Respiratory Physiologist | Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

We are looking for a motivated and enthusiastic Respiratory Physiologist to join our team. The post-holder is required to provide specialist respiratory and sleep services. The candidate should have a working knowledge of all health and safety policies relating to the job role, patient care and their working environment.

Job duties will include:

• To perform and be responsible for a wide range of clinical investigations, as well as to analyse and interpret highly complex results obtained and to produce a factual report.
• To line manage and clinically supervise junior staff as well as deputise for senior management daily.
• To cover clinics in the community including GP practices in the Wirral region and Clatterbridge Diagnostic Centre.
• To help organise and deliver all aspects of respiratory and sleep services when required.
• To provide education to junior staff, medical students, respiratory nurses and be involved in teaching on respiratory education days.
• To participate in clinical audits, research and development.
• To maintain complete and accurate records of test procedures.
• Ensure prompt completion of own duties via the hospital computer system to maintain comprehensive records of procedures.
• Keep up to date with current developments in the fields of cardiovascular and respiratory medicine and to be aware of future implications for development of these services.
• Take an active role in meeting the training requirements of assistant practitioners, assistant technical officers, medical and nursing students.
• Deliver and assist in the development of in house training programmes.
• Monitor the performance and learning needs of junior staff.
• Responsible for monitoring safety of equipment and ensuring service/maintenance is carried out.
• Participate in the writing and implementation of departmental policies in their area of work, and contribute towards any changes to policies.
• Take an active role in assisting with the planning, organisation and development of the service.
• Take responsibility for tasks assigned by the service leader.

All new colleagues can expect to receive a warm and friendly Wirral welcome from the very first time they make contact with us. We are described as “competent and caring staff” by our patients.

To be directly responsible for all measurements made for the following investigations, and be fully competent to perform unsupervised the following:

• Lung function diagnostics
• Spirometry
• Assessment of bronchodilator response
• Dynamic lung volumes, maximal flow volume loops
• Static lung volume measurement by Helium dilution method and N2 washout
• CO diffusing capacity measurement using the single breath method
• Static lung volume measurement by body plethysmography
• Measurements of airways resistance, conductance and specific conductance using body plethysmography
• End tidal CO assessment

The post-holder will be expected to assist with the delivery of highly specialist procedures/investigations:

• Hyper-reactivity (using mannitol)
• Respiratory exercise tests (cardiorespiratory/exercise induced asthma)
• Sleep and non-invasive ventilation services

To be directly responsible for all measurements made for the following investigations, and be fully competent to perform unsupervised the following:

• Overnight oximetry (issue of oximeters for home and ward overnight sleep studies)
• Download, analysis and printout of overnight oximetry studies
• Initiation and reporting of limited multi-channel sleep studies.

Specialist procedures/investigations:

• Delivery of CPAP initiation treatment package, i.e.: Analysis of CPAP titration studies, determination and prescription of CPAP pressures (including explanation of results and pressure requirements to patient and carers).
• Issue of home CPAP machines and responsibility for any problems/queries from the patient regarding CPAP interface or equipment.
• Independently review patients in the physiologist CPAP follow-up clinic; evaluate and adjust CPAP settings/pressures and interfaces following review of patient’s clinical condition (without medical consultation), book on to next CPAP consultant clinic if clinical condition warrants physician review.
• Independently troubleshoot complex CPAP problems including the adjustment of prescribed CPAP pressure/interface and humidification requirements as a result of subjective patient comments and/or oximetry results, without medical input.