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Senior Rehabilitation Engineer (XR07)

Employer
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Location
Leeds
Salary
£43,742 to £50,056 a year
Closing date
7 Oct 2023
View moreView less
Profession
Other Health Profession
Grade
Band 7
Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
There is an opportunity for a clinical scientist to join a small team based at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the Rehabilitation Engineering Service. This post provides an opportunity to work directly with patients. The post holder will require a commitment to service delivery and to collaborative working within multi-disciplinary teams.

This is an opportunity to work across a range of professional areas including gait analysis functional electrical stimulation and clinical measurement. Other Clinical Scientist duties covered from the post may include supporting in wheelchairs, orthotics and prosthetics.

There will also be scope for the post holder to participate in a range of professional duties including training others, business planning, quality assurance, clinical evaluation and audit.

The post holder is required to be a HCPC registered Clinical Scientist (or eligible for registration).

Main duties of the job

The post holder will perform advanced clinical, technical and scientific activities in specialist areas of the department to deliver and support the rehabilitation of patients. The post holder will work autonomously with patients.

They will take measurements of patients, including 3D gait analysis, and undertake clinical examinations. They will analyse clinical data, discuss findings with others in the multi-disciplinary team, and write clinical reports based on their findings.

The post holder will also staff the functional electrical stimulation clinics, making assessment on patients, selecting and adjusting equipment based on needs, and assessing and managing any risks associated with the patients use of technology.

The post holder will provide scientific support to Clinical Measurement services such as Renal and other duties may include technical support in the wheelchairs, orthotics and prosthetics services.

They will supervise less experiences staff and seek opportunities to improve the service and technologies for patients. They will work in an accredited quality system and undertake audit activity as part of their work.

About us

Leeds Teaching Hospital is one of the largest and busiest acute hospital trusts in the UK covering five sites. Medical Physics and Engineering (MP& E) Dept has over 200 staff, supporting a range of applications of physics & engineering in medicine, and is actively involved in the development, assessment, implementation and audit of new/existing health care technologies & procedures. The rehabilitation engineering (RE) team are part of MP& E, providing technical support for people who require specialist wheelchairs and seating and advise the prosthetics and orthotics services in Leeds. They also assess and provide electrical stimulators for people with walking difficulties due to an upper motor neurone condition, and undertake specialist measurements of gait to support the treatments of mobility, for adults and children with particular medical conditions. There is also involvement in data analysis in other Clinical services such as Renal.

Leeds Teaching Hospitals is committed to our process of redeploying 'at risk' members of our existing workforce to new roles. As such, all our job adverts are subject to this policy and we reserve the right to close, delay or remove adverts while this process is completed. If you do experience a delay in the shortlisting stage of the recruitment cycle, please bear with us while this process is completed, and contact the named contact if you have any questions.

Job description

Job responsibilities

This is a clinical scientist post working in the Rehabilitation Engineering and Clinical Measurement Services, which provides assistive technology services for disabled people living in the Leeds area and beyond. Services are provided in collaboration with rehabilitation services based in the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and also with other rehabilitation services in Yorkshire. The post holder spends most time with patients providing technical support across a range of assistive technology areas including wheelchair services, gait analysis and functional electrical stimulation, prosthetic and orthotics. The post holder works with patients including those with profound or multiple disabilities.

The job holder normally works unsupervised, and takes responsibility for own decision on patient care in-line with registration. The post holder reports professionally to the Lead for Rehab Engineering. The post holders work is managed with expected results defined and outcomes assessed at intervals. Work is guided by national guidelines, regulations and standards. The post holder may be asked to interpret regulations relating to their field and develop guidelines for the organization. Procedures are documented in an ISO 9000 accredited quality management system.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

The job holder spends most of their time providing technical advice within several areas of Medical Physics and Engineering, including clinical measurement, wheelchair services, gait analysis and functional electrical stimulation. So the post holder should have an extensive knowledge of gait analysis, functional electrical stimulation, wheelchairs and postural management equipment, as well as experience of the delivery of assistive technology services/Clinical Measurement. The post holder should have a good knowledge of other areas of Clinical Engineering, including orthotics (devices to strengthen or straighten joints), prosthetics (artificial limbs), communication aids, electronic assistive technology and data analysis skills.

Experienced in the clinical engineering field across more than one area, gaining in-depth knowledge on clinical assessment procedures, fabrication of customized seating, clinical testing, monitoring of suppliers, relevant legislation, patient handling, wheelchairs and seating equipment through study days, short courses, personal study and working with specialists from a range of disciplines.

Broad rehabilitation engineering knowledge obtained from specialist course(s) at postgraduate level to Masters Level equivalence.

The knowledge gained though in-depth experience and study should be at equivalent to Masters level.

Core Behaviours and Skills

Personal:

Organise own work program from objectives. Planning of work program will be influenced by urgent clinical cases, access to facilities, coordination with other personnel, and availability of equipment.

Management:

Interpersonal skills

Organisational awareness

IT: Microsoft Office applications & CAD

Physical Skills:

Advanced workmanship: standard skills including use of tools to make fine adjustments e.g. with screw driver, micrometer, torque wrench.

