, and on the AHCS Specialist Echocardiography Register, and working towards Practitioner Training Programme equivalence.
- For staff who are not on a register, Annex 21 will apply until the British Society of Echocardiography transthoracic Adult Accreditation is obtained.
- Have, or be working towards the British Society of Echocardiography Transthoracic Adult Accreditation.
- Immediate Life Support certificate, or be willing to undertake this within 6 months of employment
Desirable
- Teaching / mentoring qualification
Special Requirements
Essential
- Able to travel across Trust sites to meet the requirements of the post
Special Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Organizational skills
- Ability to prioritise workload
- Good communication skills written and verbal.
- Ability to perform a range of cardiology and/or respiratory diagnostic procedures.
- Underpinning knowledge of physiology applied to the cardiovascular system
- Knowledge of pathologies relevant to Cardio-Respiratory medicine.
- Knowledge of medication which may be administered within Cardio-Respiratory Physiology and ability to administer as appropriate
- Ability to analyse complex information, interpret results and provide accurate reports to Medical staff and other Healthcare professionals within Primary and Secondary care. Provide advice to clinicians.
- Ability to assess patient condition and seek expert assistance when required.
- Able to provide day to day supervision of section / group of staff.
- Computer literacy
- Undertaking audit and participation in research programmes
Desirable
- Presentation skills
- Supervisory experience
- Ability to train other staff of all levels and act as a mentor
- Ability to use evidence based practice to ensure quality standards.
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).
Employer details
Employer name
County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Darlington Memorial Hospital NHS Trust
Hollyhurst Road
Darlington
County Durham
DL3 6HX
Employer's website
https://www.cddft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
