Assistant Practitioner - Bone Densitometry

Employer heading

Assistant Practitioner - Bone Densitometry

Band 4

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.

We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.

We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

Job Overview

We are looking for an enthusiastic and flexible Bone Densitometry (DEXA) Scanning Technician to join our multidisciplinary team at Newcastle Hospitals. The successful applicant will help provide specialised technical support in Bone Densitometry and Nuclear Medicine, involving a broad range of highly complex specialised technical work, both routine work and non-routine work while acting as an operator for scanning under the Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2017.

We are a large department of nearly 50 staff, including Clinical Scientists, Clinical Technologists, Consultant Radiologists, nurses and clerical staff. We work across two major hospitals, Royal Victoria Infirmary and Freeman Hospital, and carry out around 18,000 procedures per year. We manage a varied nuclear medicine diagnostic and therapy service, DEXA and two radiopharmacies and have specialties in paediatrics, cancer, cardiac and neurology.

• Interview Date Friday 09 May 2025
• 37 Hours 30 Minutes/Week
• You will be redirected to Trac to apply for the vacancy. Please expand the job details section and read all of the information before applying for the vacancy
  
  

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

Main duties of the job

• Act as an Operator for the Bone Densitometry Service for the performance of imaging/bone mineral density measurements in accordance with IR(ME)R protocols. This will be under the indirect supervision of a qualified clinical technologist.
• Undertake a range of routine bone densitometry measurements using a DEXA (Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry) scanner.
• Help with imaging procedures in Nuclear Medicine using a Gamma Camera.
• Position the patient appropriately, selecting appropriate scan positions and parameters and to acquire images.
• Use the highly complex x-ray equipment in a way that will not cause harm to self, patients or others.
• Perform quality control tests of Bone Densitometer scanners and occasionally nuclear medicine equipment.
• Talk with patients about their procedures and radiation risks, in accessible language.
• Assess all images to ensure they reach the required standard for accurate analysis.
• Complete pre-scan assessments with patients to determine relevant history.
  
  

Working for our organisation

Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

• Freeman Hospital
• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service
• Cramlington Manor Walks
  
  

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Detailed Job Description And Main Responsibilities

The post will involve a considerable amount of direct patient contact and will require a sensitive approach to the patients' needs, and an awareness of the confidential nature of information collected. The postholder will communicate effectively with patients in all age ranges and all levels of disability.

Candidates will be expected to be a team player with a flexible approach and whilst experience of DEXA scanning is advantageous, training will be provided.

• To act as an Operator for the Bone Densitometry Service for the performance of imaging/bone mineral density measurements in accordance with IR(ME)R protocols.
• Assist in the technical work of the Bone Densitometry Unit and Nuclear Medicine unit across both Freeman and RVI Hospital sites.
• To carry out a range of procedures associated with Nuclear Medicine and bone densitometry measurements to a high level of precision, positioning patients accurately for specific views to ensure accurate, reproducible results. This will be under the indirect supervision of a qualified clinical technologist.
• To prepare standard image output displays and assist in the analysis of the images to obtain a measure of bone mineral density.
• To assist with a range of clerical and patient related tasks within the department.
• To assist in delivering high standards, by contributing to the department’s team approach to compassionate patient centred care.
• To abide by the trust policies and procedures.
  
  

As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.

Person specification

Qualifications & Education

Essential criteria

• A Higher Certificate of Education or a Foundation Degree both with relevant modules
• NVQ 3 in Diagnostic & Therapeutic Support or equivalent or similar certification or evidence of personal development or suitably experienced radiographic assistant
  
  

Knowledge & Experience

Essential criteria

• A basic knowledge of radiation protection and methods of reducing patient radiation dose
• Maintain a record of continuing professional development
• Understand the need for confidentiality
• Demonstrate a willingness to pursue professional registration as a Clinical Technologist
• Be aware of the hazards of working with ionising radiation
  
  

Desirable criteria

• Knowledge of patient confidentiality and data protection
• Previous experience within the radiology department
  
  

Skills & Abilities

Essential criteria

• Undertake relevant continuing in-house training, together with maintenance of the competence of these skills
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Basic IT skills
• Able to work as part of a team and independently following agreed procedures and protocols
• Be able to work confidently with patients
• Be able to demonstrate the ability to work on own initiative
• Be able to organise own workload/demonstrate good organisational skills
• Be able to answer queries regarding patient procedures
• Be able to maintain accurate computer records of results
  
  

Desirable criteria

• IT skills (RIS and PACS)
• Supervise junior staff
  
  

Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form

All references from current and previous employers will be sought and must cover a minimum of 3 years employment. Therefore, when completing the reference section of your application form, please give the address, telephone number and work email address of each of your current/previous line managers that cover 3 years employment. Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

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.

Documents to download

• JD & PS (PDF, 162.2KB)
• Newcastle Staff Benefits (PDF, 274.4KB)
• Behaviour and Civility Charter (PDF, 93.8KB)
  
  

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name Terry Watson Job title Consultant Clinical Technologist Email address terence.watson@nhs.net Telephone number 0191 2138209 Additional information

PROSPECTIVE APPLICANTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO DISCUSS THE POST INFORMALLY WITH TERRY WATSON.