Operation and Measurement Equipment

Manual handling to position patients with disabilities for accurate assessment or testing of function.

Assess joint range, tone and muscle power.

High degree of precision for accurate identification of anatomical landmarks for gait analysis marker positions.

Core Knowledge and Understanding

Clinical

Awareness of clinical factors affecting AT prescriptions

Awareness of clinical presentation of commonly encountered medical conditions

Awareness of other clinical interventions

Technical

Functional Electrical Stimulation devices, 3D motion analysis system, wheelchair and seating equipment & manufacturers instruction on operation and maintenance.

Wheelchair and seating equipment on the market & manufacturers instruction on operation and maintenance.

Legislation and guidance on matters relating to assistive technology services. Examples are: Medical Devices Regulations, British Standard, BS EN ISO 14971:2001Medical devices Application of risk management to medical devices

Organizational/Legal

Aims of LTHT, Department of Medical Physics and Engineering & Clinical Engineering

Human resources policies & procedures

Regulations covering health & safety at work, control of substances hazardous to health, data protection, disability discrimination, freedom of information.

Principal Duties and Areas of Responsibility

Delivery of Clinical Services

Delivery of the Gait Analysis Service has these components:

Review and acceptance of referrals (screening)

Assessment to identify appropriate tests

Undertakes test (e.g. physical examination, 3D motion capture)

Data collection, processing and storage of gait analysis results

Analyses and interprets gait analysis data for presentation in multi-disciplinary meetings

Reports technical gait analysis results to clinicians (referrer)

Undertakes quality assurance procedures relevant to test

Delivery of the FES service has these components:

Review and acceptance of referrals (screening)

Assessment and tests to identify appropriate intervention

Set up of complex highly specialist equipment, individualized to patients needs

Provides highly specialist technical advice to patients and associated professionals on the correct use of the medical device

Reports on outcomes to other associated clinical professionals

Delivery of other Clinical Engineering/Clinical Measurement services has these components:

Provide specialist technical advice on the selection and use of assistive technology equipment, modifications and adaptations to service users, carers, healthcare professionals and others in clinic as part of a multidisciplinary team and elsewhere. The clinical service that the post holder is expected to support may be functional electrical stimulation, gait analysis, wheelchair and seating.

Prepare specifications for modifications to assistive technology equipment for external companies including the occasional preparation of CAD technical drawings and assessment of the risks associated with the modifications.

Commission, acceptance test, hand over, fit and adjust equipment to meet a patients needs. This includes a check that the equipment has been delivered in accordance with specification, is suitable for the patient, and that the patient knows how to use it

Review patients with assistive technology equipment either in a clinic, or at a home visit.

Add technical and clinical information to the patients case notes following appointments,

Participate in case conferences.

To regularly train patients and their carers on the safe and effective use of their assistive technology equipment.

Develop, validate, undertake and analyse specialist tests on patients and their equipment. This maybe to diagnose the difficulty that a patient is experiencing with their equipment. Particular tests that may be required are: motion analysis equipment, interface pressure, portable appliance testing on electrical equipment.

To provide technical and scientific support in other clinical engineering and medical technology areas when it is deemed necessary.

To provide scientific support to Renal Dialysis team including analyzing and reporting renal data.

Quality Management

To participate fully in the development of the RE/Clinical Measurement quality management system and to comply with the quality policy, quality manuals and work instructions and procedures contained therein.

To produce and update written work instructions and procedures

Monitor services and goods that are provided to AT services from suppliers with regard to effective & efficient clinical interventions, management of clinical risk/ regulatory compliance

Evaluate and advise on equipment prior to purchase

Risk Management/ Health and Safety

Responsible for undertaking and documenting risk assessments to ensure the safe use of assistive technology equipment by individuals or patient groups. The performance of alternative equipment may need to be compared, in order to identify the most appropriate option for the person.

Investigate accidents and adverse incidents involving assistive technology equipment, obtaining information from the patient & others in circumstances that may be sensitive.

Advise on and implement response to Medical Device Alerts from MHRA involving assistive technology equipment and recalls from suppliers

To ensure the health and safety of themselves and others by following agreed working procedures and reporting adverse incidents.

Professional and Managerial

Contribute to planning, development and integration of RE service and other rehabilitation services in Leeds and elsewhere.

To occasionally train healthcare, educational and social work personnel and students, in own areas of expertise

Contribute to national professional meetings and initiatives when appropriate.

Undertake, advise on, identify the need for or initiate research studies as required.

To manage tasks and workload relating to trainees.

To carry out resource management tasks to facilitate the effective running of the service including arranging for the calibration of equipment.

Work with the Leads for RE service to monitor RE activity (including Medical device alerts, product recalls),

To provide technical input into Trust supply contract reviews/renewal process.

Contribute to planning, development of the Renal Scientists team

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Degree or equivalent in an engineering or physical science discipline
  • State registration as a Clinical Scientist or has to achieve this within 12 months of starting employment.


Desirable

  • Broad rehabilitation engineering knowledge obtained from specialist course(s) at postgraduate
    Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

    C9298-ONC-0210

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