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Job summary

Main area
Gastro-intestinal
Grade
Band 7
Contract
Fixed term: 12 months (31/8/2026 end date)
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Monday-Friday)
Job ref
387-S3570-NG
Employer
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
Bristol Royal Infirmary
Town
Bristol
Salary
£47,810 - £54,710 pa pro rata
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
20/07/2025 23:59

Employer heading

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust logo

Lead Clinical GI Scientist

Band 7

As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Click on this link to find out about our values https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/p/about-us/our-trust-values

Job overview

An opportunity has arisen to cover maternity leave for our Lead Clinical Gastrointestinal Scientist/Physiologist at the Bristol Royal Infirmary for 1 year until 31/8/2026.

This is a full time position, 37.5 hours covering services Monday to Friday.

Are you a driven and compassionate GI Scientist/Physiologist looking to take the next step in your career? Join our award-winning Trust and help shape a forward-thinking, patient-focused GI Physiology service at the Bristol Royal Infirmary.

We are seeking an experienced GI Scientist/ Physiologist who demonstrates:

  • A minimum of 3 years’ experience in the full range of GI physiology investigations
  • Strong leadership, communication, and organisational skills
  • Commitment to patient-centred care and service development
  • Registration (or working towards) with RCCP/ AHCS or HCPC preferred

Main duties of the job

As Lead Clinical Gastrointestinal Scientist/ Physiologist, you will oversee and deliver a range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for patients with gastrointestinal conditions. These include high-resolution oesophageal and anorectal manometry, 24-hour pH/impedance monitoring, hydrogen/methane breath testing, and functional therapies such as biofeedback and bowel management support.

You will manage a small, dedicated team, contributing to workforce planning, recruitment, appraisals, and service delivery, whilst maintaining your own clinical caseload. You'll also be involved in research, national audit, teaching (including STP support), and continuous service improvement aligned with national guidelines.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward- thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See Job Description for full description of duties and responsibilities

The GI Physiology department carries out investigations including high resolution oesophageal manometry, 24-hour ambulatory pH and impedance studies, high resolution anorectal manometry, and breath tests for gastrointestinal problems. It also has an important involvement in programming sacral nerve stimulator implants and is first port of call for patients needing help and advice implants care.

There is a therapeutic aspect to the department involving provision of biofeedback therapy, bowel management advice, percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation treatments, and transanal irrigation.

The postholder will not only be required to participate in the diagnostic and therapeutic clinical role needed to maintain the quality of the service, but also to support the management of the service such as setting up and completing online appraisals, managing sickness and absence, recruitment, organising schedules and workforce planning.

Person specification

Qualifications and Training

Essential criteria
  • 3 year Scientific Training Programme based in the work place and with the academic learning to masters level or equivalent
  • Relevant Scientist degree
Desirable criteria
  • Evidence of Continuing Professional Development
  • Leadership and Management training or equivalent
  • Membership of the Association of Gastrointestinal Physiologists (AGIP) as an “Accredited Independent Healthcare Professional” in GI Physiology
  • Registered with RCCP or HCPC

Knowledge and Experience

Essential criteria
  • Attained competencies in a full range of GI physiological investigations (E)
  • Developed practical, theoretical and analytical expertise in GI investigations to the level of an independent practitioner (E)
  • Acquired a minimum of 3 years work-based training in GI Physiology (E)
Desirable criteria
  • Experience in management of staff (D)
  • A comprehensive grasp of the anatomy and physiology of gastrointestinal and associated organs
  • R&D experience in the field of GI Physiology

Aptitudes

Essential criteria
  • Excellent communication skills for dealing with patients and staff, providing complex information which can be highly sensitive and distressing, motivational skills, and likely barriers to understanding, especially dealing with very anxious patients undergoing invasive investigations of the GI tract (E)
Desirable criteria
  • Display an aptitude for troubleshooting and general problem-solving (D)

Skills and Abilities

Essential criteria
  • A high standard of keyboard skills to produce a clinical report, with use of Excel, Word, PDFs
  • Knowledge of clinical measurement programs and equipment
  • High degree of precision and hand-eye co-ordination for intubation of a patient with catheters for clinical measurement,
  • Excellent organisational skills to plan workload for the service, schedules, workforce and long term planning for the service

Aptitudes

Essential criteria
  • Excellent organisational and decision-making skills
  • Excellent communication skills for dealing with patients and staff, providing complex information which can be highly sensitive and distressing, motivational skills, and likely barriers to understanding, especially dealing with very anxious patients undergoing invasive investigations of the GI tract
  • Able to take charge in difficult challenging or distressing clinical situations
  • Able to show empathy with patients and treat them with respect, and maintenance of dignity
Desirable criteria
  • Display an aptitude for troubleshooting and general problem-solving

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Trust IDDisability Confident - two yearsVeteran AwareApprenticeships logoNo smoking policyAge positiveCare quality commission - GoodMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerNHS Pastoral CareStep into healthMenopause Workplace PledgeDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - GoldPride In Veterans

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Samantha Scott
Job title
Lead Clinical Scientist GI
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
01173421848
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