Job overview

Here at University Hospital Plymouth NHS Trust we have an exciting opportunity for an 18-month fixed term full-time training post in Echocardiography. This is part of the Echocardiography Training Programme (ETP) developed by the National School of Healthcare Science (NSHCS) and funded by NHS England.

Successful ETP trainees will be trained to BSE accreditation level 2 and will be awarded a Post-graduate Certificate in Clinical Echocardiography. For more information, please see the NSHCS website at https://nshcs.hee.nhs.uk/programmes/etp/

We are also part of  the Plymouth Community Diagnostics Centre (CDC) build that now has full planning permission and due to go live in the spring of 2026. We are currently looking to expand our echocardiography service with a focus on patient pathway improvement and are open to all forward thinking and innovative ideas/solutions. 

As the tertiary hospital and cardio-thoracic centre for the Southwest, we provide a full range of non-invasive and invasive procedures (including a large congenital non-invasive service). We work closely with surgical teams performing structural interventions and ablations. As the regional trauma centre and a university teaching hospital we have close links with the local university.

Preference will be given to internal Trust staff, as well as ‘Priority’ and 'At Risk' status including NHS at Risk staff throughout Devon who is able to display recent relevant experience as dictated by the Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

•                     To act as a trainee Echocardiographer performing cardiac echocardiography based diagnostic testing.
•                        To work within existing local policies, procedures and guidelines providing best clinical practice.
•                        To use their developed specialist knowledge and practical experience to provide clinical investigations for the provision of cardiac services.

•               To act as a source of advice and knowledge for others involved in difficult diagnostic and treatment scenarios. This can involve advising Consultants on the clinical-technical aspects of patient care / treatment. 

•         To undertake routine diagnostic cardiac investigations and interpret results to provide accurate clinical reports that can be clearly understood by a physician not experienced in that particular area and adheres to local and national guidelines.
•            To continue to train and update as appropriate.
•            To become proficient and gain BSE accreditation for career advancement.
•        To assume an appropriate share in responsibilities for departmental efficiency, safety and clinical governance.

Working for our organisation

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.