Job summary
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and suitably qualified individual to join our dynamic and developing team within the respiratory diagnostic department as part of our outstanding trust at LHCH. We are a highly motivated team delivering patient centred care, with emphasis on quality and patient safety. We pride ourselves on being innovative in our thinking and ways of working; we want staff to be fully engaged in our development of services and are constantly looking at enhancing our service provision for our patient groups. The successful candidate will join an existing group of experienced physiologists and assistant physiologists who are highly motivated and committed to delivery diagnostic services to the highest possible standard. This is a full-time post (37.5 hrs) candidates will need to be familiar with performing and reporting sleep diagnostic testing along with a wide range of lung function tests as per the job description.

Main duties of the job
The post-holder will contribute to the provision of a comprehensive respiratory and oesophageal service. This service will include the following diagnostic and therapeutic modalities (in accordance with NICE guidelines), although this list is not exhaustive:

• Lung volumes and forced expiratory flows
• respiratory gas exchange
• blood gases, including routine maintenance and internal and external quality control
• oximetry
• plethysmography
• oesophageal studies
• cardio respiratory exercise studies
• diagnostic sleep studies
• challenge testing

A Clinical physiologist led community spirometry service together with diagnostic reporting. The post-holder must actively participate in all ongoing and development of research, clinical trials and equipment evaluation. Regular teaching and training of trainees, students, medical staff and other healthcare professionals. The post-holder must provide a full diagnostic reporting service for all delivered tests.

About us
As the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, we, at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, have a clear vision 'to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation'. We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine both in the hospital and out in the community. We serve a catchment area of 2.8 million people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and increasingly we receive referrals from outside these areas for highly specialised services such as aortics. Our reputation for strong performance is important in delivering the best care for our patients and high quality clinical services. This is underpinned by a culture of research and innovation, delivered in modern estate and our encouragement of flexible working in a variety of forms.

Job responsibilities
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Manager of Pulmonary Function & Respiratory Diagnostics / Service Leads
The post-holder will contribute to the provision of a comprehensive respiratory and oesophageal service. This service will include the following diagnostic and therapeutic modalities (in accordance with NICE guidelines), although this list is not exhaustive:

• Lung volumes and forced expiratory flows
• respiratory gas exchange
• blood gases, including routine maintenance and internal and external quality control
• oximetry
• plethysmography
• oesophageal studies
• cardio respiratory exercise studies
• diagnostic sleep studies
• challenge testing

Clinical physiologist led community spirometry service together with diagnostic reporting. The post-holder must actively participate in all ongoing and development of research, clinical trials and equipment evaluation. Regular teaching and training of trainees, students, medical staff and other healthcare professionals. The post-holder must provide a full diagnostic reporting service for all delivered tests.

Clinical Responsibility

• Assess, determine and perform the appropriate respiratory or oesophageal function test.
• Identify possible contra-indications to any type of modality (respiratory or oesophageal) investigation.
• Produce reports of tests performed/interpretation of results.
• Verbal and written interpretation to referring medical team and other healthcare professionals where appropriate for simple and specialist assessments.
• As a minimum be trained in Basic Life Support (Will be required to undertake ILS training for Cardio-pulmonary exercise testing).
• Demonstrate IT skills in data input and ability to produce clinical/departmental reports/spreadsheets, and a sound knowledge of clinical software related to individual analysers and specialist equipment.
• Assess and maintain equipment (static and portable) during all respiratory or oesophageal investigation.
• Record mechanical and electronic calibration of all equipment prior to clinical use.
• Analyse, diagnose and report any equipment faults to appropriate parties if the post-holder cannot rectify the fault.
• Handle and store equipment and consumables within accepted safe limits according to national regulations, departmental and trust policy for health and safety requirements.
• Demonstrate capability in undertaking clinical governance, audit and research projects contributing to the overall departmental strategy.

Knowledge, Education, Experience and Training

• Undergraduate degree in clinical physiology or Practitioner Training Programme (PTP) qualification or equivalent science-related subject.
• Professional examinations, ARTP Parts I & II, Associate & Practitioner Certificates.
• 2 years post-qualification experience as Band 5 respiratory physiologist.
• Teach and mentor junior/student healthcare scientists and other healthcare professionals the principles and practicalities of basic and some advanced lung function assessments.
• Development of leadership skills to enhance personal development, along with promoting expected good behaviours in line with trust policy etc.

Communication and Relationships

• Receive and assist patients +/- carers for lung function or oesophageal studies.
• Obtain additional information to assist with assessment, planning and preparation of lung function or oesophageal investigation.
• Communicate requirements for accurate performance of appropriate investigations to patients/participants/subjects/service users through building and maintaining a good rapport.
• Provide clinical interpretations and recommendations on results, investigations and quality control (both internal and external).
• Provide advice to healthcare colleagues on existing or developing protocols relating to lung or oesophageal function including, adverse incidents and legal/regulatory procedures.
• Provide advice to referring clinicians, colleagues and external stakeholders to determine respiratory/oesophageal investigations to meet clinical needs.

Service Development and Improvement

• Ensure continual service development and improvement through maintaining up to date knowledge of specialist area, obtaining membership and securing roles within the national professional body and/or international societies.
• Be regulated via a voluntary/mandatory register of practitioners, e.g. AHCS, HCPC along with being a registered member of ARTP.
• Ensure equipment used in lung function assessments is functioning correctly by performing a number of calibration and validation techniques including mechanical verification and biological control procedures for quality assurance and quality control.
• Ensure any faulty equipment is reported to senior colleagues and corrective maintenance is undertaken.
• On the request of senior staff within the department, undertake review of departmental standard operating procedures to ensure up to date and fits with current best practice.
• Ensure that all consumable items required to maintain an efficiently running service are kept stocked and communicate to senior colleagues when ordering of such items are required.
• Maintenance of Continual Professional Development.

Research and Development

• Contributes to departmental research where appropriate, examples include: Performing investigations for commercial research, undertaking in-house audit, presentation of outcomes of audit/non-commercial/academic research at national and/or international meetings.

Person Specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential

• BSc. Clinical Physiology or equivalent
• ARTP parts 1 and 2
• ARTP practitioner exam Or equivalent experience within an NHS respiratory setting.
• Membership of ARTP Professional Body

Desirable

• Registered with or working towards AHCS /HPC registration

Knowledge & Experience
Essential

• Post graduate experience within a clinical respiratory setting
• Must have good knowledge and understanding of both practical and theoretical aspects of a wide range of respiratory testing

Skills and Abilities
Essential

• Developing leadership skills
• Good communication skills
• Able to communicate with all levels of staff/patients/ Stakeholders etc
• Ability to work as part of a team and as an individual
• Able to prioritise workload
• Able to work under pressure

Values & Behaviours
Essential

• Ongoing commitment to CPD
• Knowledge of LHCH Vision and values
• Punctuality
• Good attendance record
• Adherence to LHCH and departmental uniform policy
• Be Civil, be kind

Other
Essential

• The post holder will rotate throughout the department. There will be the requirement to travel to COPD Community clinics within Knowsley and Liverpool at times.

Desirable

• Driving licence

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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.
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.