Clinical Engineer

The post holder will work as part of a small specialist team engaged in inspecting, testing, maintaining and repairing a wide range of medical equipment. He/she will have the relevant qualifications, combined with practical experience and the ability to work on his/her own initiative with sophisticated medical devices in a patient sensitive environment. The Engineer is expected to service and maintain equipment that is categorised as predominantly medium-high risk in terms of patient care technology. Fault diagnosis may be undertaken whilst equipment is connected to, or in close proximity to, patients. Additional duties include mentoring junior staff and upholding team-centred working relationships within the department and across the organisation.

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2. Undertake servicing and repair of medical devices in a safe, professional and organised manner in accordance with departmental procedures, Trust policies and manufacturers\' recommendations.
   
3. Carry out planned preventative maintenance (PPM), fault-finding, repair and calibration of medium-high risk medical equipment.
   
4. Understand the clinical applications of medical devices and have the skills necessary to discuss these issues with medical staff.
   
5. Work on devices that may have been exposed to contamination and bodily fluids and whilst exposed to mains and/or other potentially lethal voltages.
   
6. Maintain accurate equipment maintenance records, complying with timeframes, legibility and quality of information.
   
7. Acceptance testing of new equipment to ensure compliance with appropriate standards.
   
8. Use IT-based systems and sophisticated test equipment to calibrate, diagnose faults and upgrade medical equipment.
   
9. Promote teamwork, flexibility and versatility within the department.
   

Clinical Engineering is a specialist team engaged in overseeing all aspects of medical equipment management, which spans from research, design and installation, through to maintenance and eventual disposal. Incorporated within Clinical Engineering is the Medical Equipment Library (MEL), whose primary focus is distributing medical devices where needed, in a timely manner.

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• Level-4/5 qualification in: Engineering / physical science or equivalent experiential learning. Essential criteria
  
• Experience level: Limited / significant / Extensive
  
• Desirable criteria: At least one of the following qualifications: BSc/BEng. Electrical, Electronics; BSc/BEng. Clinical or Medical Engineering; BSc Data Science or Computer Engineering equivalent IT degree; Generic, multi-disciplinary medical equipment training courses. Essential criteria
  
• Experience level: Limited / significant / Extensive
  
• Desirable criteria: Professional registration with one or more of the following institutions: AHCS; IPEM; RCT; HCPC. Experience of working with medical equipment as an Engineer within the NHS and/or private sector.
  
• Experience of working in Clinical Engineering, or with medical devices; or as part of a Practitioner Training Programme (PTP).
  
• Understanding of the medical devices, maintenance industry and its operational rules and regulations.
  
• General understanding of legislation, national standards and professional guidelines relating to the use and application of healthcare technologies.
  
• General understanding of the medical device marketplace and relevant routes to procuring medical equipment.
  
• General appreciation of the relationship between medical devices and appropriate patient care pathways.
  
• Understanding of quality management systems: ISO 9001, BSI 70000 and ISO 13485; Practical knowledge of Clinical Engineering, including real-life clinical applications of medical devices.
  
• Working knowledge of asset databases such as eQuip.
  
• Understanding of device networking and associated infrastructure.
  
• Well-developed physical accuracy and dexterity, able to use fine tools for adjustment; and make accurate measurements and fault-diagnosis using sophisticated test equipment.
  
• Capable of fault finding on complex medical devices or complex electronic devices.
  
• Practical experience of SQL programming.
  
• Able to work on medium-high risk medical devices in patient-sensitive environments, often whilst devices are still connected to a patient or in-situ.
  
• Proficient in the full use of MS Office Suite; well-developed analytical thinking skills and decision-making ability.
  
• Clear and accurate communication skills via phone, email, face-to-face, written reports and presentations—frequently conveying complex problems and sometimes sensitive issues to colleagues at all levels.
  
• Capable of working under emotionally stressful situations depending on different managerial and clinical environments.
  
• Able to organise, prioritise workload and achieve deadlines whenever required.
  
• Ability to use own initiative and problem-solve without close supervision.
  
• Demonstrable negotiating skills when dealing with colleagues, representatives of medical companies and device manufacturers.
  
• Actively working towards enhancing their own knowledge and professional development.
  
• Mentorship skills to encourage the development of junior staff; knowledge of data protection and information governance.
  
• Good working knowledge of engineering hazards and hazards encountered in clinical environments.
  

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust is an equal opportunities employer, committed to improving the working lives of our staff and operates a “Zero Tolerance” policy to aggression, violence, bullying and harassment. We welcome applications from everyone irrespective of ethnic origin, gender, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability or social background, and especially from members of BAME communities. Appointments are made on merit. The post involves access to vulnerable people and is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks where applicable. Guidance on DBS checks, salary information, and other recruitment notes are provided for applicants.

The post is covered by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and related DBS requirements. The salary advertised is for full-time hours; part-time hours are pro-rated. DBS check costs may be recovered from salary where applicable. The Trust may close the vacancy early if sufficient applications are received.