Job summary
- Main area
- Ultrasound
- Grade
- Band 7
- Contract
- Fixed term: 9 months (Until 25/09/2026)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Fixed term/Secondment)
- Job ref
- 430-CC25-513A
- Employer
- Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Ultrasound Obstetrics (Dept)
- Town
- Milton Keynes
- Salary
- £47,810 - £54,710 Per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 03/12/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Sonographer
Band 7
At Milton Keynes University Hospital, you will be welcomed into a friendly and supportive environment where teamwork and respect are at the heart of everything we do. We are proud to live our Trust values and behaviours every day, creating a culture where everyone feels heard and valued.
MKUH staff's Motivation and Involvement scores are among the highest in our peer group, showing that our people feel inspired and included in decision-making (Staff Survey, 2024).
Our benefits
We believe in recognising and rewarding the amazing contribution of our staff and that is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your wellbeing, work-life balance, and professional growth, including:
- Free on-site parking including EV charging
- Complimentary refreshments
- Flexible working arrangements
- Discounted gym membership
- Salary sacrifice car scheme
- Generous annual leave, with the option to bank holiday entitlement
- Membership of the NHS Pension Scheme
- On-site nursery (charges apply)
- A wide-ranging staff health and wellbeing programme including EAP
- VIVUP products to support your mental, physical, and financial Wellbeing
Job overview
Sonographer
Department: - Imaging
Band 7
Hours: 37.5 hours
Milton Keynes University Hospital (MKUH) is district general hospital which operates across three sites in Milton Keynes. The Imaging department at MKUH provides an essential service to the trust and includes ultrasound, CT, MRI, DEXA, mammography, as well as a general x-ray and interventional radiology service.
We are currently inviting applications from enthusiastic individuals for a fixed term full-time band 7 sonographer post to be based across all MKUH sites, to include the acute hospital site and two MKUH CDC locations of Whitehouse Park and Lloyds Court.
The postholder must hold at least a UK postgraduate certificate in obstetric & gynaecological ultrasound and/or general ultrasound. The post holder will work autonomously, performing high quality imaging and issuing reports on all ultrasound examinations including obstetrics, gynaecology (including TA and TV), and abdominal as a minimum.
They will be expected to support both the service and its staff in continuing to maintain and develop the highest standards of imaging. In return the successful applicant will be offered a high standard of support towards their career pathway.
The successful candidate will be HCPC registered, preferably with two years current NHS experience. Flexibility in their approach to work is essential, with an unwavering commitment to keeping patients at the forefront of their clinical practice.
Interview date: 18 December 2025
Main duties of the job
We care We communicate We collaborate We contribute
“- NHS Survey, 2024'' They feel confident in their team and supported to make suggestions to improve the work, 80.6% strongly agree.
Essential requirements include excellent communication and organisational skills, a dedication to Continuous Professional Development (CPD), and practical knowledge of ultrasound safety, QA, legislation, and health and safety requirements. Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office, and working knowledge of PACS/RIS systems is also essential.
The ideal candidates must demonstrate a commitment to professional development and show a keen interest in the future of their profession and the diagnostic imaging services.
Working for our organisation
Milton Keynes University Hospital, in proud partnership with the University of Buckingham, is a University Teaching Hospital committed to advancing patient care through cutting-edge research and education. With a “Good” rating from the CQC and significant investment underway, this is an exciting time to join our team and grow your career.
As a medium sized general hospital, we provide a full range of general medical and surgical services, including a busy Emergency Department, Maternity, and Paediatrics. As the population of our city and surrounding areas continues to grow rapidly, we are expanding and enhancing our facilities to meet rising demand and improve access to care for all our communities.
We are also proud to offer a growing portfolio of specialist services. In January 2025 we opened our state-of-the-art Radiotherapy Centre, bringing advanced cancer treatment closer to home. Our services also include neonatology, specialist surgical care, and a wide range of diagnostics, supported by the new Community Diagnostic Centre at Whitehouse Health Centre.
Further investment is underway, including the construction of Oak Wards – a new ward block featuring two 24-bed wards – and the recently approved Women and Children’s Centre, set to open by 2030.
Visit our website to explore the latest news and opportunities at MKUH - News - Milton Keynes University Hospital -
For further information about Milton Keynes please visit - Visit Milton Keynes
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Communication and relationship building
The post holder will:
1. Communicate with all referring clinicians to ensure that imaging requests are justified and appropriate.
2. Provide clear, concise and accurate ultrasound reports.
3. Inform a referring clinician of urgent or unexpected results, as appropriate.
4. Liaise with appropriate staff regarding the organisation of follow-up outpatient appointments for patients following ultrasound imaging.
5. Communicate in a concise, sensitive and appropriate manner, complex or contentious information regarding ultrasound scanning procedures to patients and their relatives, as well as other hospital staff and referrers.
Responsibilities for analysis
The post holder will:
1. Use a high level of analytical of judgemental skills in this role.
2. Assess information about the patient’s condition, symptoms, laboratory test results and previous imaging, pulling the information from multiple electronic sources in order to understand the relevance and suitability of the test and to determine the most likely findings indicated by the clinical question.
3. Understand when information regarding the scan request is insufficient and to judge when to seek further information from available resources (i.e., peer, referring clinician, Radiologist, previous imaging studies).
