Head of Radiology Services (to include Breast Imaging)

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust (PAHT) is proud to care for the communities of West Essex, delivering safe, compassionate, and high-quality services. We are part of the Neighbourhood Wavea national programme that’s changing how care is delivered by focusing on prevention, early support, and more joined-up services across health, social care, and the voluntary sector.

This means we’re working more closely with local partners to bring care closer to home and support people to live healthier, more independent lives.

We’re a supportive and inclusive organisation that values its people. We offer development opportunities, flexible working, and a strong focus on wellbeing. As a Disability Confident and equal opportunities employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.

Join us and help shape the future of care in West Essex.

Job overview

Reporting to the Divisional Director of Operations (DDoOp), the Head of Radiology Services is responsible, in conjunction with the Radiology and Breast Clinical Lead, for the safe and effective delivery of all imaging based patient services within the division. This involves achievement of all operational performance targets, including access targets, finance, and the quality of services to patients and improving services towards best practice standards within available income. The post holder will hold a current or background registration in Radiography, namely HCPC.Scope and range

Have operational and strategic responsibility for pathway management and delivery of performance targets for all specialties within their clinical division. This will include waiting list management, cancer standards, workforce and finance.

Leading for and representing the Trust in various forums involving external partners in regard to Community and Regional Diagnostic Networks and Innovations, such as Community Diagnostic Hubs, Regional Imaging Networks, and other service-related screening programmes.

Be responsible for operational flow, capacity and demand management and ensuring pathways are optimised to support performance targets and financial targets including CIP.

Ensure daily processes are in place to identify early any risks to achievement of performance targets and develop detailed recovery plans for any area below expected performance.

Ensure the respective Clinical lead and Divisional Director are kept updated on all performance areas within the portfolio and highlight any specialties/modalities of concern.

Develop business cases on behalf of the specialities/s to support service development or improvement. - Ensure that operational delivery also provides high quality of care to patients. The HoS will demonstrate a clear commitment to and role modelling of the Trust values.

Make an active contribution to the planning and delivery of Improvement Programme and QIPP schemes and initiatives to support the achievement of ongoing productivity and efficiency improvements across the organisation and system wide procurement and contracting opportunities.

Ensure that the availability of services are optimised for the benefit of patients and that appropriate contingency arrangements are made if it is not possible for the division to provide normal service.

Ensure that administrative/clinical pathways and procedures are continuously improved to support the delivery of efficient and effective services to achieve and maintain targets and internal performance measures.

Management, completion and uploading of internal and external reports, including the Diagnostic Imaging Dataset (monthly) and the National Imaging Data Collection (Annually).

Where required, deputise for the General Manager and/or Deputy General Manager for FDC and be expected to work autonomously and make decisions when necessary. To be a key member of the Divisional Leadership Team, attendance at sub care group B board, taking full responsibility for actions and for keeping other team members fully informed at all times, by exception or otherwise.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities Leadership

To provide professional lead support to the division working in partnership with the DDoOp, GM, DGM and HoN to deliver a high quality and responsive service.

To ensure the division is managed effectively working with the clinical leads on a day-to-day basis.

To ensure effective channels of communication exist and are maintained within and across the division and that there are effective working relationships and links with relevant colleagues in other divisions or organisations.

Act as the key link between the clinical teams and all the division management teams.

To ensure the division demonstrates an open-door policy and that open and inclusive working relationships are developed with front line staff being fully involved in division decision making.

To work with other specialties and departments across the Trust, to establish excellent relationships, strong interface pathways, and clear mechanisms for the escalation of problems and performance tracking.

To work with the Clinical Leads lead to ensure the implementation of Trust policies across the Directorate and to ensure that staff are aware of their responsibilities and have appropriate training. This includes health and safety, risk management, and assurance framework compliance.

Liaison with CDC imaging team with an input into routine modality D&C planning.

Attendance to Trust Cancer Board and Cancer transformation Board and act where required.

Address requirements for modality mobile provision, insourcing and outsourcing inclusive of teleradiology contract for BAU and OOH.

AHP board member

Strategic Direction

To support the development of, and promote, the Trust’s missions, values, aims, and objectives.

To lead on the production and monitoring of divisional operational plans and support the development of care group strategic and operational plans, as part of the annual planning cycle and on an ad-hoc basis as required.

Produce accurate, high quality business cases in conjunction with the information team.

