Job summary
- Main area
- 317 Lung Function - FH
- Grade
- Band 4 to Band 5
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 317-2025-11-002
- Employer
- The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Freeman Hospital
- Town
- 317 01 Freeman Hospital
- Salary
- £26,530 - £36,483 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 11/05/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 09/06/2025
Employer heading
Associate Practitioner/ Respiratory Physiologist
Band 4 to Band 5
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 have an exciting opportunity for two enthusiastic and motivated individuals to join the Respiratory-sleep Team at Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust. Applications are invited for two Band 4 to Band 5 progressive posts in Respiratory Physiology.
Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals provide a wide range of Respiratory and Sleep Diagnostic Services at both a local and regional level. We have departments located at the Freeman Hospital and Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and the Community Diagnostic Centre located at the Metro Centre, Gateshead.
Candidates must have good communication skills and enjoy dealing with and helping people in a clinical setting. They will work closely with out-patients and in-patients, performing diagnostic tests using a variety of equipment and procedures, ensuring technical accuracy and quality at all times.
- Interview Date Monday 09 June 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
Candidates will work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team which includes consultants, specialist nurses, physiologists, associate practitioners and administrative teams.
They will perform a wide range of respiratory diagnostic tests including spirometry, CO transfer factor, static lung volume measurements, respiratory muscle testing, fractional exhaled nitric oxide and six minute walk tests.
They will be involved in the setting up of home diagnostic sleep investigations including overnight oximetry and respiratory polygraphy for the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea. They would also be involved in the setting up of in-patient polysomnography.
Candidates will educate patients starting to use continuous positive airway pressure devices (CPAP) for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea and support them once they are established on their treatment.
They will be involved with quality control procedures like daily calibrations, checks and Bio-checks to ensure that all diagnostic equipment is operating as expected and producing accurate and reliable results.
They will be responsible for the cleaning and decontamination of medical equipment between patients. They will also be responsible for maintaining an organised, tidy and safe working environment.
Working for our organisation
Our staff oversee around 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 candidates, with the support of a designated work based assessor, will run through a programme of learning including in-house training and competencies. They will also work towards and complete their ARTP practitioner qualifications. Employment will initially be at Band 4 progressing to Band 5 on successful completion of all training and qualifications within an 18 month period. If they do not qualify within this time period they would remain on a permanent Band 4 grade. If they obtain competencies and qualifications prior to the 18 months they will be upgraded to a Band 5 position immediately.
To be considered for the progression post you must be educated to NVQ level 3 in a relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification or have significant equivalent previous proven experience, plus additional knowledge / training to diploma level.
Candidates already holding the ARTP practitioner qualifications and with appropriate demonstrable competencies will be employed directly at a Band 5 level.
At Band 5 level the post holder will be expected to perform more involved diagnostic procedures such as hypoxic challenge tests and anatomical shunt assessments in addition to taking on specific responsibilities within the department with regards to health and safety, training and audit.
Band 4
- The Associate Practitioner will function at a higher competency level than that of Assistant Technical Officers with responsibility for actively participating as part of the multidisciplinary team within Respiratory Medicine, to provide a seamless service to patients with minimal supervision from qualified respiratory physiologists.
- Participate in the delivery of a specialist clinical service and deliver a high standard of care to all patients.
- Perform a range of routine lung function tests including spirometry, flow volume loops, gas transfer, static lung volumes, pulse oximetry, respiratory muscle tests and field exercise tests.
- Participate in an out of hours rota for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep related breathing disorders and neurological disorders.
- Rotate through the Lung Function Department, including cross site working, to extend knowledge of lung function and sleep investigations.
- Continue theoretical and practical training in house training and by attendance on designated courses.
Band 5
- Participate in the delivery of a specialist clinical service and deliver a high standard of care to all patients.
- Participate in an out of hours rota for the diagnosis and treatment of sleep related breathing disorders and neurological disorders.
- Rotate through the Lung Function Department, including cross site working, to extend knowledge of more specialised lung function and sleep investigations.
- Continue theoretical and practical training in house training and by attendance on designated courses.
- Contribute to the delivery of training within the department.
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
Meets All Band 4 Criteria
Essential criteria
- Underpinning theoretical knowledge of routine respiratory investigations, procedures and associated pathology and physiology
- Understanding of patient confidentiality and the Data Protection Act
- Basic IT skills with knowledge of software programmes such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access
- Good familiarity with medical technology
- Clear communicator with excellent writing, data entry and presentation skills: capable of constructing and delivering clear information and instructions to other staff, patients and relatives
- Ability to work under pressure in a busy working environment and able to multi-task
- Ability to work alone and as a member of a team
- Organisational and time management skills
- Good analytical and judgement skills
- Experience of working with people ideally in a healthcare setting
- Educated to NVQ 3 level in a relevant subject or equivalent level of qualification or significant equivalent previous proven experience, plus additional knowledge / training to diploma level
Desirable criteria
- ARTP qualification e.g. ARTP Part I or Associate examination
Meets All Band 5 Criteria
Essential criteria
- • Underpinning theoretical knowledge of a range of respiratory investigations, procedures and associated pathology and physiology
- • Understanding of patient confidentiality and the Data Protection Act
- • Good familiarity with medical technology
- • Good interpersonal and communication skills
- • Effective report writing skills
- • Organisational and time management skills
- • Ability to work alone and as a member of a team
- • Good analytical and judgement skills
- • Basic IT skills
- • Basic Life Support skills
- • Previous recent clinical experience as a newly-qualified Respiratory Physiologist or have been employed in a training post within a Lung Function Department undertaking a range of investigations
- • BSc (Hons) Clinical Physiology (Respiratory Physiology) or equivalent
Desirable criteria
- • Knowledge and understanding of specialist respiratory investigations and procedures
- • Basic manual handling skills
- • Practical experience of undertaking specialist respiratory investigations
- • Eligible for registration with Registration Council for Clinical Physiologists (RCCP).
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
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Peter Close
- Job title
- Head Of Lung Function
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0191 2448201
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