4. Comprehend when a referral is inappropriate and able to advise on the most suitable alternative test.
Responsibilities for planning and organisation of activities
The post holder will:
1. Coordinate and organise own workload.
2. Be able to operate multiple scanning lists in order to ensure work is carried out following principles of urgency and priority in a rapidly changing workflow setting.
3. Recognise and understand the skill set of colleagues and organise this workforce in accordance with the changing demands of the day.
4. Anticipate when own mandatory training or competency assessments (e.g., (a) First trimester (b) screening for Down’s syndrome, Edward’s syndrome and Patau syndrome, (c) Fetal cardiac, (d) 20 week screening scan, (e) non-invasive prenatal testing, (d) uterine artery doppler, (e) Fetal Medicine Foundation certificate of competence in the nuchal translucency (NT) scan, etc) are due or required and liaise with appropriate section head Sonographer to plan training completion around own working schedule.
Responsibility for patient care management
The post holder will:
1. Be responsible for identifying patients (adults and children) at risk under the safeguarding principles and referring patients to the safeguarding team where appropriate.
2. Provide the highest level of patient care, ensuring the patient experience is optimised, with specific reference to the hazards posed by cross infection and similar risk.
3. Contribute to the patient care pathway through participation in multidisciplinary team meetings (MDT) as required.
Please refer to the job description for further details.
Person specification
Qualifications and knowledge
Essential criteria
- Masters, Postgraduate Diploma or Post graduate certificate in medical ultrasound validated by HEI and CASE accredited with relevance to obstetric ultrasound practice or equivalent accreditation for ultrasound (i.e., CMU or DMU (CoR))
- RCOG/ RCR diploma in obstetric ultrasound, Advanced Training skills module or subspecialty training in maternal fetal medicine
- State registered healthcare professional (i.e., GMC, NMC, HCPC, RCT)
- Must have specialist knowledge across a range of procedures and practices with ultra-sonography that is underpinned by theoretical study.
- Quality Improvement, transformation, and innovation training
- Evidence of keeping informed of the current ultrasound techniques & practices via short courses & study days to underpin knowledge development (i.e., FMF accreditation)
- Knowledge of relevant national imaging standards (e.g., BMUS, IR(ME)R 2017, IRR ’17 and associated codes of practice)
Experience
Essential criteria
- Evidence of a sound level of computer literacy (MS Teams, word, outlook, power point and excel)
- Familiarity with hospital information systems (HIS-Cerner), radiology information systems (CRIS), Viewpoint (SBLv3) and picture archiving communications systems (Insignia PACS)
- Good understanding of health and safety requirements
- Sound awareness of data protection, freedom of information and confidentiality issues within NHS
- Must have specialist expertise underpinned by theory and extensive practical experience in the range of ultrasound techniques which are required by trust (i.e., obstetrics, gynecology, generals, MSK, ultrasound guided interventional procedures, vascular ultrasound)
- Must hold experience of working independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT) and be competent to write a concise and accurate ultrasound report
- Evidence of up-to date-CPD
- Ability to undertake audit or R&D
- Required to participate in trust quality assurance and clinical governance programmes
- Experience at writing protocols / guidelines and patient care pathways using research-based evidence of best practice
Skills
Essential criteria
- Good organizational and time management skills
- High level of self-motivation and ability to learn and develop.
- Logical approach to decision making and problem solving.
- Ability to work to agreed protocols and standards of good/ best practice.
- Accountable for own professional actions.
- Ability to prioritize own workload and work effectively under pressure.
- Flexible attitude to service provision and enthusiasm for change
- Ability to work effectively and efficiently as part of a team.
- Ability to cope with the physical demands of the role which will include manual support/ lifting of patients and equipment safely and efficiently.
- Ability to work using own initiative but also to know when to seek assistance and guidance from peers
- Proven ability to assess clinical situations & indications and act appropriately (i.e., vetting process).
Personal and people development
Essential criteria
- Ability to demonstrate confidentiality and trustworthiness.
- Deal calmly and politely with members of hospital staff who are working in areas of extreme pressure.
- Interest and willingness in teaching / training less experienced staff & students when in ultrasound and help attending students in their training and development
- Maintain continued professional development as required by HCPC.
- Patient centered and customer focused.
- Aspires to develop leadership and management potential.
Communication
Essential criteria
- Good written, verbal, and non-verbal communication skills.
- Consistently demonstrates a friendly professional attitude and approach in the workplace.
- Good empathic skills and the ability to manage issues in a caring, compassionate, and considerate manner.
- Ability to work across disciplines and with a wide range of professional groups.
- Keep all records up to date in a clear, accurate and concise manner on a day-to-day basis.
- Professional in appearance and conduct
Specific requirements
Essential criteria
- Able to perform the duties of the post with reasonable aids and adaptations.
- To participate in the departmental shift system across 7 days of the week including out of hours
- Satisfactory pre-employment checks. Occupational Health and Disclosure and Barring Service clearance and references spanning 3 years.
- Has an acceptable attendance and punctuality record at work.
- Ability to travel to all trust sites including community diagnostic centres
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
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
- Susan McGowan
- Job title
- Non-Ionising Radiation Operations Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
For further information and to arrange an informal visit please contact Gemma Osborne, Superintendent Sonographer [email protected] or Kiley Dashwood, Superintendent Sonographer [email protected]
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