Screening Technician - Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme

Cheshire and Merseyside Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Screening Programme has been in operation for 11 years. The screening programme invites all men in the year they turn 65 for an ultrasound scan of their abdomen. AAA screening is offered so that aneurysms can be found early and monitored or treated. This greatly reduces the chances of the aneurysm causing serious problems. Cheshire and Merseyside AAA Screening programme are expanding the screening team and recruiting 3 additional team members. The successful candidate will be joining an established team of screening technicians and administrators. Following successful completion of the Health Screening Diploma, the primary purpose of this role is to undertake abdominal ultrasound scanning as part of the community AAA screening programme. The post holder will work independently and make judgements according to experience and training. The post holder will ensure abdominal ultrasound scanning is undertaken to a high standard and in accordance with national standard operating procedures. The post is part- time 22.5 hours per week (3 days per week). The base will be at the New Royal Liverpool hospital site and the post holder will be expected to travel across the Cheshire and Merseyside area to carry out screening in community based venues. You will be joining a friendly, supportive team and we strongly advise you to visit our department prior to interview., The primary purpose of this role is to undertake abdominal ultrasound scanning as part of the community AAA screening programme. The post holder will ensure abdominal ultrasound scanning is undertaken to a high standard and in accordance with national standard operating procedures. The post holder will reassure men attending the community AAA screening and surveillance clinics and explain the screening test to them. The post holder will ensure that the men attending clinics are informed and aware of the implications of AAA screening.,

• Observe and care for men attending the screening clinic, liaising with administrative staff, nurses, medical and screening programme staff as appropriate and in the best interest of the patient and any escorts.
• Deal with anxious patients and their relatives with tact, patience and discretion. Recognise where communication difficulties arise and overcome barriers to understanding.
• Carry out other duties in accordance with the current guidelines and the programme protocol including: obtaining informed consent; putting patients at their ease, explaining the reasons for their invitation and answering any queries.
• Communicate the outcome of the screening test to the man (this may be via his relative/carer or interpreter); provide additional information and offer support appropriate to the outcome/patient pathway.
• Work alongside other screening staff involved with the clinic and support the work of the screening programme.
• Keep the Screening Programme Coordinator/Manager and CST informed of caseload and any difficulties arising, seeking advice where necessary.
Knowledge, Training & Experience
• Use knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the abdominal aorta to identify the area to be scanned and any measurements taken which are outside the normal range.
• Apply specialist training and experience to manipulate ultrasound machine controls to gain maximum image optimisation.
• Apply experience and training to deliver outcome of the screening test clearly and correctly, ensuring the patient (and relative/carer) understand the outcome and any further action required
Analysis & Judgement
• Analyse scan data to ensure the quality and other factors meet with agreed protocols.
• Download data electronically, inspect for abnormalities and flag / record as appropriate, decide on course of action from available options and send data to the screening office. Ensure that the screening office is notified as soon as possible about any results that are at variance with specified criteria or that are of concern.
• Record clinical measurements and other information as required.
• Issue accurate scan reports for use in the AAA screening programme and for inspection by the Lead Ultrasound Clinician/Consultant Radiologist as required.
Planning & Organisation
• Organise and carry out ultrasound scans of the abdominal aorta in accordance with current guidelines for sonographic scanning and the programme protocol.
• Ensure that scan results are despatched as soon as possible from off-site screening clinics to the screening office in a safe and confidential way.
• Deal with medical and patient enquiries as appropriate, taking the initiative to prioritise work and to bring to the attention of medical or administrative staff any patient whose condition warrants it.
• Handle incidents and medical emergencies in a professional manner and in accordance with local policy, supporting other screening staff if appropriate
Physical Skills
• Manipulates ultrasound equipment with high degree of accuracy and precision for maximum image optimisation.
• Safely and accurately manoeuvre equipment and patients for ultrasound scans.
Patient Care
• Undertake ultrasound scanning on patients in accordance with protocols and standard operating procedures.
• Ensure the safety, privacy and dignity of the patient, taking into consideration any cultural/religious or other needs.
Policy & Service Development
• Participate in service reviews and actively put forward suggestions for improvement for own work area.
• Work within agreed protocols and operating procedures for scanning and care of patients.
• Observe the requirements of the Infection Control Policy in ensuring the cleanliness and tidiness of screening rooms. Ensure that all clinic waste is disposed of according to local protocol.
• Ensure that all clinic equipment is packed up correctly at the end of a clinic and stored in a safe and secure location., 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.
  
