Job summary

Whittington Health Trust are looking for a enthusiastic applicant to support the delivery of the Medical Photography services .

The post is 0.6 WTE and the successful candidate will be required to cover Tuesday - Thursday . they will also be responsible for the management of the Photography & Illustration Service, providing a comprehensive service within the Trust. The post holder should also develop new methods and ideologies to improve the working service.

Ensuring delivery of a cost effective, efficient, Clinical Photography and Illustration Service.

Develop standard operational procedures and efficient working practices for the department.

Work closely with Ophthalmology, providing training for doctors, nurses, HCAs and placements from the Royal Free Hospital.

Keep up to date with developments in Medical Illustration and thereby ensure the delivery of a progressive service.

Communicate effectively and clearly with a wide range of people

Main duties of the job

To participate in the continuous development of the department and the delivery of a comprehensive Clinical Photographic and Illustration service.

Ability to run department without any on-site managerial involvement. Lone working with administration guidance from Pathology manager.

Manage the medical photography budget.

To make effective contributions to income generation targets, implementing any essential cost improvement schemes e.g. consumable usage/highlighting new service potential.

Work closely with Ophthalmology in the provision of staff training and quality control. Training to include Fundus photography, Ocular coherence tomography, Visual fields and Biometry.

Specialist knowledge of ophthalmology required to determine tests required for ophthalmic patients prior to them seeing the Doctor.

It would be an advantage if the postholder can occasionally fill-in for other ophthalmology staff to cover things such as Visual Acuity tests, Visual Field tests and Biometry measurements.

To maintain the departments clinical image database.

To be responsible for the safe use, maintenance and storage of valuable digital equipment.

About us

Whittington Health serves a richly diverse population and works hard to ensure that all our services are fair and equally accessible to everyone. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the way we look after our staff. We aim to employ a workforce which is as representative as possible of this population, so we are open to the value of differences in age, disability, gender, marital status, pregnancy and maternity, race, sexual orientation, and religion or belief. The Trust believes that as a public sector organisation we have an obligation to have recruitment, training, promotion and other formal employment policies and procedures that are sensitive to these differences. We think that by doing so, we are better able to treat our patients as well as being a better place to work.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To maintain accurate records of all clinical/illustration material

To support the Pathology manager in achieving departmental/Trust objectives, within the limited resources of the budget.

Responsible for maintaining a Personal Development Plan (PDP) and to keep up to date with any appropriate technical/professional developments and training.

Clinical: To undertake clinical photography, ensuring ethical practices are followed and using tact and diplomacy to aid patients in the photographic session and to understand the consequences of image consent. In particular when it is of a highly sensitive nature (genitalia/ trauma/NAI/foetal deaths) or if the procedure is extremely difficult to understand.

Communicate procedural information to patients, relatives, other staff and agencies. This requires persuasion, empathy and sensitivity to ensure tests proceed efficiently and effectively.

Assist junior doctors in Ophthalmology to interpret Ocular Coherence Tomography scans (OCT), Visual fields and Fundus Fluorescein Angiograms (FFA).

The department operates on an appointment only basis and the postholder is responsible for prioritising appointments according to the severity of the patients condition. In addition, these appointments must fit seamlessly around daily duties as well as allowing the postholder to cover ophthalmic clinics.

Ability to concentrate for long periods with frequent interruptions in a demand led service.

Responsible for ensuring patients receive relevant information to be able to give informed consent, and that the patient is Gillick competent, where appropriate, by ensuring:

Patients receive a copy of their signed consent form

Patients receive printed information.

A record of any issues/differences are produced for future reference

This includes patients/relatives who are emotionally volatile or their first language is not English.

To understand the barriers to communication for example:

Language

Sensory impairment

Mental/Physical disability

Cultural differences

Technical/medical terminology

Being mindful of cultural and religious views and beliefs, to ensure all patients and customers specific photographic needs are fulfilled, and that clinical priorities are met.

To ensure recording of images in operating theatre and trauma situations is undertaken with speed, dexterity and accuracy to ensure that the patients treatment is not delayed or disrupted.

To produce high quality images using advanced technical skills in computerised image manipulation, ensuring they are reproduced accurately and with no alteration of colour or tone. Being mindful of the consequences for the patients treatment, implications for mis-diagnosis and potential areas for litigation. Examples of this are:

NAI recordings

Burns and trauma records

Images for prosthetic reconstruction

Dermatology lesions e.g. melanoma

Responsible for deciding the most appropriate photographic technique to best demonstrate the patients condition from the options available this might include cross lighting, photodermoscopy, ultraviolet and infrared photography or use of a control subject.

All clinical images have the potential to be used in a court of law. However non-accidental images require legal reports to accompany them and there may also be a requirement to attend court as an expert witness.

To maintain an image database system within the department to meet all audit recommendations. Control access to the information in line with the Data Protection Act and Department Policy.

Non-clinical: Responsibilities are varied and include desk-top publishing, videography, design of posters, booklets, lecture material, public information leaflets for teaching and educational use.

Trust public relations, staff portraits, and fund-raising events and dignitary visits.

Promoting the Trusts photographic policy on consent and confidentiality and advising Trust staff on its use.

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications

Essential

• Masters degree in Medical Illustration (or equivalent).
• Significant experience in Medical Photography and Illustration.
• Relevant experience in a managerial role

Skills & Abilities

Essential

• Competent in all aspects of digital photographic practice. High level of competence with Photoshop and InDesign in addition to Microsoft Office.
• To be fully conversant in all aspects of current legislation, including patient confidentiality/ consent, data protection, Child Protection, and the Freedom of Information Act.
• Detailed knowledge of specialised clinical photographic procedures including ultra-violet and infra-red.

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• Experience in the development and management of safe digital image storage systems and associated databases.

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Good communication and interpersonal skills Good organisational skills and attention to detail. Ability to work with complete autonomy and be innovative/creative.
• Committed to producing the highest quality clinical photography to agreed National protocols and departmental guidelines, and an agreement to undertake any additional study to maintain CPD.
• Caring attitude to patients in a sensitive manner when dealing with issues such as cancer/bereavement/child abuse, and when obtaining images of an intimate nature.
• Intense concentration for preparation of artwork/ final checking.
• May be required to act as expert witness in court regarding photographic evidence i.e. non-accidental injury.

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

220-WHT-05-B