Chief Respiratory Physiologist

Job Summary

The Respiratory Physiology department at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust is seeking a Chief Respiratory Physiologist to lead our team on a permanent, full-time basis. As the team lead, you will be responsible for providing our service to the Trust and the wider community, supporting junior colleagues, and providing training as necessary. You will work autonomously and demonstrate best practice.

This post is ideal for Respiratory Physiologists with significant experience looking to take the next step in their career into a leadership role or for those currently working at the same level looking for a change of scenery.

Main Duties of the Job

• Perform full lung function testing safely and in-line with guidelines.
• Conduct spirometry, gas transfer - single breath method (carbon monoxide), static lung volumes - nitrogen washout, and body plethysmography, bronchodilator response testing (salbutamol), and shuttle walk tests.
• Undertake expert analysis and clinical interpretation of test results and provide expert clinical care.
• Identify and rectify equipment faults/malfunctions.
• Take basic height and weight measurements, explain the nature of the tests, and reassure patients. Confirm patient suitability for the test by clarifying recent medical history and checking for contraindications to the tests requested.
• Communicate complex information, which may be sensitive and/or contentious, to patients and their carers regarding the outcomes of a range of test results within pulmonary function testing.
• Perform respiratory diagnostic tests to nationally recognized standards for accuracy and quality.
• Follow consistently high standards of infection control practice, especially with reference to hand decontamination. Be aware of and follow all Trust infection control guidelines and procedures relevant to their work.
• Ensure that physiologists are following protocols correctly and are providing timely and accurate analysis.
• Lead on the production of the monthly divisional performance report for business meetings.

About Us

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust provides a full range of general acute, outpatient, and diagnostic services at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop's Stortford, and St Margaret's Hospital in Epping. We employ 3,500 staff and serve a local population of around 350,000 people living in west Essex and east Hertfordshire, centred on the M11 corridor and the towns of Harlow, Bishop's Stortford, and Epping. Our extended catchment area incorporates a population of up to 500,000 and includes the areas of Hoddesdon, Cheshunt, and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.

Our Values

The Princess Alexandra Promise to our patients as identified by our 3 values which will contribute to improving our patient experiences:

Patient at Heart - Always holding the patient and their wellbeing at the centre of our thoughts and efforts.

Everyday Excellence - Sharing and celebrating our successes, being honest when we get it wrong, giving us the ability to learn from both.

Creative Collaboration - Knowing strength comes from diversity, we combine our experiences, skills, and talents, working together to find new and better ways to care.

The Trust believes in investing in all our staff and rewarding high standards of care whilst building for excellence and in return we expect our staff to uphold the Trust values to the highest level.