Lead Radiographer; or Trainee under Annex

Lead Radiographer (or Trainee under Annex 21)

Band 7 (or trainee under Annex 21) – closing date 05 February 2026

An experienced radiographer is needed to manage the St Helens plain film department, including dental and theatre divisions. The role requires a flexible approach, good organisational and communication skills, and a commitment to service improvement.

Enhanced DBS Certificate with checking of the Adults and Children Barred Lists is required.

• Four GE plain film rooms, one dental room and one dexa, plus two image intensifiers and two DR mobile machines.
• Day‑to‑day operational management working closely with Consultant Radiologists and the administration team.
• Clinical and managerial responsibilities, including out of hours and weekend coverage.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9,000 staff across 21 sites. We strongly believe all communities should have access to Five Star Patient Care.

KEY DUTIES

• Administration, performance monitoring and data quality of PACS/RIS and integrated systems.
• Training staff in PACS/RIS and associated systems.
• Perform diagnostic imaging examinations in accordance with departmental protocols.
• Competence in all appropriate imaging equipment.
• Participation in on‑call, flexible working and out of hours service.
• Responsibility for QA program in designated area.
• Abide by radiographic protocols and all radiation protection regulations.
• Report equipment malfunctions to appropriate personnel.
• Accurate image data handling for the Picture Archiving Communication System.
• Justification of radiographic examinations for Junior Radiographers and Junior Assistant Practitioners; authorise radionuclide imaging as appropriate.
• Promotion of quality initiatives, ensuring patient care and compliance with quality standards.
• Undertake staff appraisals.
• Effective communication with patients on complex and sensitive issues.
• Maintain courteous communication with patients and staff, especially in distressing situations.
• Liaise with lead clinicians to ensure effective service running.
• Collaborate with other departments to provide efficient service to all users and patients.
• Communication with service users and external agencies.

CLINICAL & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Autonomously undertake Advanced Practice in a specialised area of radiography.
• Provide clinical leadership and support to staff.
• Maintain high clinical and professional standards.
• Ensure compliance with radiographic protocols and HCPC regulations.

ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Accurate data entry on the Radiology Information System.
• Appropriate storage of regulatory documentation.

TEACHING & TRAINING RESPONSIBILITIES

• Training and development of staff and external personnel.
• Participation in continuing education programmes.

LINE MANAGEMENT/SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Day‑to‑day management of the designated department.
• Resource planning, workload prioritisation and effective service running.
• Quality improvement and risk management.
• Staff recruitment, selection and performance appraisal.
• Participation in procurement of radiographic equipment.

RESEARCH & AUDIT

• Participation in departmental audit and research programmes.
• Audit of current techniques and new developments.

• BSc in Radiography and/or equivalent qualification.
• Post Graduate Certificate in the relevant modality.
• HCPC Registration.
• MSc in Radiography and/or equivalent qualification.

• Significant post‑graduate clinical experience.
• Experience with PACS.
• Leadership and management skills.
• Experience in emergency single‑handed out of hours duties.
• QA testing experience.

• Organisation of own and team work.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Audit analysis and data collection.
• Multidisciplinary team interaction.
• Time management, IT literacy, presentation skills.
• Student and NVQ assessor experience.

• Team player.
• Commitment to quality.
• Willingness to travel to both sites by own car or assisted driver.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975; a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) is required to check for any previous convictions.

Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust