Medical Photographer London, England
Job description
Medical Photographer, Band 5
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Medical Photography Department at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London. This is a cross-site role working between Chelsea and Westminster Hospital site and West Middlesex Hospital site.
We are a friendly and energetic team which requires from the applicant a commitment and passion towards medical photography. We are keen that all staff members continually learn and expand their knowledge, so you will feel supported in your career and your continuing professional development.
The candidate must have excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills, with a good working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and InDesign and Microsoft Office.
The team compromises of a manager and Medical Photographers. It is an energetic and friendly department which requires from the applicant a commitment and passion towards medical photography, and desire to continually learn. We are looking for a candidate who will work as an individual and also collaboratively as part of the wider team to implement new processes and protocols for the better of patient care and the efficiency of the department.
Medical Photographer photographing patients in the hospital's professional photographic studios, on wards, and in operating theatres.
As a Medical Photographer you will be photographing patients either in the studio or within wards and other clinical settings. You will be expected to produce high quality images that can be utilised for patients’ medical records, for teaching/education and/or publishing. The role may also include the production of graphic design and video services in support of the Trust’s aims and objectives, including patient care, research, education and corporate communications.
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provide services from two main hospitals, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and West Middlesex University Hospital, and a number of clinics across London and the South-East.
We have nearly 7,000 members of staff that arePROUD to Carefor nearly one million people.
Both hospitals provide full clinical services, including full maternity, emergency and children’s, in addition to a range of community-based services across London, such as award-winning sexual health and HIV clinics.
We’re one of the best performing Trusts in the country. We’re also one of the top trusts to work for – our staff says they’re engaged, motivated, and would recommend us as a place to work and receive treatment.
Our Trust has been rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘Good’ in all five of the main domains of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, giving an us overall rating of ‘Good’. We’ve also been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating for ‘use of resources’ by an NHS Improvement inspection.
Our facilities are some of the best in the country. We have been investing significant Capital year on year in our estate.
We have recently completed a £30m expansion of our adult and neonatal critical care facilities at Chelsea and Westminster and are planning an ambitious £60m development of an Ambulatory Diagnostics Centre at West Middlesex.
- To participate in all aspects of clinical and scientific photography of adults and children in a variety of locations including studio, ward, clinic, operating theatre and mortuary.
- To ensure a high level of photographic quality so that images are medically and legally valuable i.e. confidence with studio lighting, capturing accurate exposures, correct colour balancing, etc.
- To utilise the most appropriate photographic and lighting techniques to best demonstrate the patient’s condition i.e. flat lighting and cross lighting.
- To utilise image processing software and layout design software such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Bridge, for post-production processes.
- To utilise word processing software such as Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint for production of teaching material and reports.
- Meet the needs of demand led clinical photography work e.g. attending urgent requests such as theatre, paediatrics and non-accidental injuries.
- Ensuring that photographs taken in operating theatres and trauma situations are taken with speed, dexterity and accuracy to ensure that the patients’ treatment is not delayed or disrupted
- Calibrate, operate and capture using the 3D camera system, and edit patient imagery for Trust network display.
- To photograph medico-legal client’s to the specifications of the requesting legal firm e.g. using measurements, specific lighting techniques, etc. Also, ensuring images are captured with accuracy and are a true likeness to the presented condition.
- To participate in video production assignments including pre-planning, production, filming, editing and post-production.
- To competently and creatively handle general photographic assignments e.g. PR photography, still life, portraiture and other forms of general photography.
- Meet the needs of outpatient work including undertaking dental/intraoral photography within Health and Safety requirements e.g. safe insertion of glass mirrors/retractors and use of appropriate sterilisation techniques.
- Co-ordinate with ward staff so that in-patients are prepared and dressings removed in advance of attending the ward.
- Provide a service in sometimes difficult and distressing circumstances, such as trauma, burns, terminally ill patients, sexual or physical abuse, still births, specimens and post-mortem
- To participate in Teledermatology clinics, providing an accurate, efficient and timely photographic service for the newly implemented patient pathway cancer referral system.
- To keep abreast of technological development and modern trends in clinical, scientific and technical photography.
- To assist in the implementation of new technologies and techniques as appropriate. For example looking at how certain patient conditions can be photographed/lit in new and innovative ways.
- To be responsible for understanding patient consent and its application within the field of Medical Photography.
- Ensuring that patients understand the nature of the photographic procedure and consequences of image consent.
- Understand and be able to communicate information concerning consent levels, confidentiality, distribution, copyright, security, data protection and Caldicott guidelines. This will include accommodating patients’ cultural and religious preferences and showing sensitivity, especially when communicating with patients with disability or anxiety.
- Understand and keep up-to-date with guidance in relation to the confidentiality of patients and the images, footage and information held about them on Medical Photography systems and databases.
- Develop good working relationships with clinicians and others to help ensure their current and future needs are met.
- To maintain an up-to-date Continuous Professional Development (CPD) portfolio, as recommended by the Academy for Healthcare Science (AHCS).
- Work outside office hours occasionally (for example evening and weekend events, major incidents requiring photography).
- If necessary work at other sites and buildings within the Trust i.e. West Middlesex University Hospital
