Deputy Principal Perfusion Scientist

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

We are looking for an enthusiastic experienced Clinical Perfusion Scientist to lead our highly skilled Paediatric perfusion team.

This is an exciting leadership opportunity to manage a team of specialists while overseeing the delivery of cutting-edge perfusion services for neonatal and paediatric patients.

You will also be required to maintain your clinical skills in our adult/grown-up congenital cardiac surgical specialty.

Reporting directly to the Principal Perfusionist, you will have a significant input into the clinical and strategic management of the perfusion department along with the deputy lead in adult perfusion.

The role comes with a pro-rata Recruitment and Retention Payment of £3500 divided over 12 months and a payment towards relocation expenses subject to the relocation policy. The department currently undertakes 1000 adult and 350 neonatal/paediatric surgical cases, along with 100 neonatal, paediatric and adult ECMOs, and as such, you will be required to take part in a transport ECMO rota.

You must be accredited by the Society of Perfusionists of Great Britain & Ireland and registered with the College of Clinical Perfusionists of Great Britain & Ireland, with 5 years post accreditation experience. It would be an advantage to be conversant with all relevant perfusion techniques including ECMO.

Participation in the department on-call rota is essential.

The department offers a 37.5 hour, 4 day and 3 day working week depending on the area of work.

Main duties of the job

You will lead by example as an expert and autonomous practitioner, while providing organisational leadership, clinical and professional perfusion services to the multi-disciplinary team.

The post holder will be expected to organise facilities and staff to enable the clinical group to meet its contractual and professional targets. In deputising for the Clinical Manager, you will be required to divide time between clinical and managerial responsibility as required, ensuring team, professional and personal development targets are met.

The post-holder will be required to deliver a wide-ranging and comprehensive extra-corporeal and life support service, including Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation, to patients undergoing open heart surgery and/or other related procedures in Operating Theatres, Adult, Paediatric and General Intensive Care Units, Cardiac Investigation Laboratories, and Coronary Care and High Dependency Units by using a broad range of vital, complex and specialised procedures requiring skilled performance with a high level of individual responsibility applied to a variety of situations, with or without technical support. In the absence of the Clinical Manager, he/she will lead the development of the protocols and techniques that enable the clinical group to function.

Job responsibilities

KEY RESULT AREAS

In conjunction with the Manager in Clinical Perfusion, ensure the provision of extracorporeal circulation, life support systems, ventricular assist devices, haemoconcentration, cell salvage, and autonomous assessment and maintenance of physiological parameters.

Assist in formulating policies for the smooth running of the Clinical Perfusion Department and make recommendations for improvement and development.

The post-holder will provide clinical and scientific advice, and provide interpretation of results to clinicians throughout the Trust and to external agencies.

Draw on knowledge of a range of theories to inform practice. Assist in developing strategies for the management and delivery of care for the patient group.

Setting up, priming and running cardiopulmonary bypass equipment for cardiac surgery procedures, according to the perfusion procedures and protocols and to play a full role in the routine cardiac surgery programme.

Ensure quality control, calibration and maintenance of expensive and complex medical equipment, ensuring accurate and safe use during clinical procedures.

Assess the patient for relevant medical history, pathology and diagnosis and make appropriate clinical decisions concerning the conduct of the procedure i.e. type of cannulation, size and type of equipment, type of priming solution.

Administer fluids and drugs according to local policy and as necessitated by the clinical situation i.e. priming solutions, anticoagulants, inhalational anaesthetic agents, potassium, and cardioplegic solution.

Be conversant with specialist techniques and perfusion procedures as required by individual patients such as left-heart bypass, cerebral perfusion, and vacuum-assisted venous drainage, ventricular assist devices and blood conservation techniques.

Person Specification Training and Qualifications

• MSc in Perfusion
• 5 years post accreditation experience
• Registered with the College of Clinical Perfusion Scientists
• Doctorate (optional)
• Management degree or MBA (optional)

Experience

• 3 years ECMO experience
• 3 years adult perfusion experience

Skills

• IABP, Cell salvage
• Paediatric perfusion
• All perfusion associated techniques
• Advanced paediatric perfusion techniques e.g. MUF, Myocardial perfusion

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

£62,215 to £72,293 a year Per annum / pro rata for part-time hours