  5 GCSE or equivalent, incl Human Biology or a Diploma in relevant subject
• NVQ 3 in relevant subject
Desirable criteria
• Specialist Training: Level 3 Diploma for Health Screeners (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screener) Essential to pass 2nd Gateway on Band, Understanding of hospital environment and patient care & confidentiality
• Ability to make unsupervised judgements on patient enquiries and problems
• Awareness of when to request advice from senior staff
Desirable criteria
• Experience of working within a clinical environment Essential to pass 2nd Gateway on Band
• Familiarity with personal computers Essential to pass 2nd Gateway on Band, Understanding of commonly used medical terminology
• Familiarity with keyboard use
Desirable criteria
• Familiarity with data transcription Essential to pass 2nd Gateway on Band
• Familiarity with computer systems Essential to pass 2nd Gateway on Band, Excellent written and verbal skills
• Good communication skills
• Ability to work within a team and to effectively liaise with people at all levels
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to work accurately on own initiative
• Good organisational skills
  
  Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was created on 1 October 2019 following the merger of two adult acute Trusts, Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The merger provides an opportunity to reconfigure services in a way that provides the best healthcare services to the city and improves the quality of care and health outcomes that patients experience. The Trust runs Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital, Liverpool University Dental Hospital and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. It serves a core population of around 630,000 people across Merseyside as well as providing a range of highly specialist services to a catchment area of more than two million people in the North West region and beyond.

The Trust is committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance and achieve fair, equitable and consistent practice. We welcome flexible working requests and will consider a variety of flexible working arrangements from day one of your employment. Not all roles are suitable for every flexible working opportunity all of the time. Flexible working options may include reduced hours, compressed hours, fixed shifts, time back in lieu and home working. The Trust is committed to promoting equality and diversity; we value the contribution of individual talent, skills, knowledge and experience and aim for a workforce demography representative of the local community. We encourage applicants from the following groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce black, Asian and minority ethnic, lesbian, gay, bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+), disabled, male and age 16-24. Trust policy requires that the cost of submitting & processing the successful applicant/s DBS application be recovered via salary deduction following start in post. The amount of £18+£5 (standard disclosure) or £38+£5 (enhanced disclosure) will be deducted from salary, in manageable monthly instalments for up to 3 months following commencement of employment. Bank posts require upfront payment. From April 2017, Skilled visa applicants and their adult dependant(s) will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from each country they have lived in consecutively for 12 months or more in the past ten years. Applicants requiring sponsorship may wish to determine the likelihood of obtaining sponsorship for this position by assessing themselves against the criteria on the gov.uk website - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa. This organisation has a zero-tolerance approach to the abuse of children, young people and vulnerable adults. All staff must ensure they adhere to the organisations safeguarding children and adults' policy and comply with the Local Safeguarding Children and Adult Board procedures. Staff should be mindful of their responsibility to safeguard children and adults in any activity performed on behalf of the organisation in line with the requirements of statutory guidance and legislation. All employees (and volunteers)are expected maintain their safeguarding knowledge and skills by completing mandatory safeguarding training which includes understanding and recognising the signs of abuse and neglect and taking appropriate action. As an organisation, we have adopted the Merseyside Domestic abuse workplace scheme which supports our staff who are experiencing Domestic Abuse /any forms of sexual violence. If you have any personal requirements that will enable you to participate in our recruitment process please contact a member of the Recruitment Services by phone on at the earliest opportunity to ensure that measures can be put in place to enable your application for this post. Please note: new entrants to the NHS will commence on the first pay point of the relevant band. For agenda for change banded roles; salary payments will reflect the 2023/24 pay scales. The 2024/25 pay scales will be paid in October 2024 including any backpay due. Therefore should the successful applicant start in post prior to October, the salary will initially reflect the 2023/24 pay scales.