AAA Screening Technician

Main area AAA Screening, Vascular Surgery

Contract: Fixed term - 18 months (Post to be made permanent on successful completion of Health Screener Diploma)

Hours: Part time - 27.75 hours per week (The hours will be worked flexibly, usually over three long shifts: Monday-Friday 8.00am-8.00pm on a rotational basis at venues across the whole of the screening programmes’ geographical area and there may be a future requirement to work Saturdays.)

Salary: £27,485 - £30,162 Pro rata

Job overview: The North Yorkshire and Humber NHS Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening Programme provides a community based ultrasound screening service across a wide geographical area including Ripon, Scarborough, Harrogate, York, Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire. We perform over 12000 ultrasound scans of the abdominal aorta per year at busy community clinics. You will be required to explain the implications and benefits of participating in the programme, undertake AAA screens, report scan results verbally to participants at the clinic, participate in health promotion, maintain safe use of ultrasound equipment and export and transfer images and results data electronically. The work requires a high degree of precision and a high level of hand, eye and sensory coordination. You must be able to drive and have a clean driving licence with access to a car insured for business use. The work involves some motorway driving and you will be expected to travel to all screening locations and transport and move portable screening equipment and supplies. The post is initially fixed term with a mandatory requirement for the successful candidate to complete the Level 3 Diploma for Health Screeners within the first 18 months of employment. The post will be made permanent on successful completion of the diploma in the allocated timeframe.

Main duties of the job:

• Ensure men attending clinics are aware of the benefits and risks of AAA screening and give informed consent to the procedures.
• Communicate with screening subjects in an empathetic and reassuring manner in order to produce high quality screening images.
• Report scan results together with any potential implications to subjects both verbally and, if required, in writing.
• Ensure the subject understands the screening result.
• Deal with anxious screening subjects and their relatives with tact, persuasion, patience and discretion.
• Recognise where communication difficulties arise and overcome barriers to understanding.
• Carry out other duties in accordance with the current national guidelines and the project protocols and standards.
• Work alongside other screening staff involved with the clinic and support the work of the screening programme.
• Keep the Vascular Scientist and Screening Manager informed of caseload and any difficulties arising, seeking advice where necessary.
• Participate in promoting the screening programme.

Person specification:

• Good standard of general education (5 GCSE or equivalent, in Maths, English and Human Biology or other life science)
• NVQ 2 in relevant subject
• NVQ 3 in relevant subject
• Health Screener Diploma
• Demonstrable understanding of the clinical environment, patient care and confidentiality
• Recent experience of delivering patient care within a clinical environment
• Understanding of commonly used medical terminology
• Familiarity with personal computers and data entry
• Experience of making unsupervised judgements on patient enquiries/queries
• Know when to seek advice from senior staff
• Experience of working in a AAA Screening Programme
• Experience of performing ultrasound scanning.
• Good eye to hand co-ordination
• Clear spoken and written English
• Politeness and patience
• Ability to work within a team and effectively liaise with people at all levels
• Good organisational skills
• Flexible and independent approach to work
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Good time keeper
• Ability to work from both hospital sites and all screening localities detailed in the vacancy advert as required and to meet the demands of the service
• Driver with clean licence
• Willingness and ability to travel and transport screening equipment between venues and sites
• Adaptability to different working environments off-site
• Interest and enthusiasm in the screening project and its benefits to the community
• Experience of publicising health care services
• High level of interpersonal skills
• Demonstrates empathy and diplomacy
• Flexible and reliable

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.