To play a key role in the improvement of the operational service delivery in line with the strategic direction of the Trust, leading and working with clinical teams to embed project work and deliver required efficiency and quality improvements.

Workforce modelling of clinical and non-clinical staffing groups

Service Developments and Performance Management

To support the Trust’s performance management framework and be accountable for the performance against all key dimensions to include all access and clinical quality performance targets taking corrective action as required.

Lead and commission review of current processes where appropriate, identifying bottlenecks and waste, and continually seeking to improve the clinical effectiveness and financial efficiency of the patient pathways.

Take action to support and enable clinical teams to resolve their operational issues on a day-to-day basis, to ensure the efficiency and performance of the division in relation to the delivery of key operational performance targets.

To work as a member of the divisional team to investigate and respond to complaints as required, taking active steps to ensure that lessons are learnt from the concerns raised and action is taken to prevent recurrence.

To support the division in the delivery of risk management and governance processes working closely with the Governance Lead and senior members of the team. This includes maintenance and oversight of the Directorate Risk Register and assuring mechanisms are in place to ensure regulatory compliance such as IR(ME)R & IRR, leading on external inspections for CQC IRMER and chairing Radiation Protection based meetings ensuring relevant contracts/ are in place for RPA and MPS services.

To take a lead in introducing strategies to manage demand/capacity and the development of referral protocols as required.

To work with the divisional Leadership team to ensure compliant rotas and on call arrangements are in place plus team job planning for the medical workforce and advanced practice. To take a Lead role in the tendering and procurement of clinical equipment and consumables, working closely with Finance and the Procurement Team when necessary.

Quality and risk

Promote a culture that continually reviews performance utilising incidents and complaints data as tools to enable continuous improvement.

To ensure data relating to activity is accurate, complete and is used appropriately to inform service planning.

To ensure the delivery of the Trust’s clinical governance agenda, participating in assessment and action planning.

To provide a supportive and developmental environment in which staff are motivated to realise their full potential as identified through the Trust’s appraisal processes.

To ensure that our people objectives and workforce development plans form an integral part of the departmental annual business plan and objectives, including meeting or improving upon targets for sickness absence, appraisals, turnover and agency staff usage.

To ensure that the capability, conduct and performance of every member of staff is assessed and appropriate action taken to address shortfalls and to ensure that sickness absence is managed in accordance with the Management of Attendance policy and appropriate action taken when necessary.

To ensure that the principles of the Trust’s Corporate Strategy, Core Values and Personal Responsibility Framework are adopted, openly discussed, and implemented.

Work closely with QI, BCM and Strategy teams to achieve transformation aims

Attendance at Trust wide PS&Q groups and take relevant actions

Attendance to Coroner’s inquest/Crown court as/when required to represent the speciality

Attend PTL meetings and take relevant action/s

Attend the WE Breast Screening Programme board to represent the imaging components of the agenda

Resources

To be responsible and accountable for the management of budgets (pay and non-pay) relating to the division and achieve financial balance, reporting as required to the senior leadership team as to the financial performance.

In conjunction with the divisional Finance Manager, provide a monthly report on financial performance and process additional payments.

To order and authorise goods in accordance with the Trust’s financial framework/Standing Financial Instructions.

Attend VCP/EVCP where required

Lead the identification and delivery of QIPP, cost improvements, service developments, and income generation opportunities within the division.

To manage the devolved budget, participating in the budget setting process and ensuring action is taken to ensure service delivery within budget baseline.

To ensure that decision making processes relating to funding provision and allocation are transparent and demonstrate financial probity.

The post holder will ensure adherence to the Trust standing financial instructions.

Development of business cases, including assessment of implications and ensuring post implementation review of approved business cases are undertaken.

The post holder will support capacity and demand analysis to ensure that contract activity levels

Resource allocations are matched and that resources are used efficiently and effectively.

To line manage an agreed group of staff ensuring that all staff are managed in accordance with the Trust’s people policies and procedures. This includes recruitment and selection, performance, attendance, and appraisal.

General

To work with other Departments and divisions to foster strong supportive relationships and the delivery of the overall Trust Objectives.

To manage specific projects as agreed with the divisional leadership team.

To effectively and sensitively communicate highly complex and/or contentious information to the multidisciplinary team, gaining their understanding and cooperation.

The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety, and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors, and patients within the hospital, in the addition to the specific risk management of clinical governance accountabilities associated with the post.

To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.

To be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of direct reports. Participation in the Trust’s SMOC roster

This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.