Highly Specialist Clinical Physiologist (Neurophysiology)

Job summary

The Highly Specialist Clinical Physiologist works under the general supervision of the Clinical Service Manager and lead Clinical Scientist for the Wye Valley Neurophysiology service to provide a comprehensive range of Neurophysiological investigations including all modalities of outpatient and inpatient EEG and upper and lower limb nerve conduction study investigations.

The person should have specialist experience in basic and some advanced neurophysiology testing. To perform autonomous diagnostic investigations as an independent practitioner using clinical experience to manage patient care in a medical clinical environment. The person should demonstrate ambition and a willingness to learn and evolve their level of practice to an advanced level.

if you have applied before and were unsuccessful your application will not be considered

Main duties of the job

• Plan, perform, analyse and interpret a range of basic and advanced Neurophysiological investigations to a high level of competence and within the agreed competency framework, working independently and taking appropriate action where necessary.
• Perform routine and specialised Electroencephalographic (EEG) investigations in adults and children, including departmental, ward-based and emergency EEGs on ITU and SCBU, including recordings on extremely premature infants in incubators.
• Independently undertake specialised EEG investigations, including sleep-deprived EEGs, recordings during medication administration on ITU/SCBU.
• Perform visual evoked responses, including light- and dark-adapted studies and pattern electroretinograms.
• Independently perform practitioner-led carpal tunnel screening and ulnar nerve function clinics, and prolonged ambulatory EEG studies of 24-72 hours.
• Provide accurate and timely reports on a range of Neurophysiological investigations and provide specialist advice to clinicians, exercising professional judgement where findings are complex, equivocal or outside expected parameters.
• Assess, plan, implement and evaluate patient needs, communicating complex technical information in an accessible manner and managing sensitive, difficult or challenging interactions appropriately.
• Maintain responsibility for infection prevention and control, patient safety, safeguarding, confidentiality, Data Protection and Caldicott principles within all clinical activities.

About us

Wye Valley NHS Trust is a member of an NHS Foundation Group with South Warwickshire NHS FT , the George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust and Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Located on the border with Wales in the shadow of the Black Mountains, we provide acute and community services across Herefordshire and into parts of Powys and run Hereford County Hospital and the community hospitals in Bromyard, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.

We are a progressive and forward looking trust with ambitious plans to improve quality and integrate patient pathways through close collaborative working with our partners to deliver the quality of care we'd want for our family and friends.

More than 3,500 people work for the Trust - they tell us it's a great place to work, blending the busyness of a DGH with the benefits of working in a beautiful rural and unspoilt county like Herefordshire.

We can offer a great work-life balance and have a fine tradition of working with staff to help them achieve their full potential.

Russell Hardy, Trust Chairman: "The strength of the Trust is its amazing staff; a great place to work, a great place to develop your career and a great place to reach your potential."

Our values -Care, Accountability, Respect and Excellence - are at the heart of all we do. We believe in providing the right care in the right place at the right time...all the time.

Job responsibilities

Work as part of a small team providing a comprehensive clinical neurophysiology service. See detailed job description

Person specification

Education & Qualifications

Essential

• Registration Council for Clinical Physiologist (RCCP) or Health Care and Professions Council.
• BSc Clinical Physiology (Neurophysiology) Degree pre 2012 or MSc Clinical Physiology (Neurophysiology) Degree post 2012 or equivalent

Desirable

• Master's Degree or Equivalent level of knowledge or Specialist Training Programme e.g. Relevant Post Graduate degree or Equivalent Specialist modules / courses in Neurophysiology

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

Essential

• Ability to perform a wide range of Neurophysiological investigations on adults and children and to have a high level of specialist skills and knowledge within the relevant field.
• Able to interpret specialist Neurophysiological investigation results and patient conditions.
• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information in a variety of forms to patients, relatives and carers including children with learning and physical disabilities and behavioural and psychiatric problems.
• Ability to work autonomously, co-ordinate, plan and prioritise
• Able to undertake complex hand-eye coordination tasks such as electrode placement. High degree of dexterity and co-ordination for use of diagnostic equipment e.g. applying large number electrodes on a neonate in an incubator in cramped special care conditions

Experience

Essential

• Proven post-qualification experience as minimum Band 6 highly specialist clinical physiologist (neurophysiology)
• Practical experience and familiarity with the range of basic and advanced Neurophysiological investigations.
• Significant Experience of Autonomous working
• Supervisory experience.

Desirable

• Management experience