Feb 2013
Specialist Medicine
Job Description
Job Title: Screening Practitioner
Band: 6
Hours of Work (p/w): 37.5
Service Centre/Directorate: Specialist Medicine
Base:
St George’s Hospital – Endoscopy Services but the post holder will be required to
work at any of the South West London Bowel Cancer Screening Centre (SWL
BCSC) satellite sites.
Accountable to: Screening Programme Lead Nurse
Reports to: Director of Screening for SWL BCSC
Responsible for: The management of patients journey through the Bowel Cancer Screening
Programme including FOBt and Bowel Scope.
Key working relationships:
Screening Programme Lead Nurse, Director of Screening, Screening
Endoscopists, Junior Doctors, Histopathologists, Radiologists, Specialist
Screening Practitioners, Screening practitioners, Bowel Cancer Screening
Programme and Quality Assurance Manager, Screening Programme Hub,
Administration and Clerical Staff, Nursing Staff, GP’s, patients and general
public.
Role of the Department: The Endoscopy unit based at St. George’s Hospital provides
the following services:



diagnostic and therapeutic Endoscopy services to St.
Georges Healthcare Trust, surrounding PCTs, together
with tertiary referrals from other Trusts;
screening services to the South West of London in
conjunction with the National Bowel Cancer Screening
Programme;
basic skills and advanced Endoscopy courses in
conjunction with JAG and the National Endoscopy
Training Programme.
Feb 2013
Job Summary: To play a pivotal role in supporting the Bowel Cancer Screening Programme by:

Working collaboratively with the programme hub

Co-ordinating and providing care from the screening centre to address the needs of
individuals arising as a consequence of the screening programme.

Acting as the patient’s advocate supporting them to navigate and make informed
choices at all stages of the screening process.

Co-ordination of health promotion activities with local health promotion services to
improve access to screening by all sections of society.
Trust Vision & Values:
The postholder is expected to have a clear understanding of how this post contributes to the
achievement of the trust vision of:
By 2015 we will be a thriving Foundation Trust at the heart of an integrated healthcare system.
One that delivers improved patient care at a community, hospital and specialist setting, supported
by a unique and nationally recognised programme of research, education and employee
engagement.
We expect all our staff to share the values that are important to the Trust, being Excellent, Kind,
Responsible & Respectful, and behave in a way that reflect these.
St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults
and expects that all staff will share in this commitment. The Trust is clear that all staff have a
responsibility to be aware of children and adult safeguarding policies and procedures and that
each member of staff, clinical and non-clinical, will attend child or adult safeguarding training that
is provided at an appropriate level to suit their role. The Trust has the additional expectation that
all staff will be able to identify concerns and know what action to take.
Main Duties/Key Results Areas:
The post holder will:
 Support the provision of helpline services run from the hub by resolving queries
referred by them to the screening centre
 Provide advice, information and support for those making direct contact with the
screening centre.
 Be responsible for care delivery to patients identified by the screening programme
and will meet the needs of patients arising as a result of:
 Having been called to participate in screening
 Having been identified as positive on screening or invited to participate in
Bowel Scope
 Needing to be assessed as fit to undertake screening colonoscopy or
alternative diagnostic investigations
 Carry out venepuncture in order to ensure safety in dispensing bowel
preparation
 Needing to be able to make informed decisions prior to undergoing
screening colonoscopy or alternative diagnostic interventions.
Feb 2013

Having been identified as requiring further intervention, treatment,
surveillance follow up, or discharge
 Ensure timely access to screening colonoscopy or alternative diagnostic intervention
and seamless transition to agreed pathways in primary, secondary, tertiary or
outpatient care settings, during all stages of the screening pathway.
 Establish effective links with the local Multidisciplinary Teams in order to ensure that;
 Where cancer is detected, there is timely presentation and transfer of
patients to the MDT
 Patient records for the screening services can be completed to include
data on treatment, staging and outcomes provided by the MDT.
 Apply relevant policies, guidelines and procedures in order to inform the overall
management of local screening services and the Bowel Cancer Screening
Programme.
 Maintain personal contact with patients, relatives and carers, being sensitive to their
needs for courtesy, dignity and privacy and ensuring a friendly environment at all
times.
 Participate in data collection and quality assurance, service feedback and audit with
particular responsibility for the follow up of patients at 30 days.
 Prioritise own work and that of others to ensure the department is managed
effectively.
GENERAL
 To act in accordance with the NMC Code of Professional Conduct and to be
accountable for own clinical practice and professional action at all times.
 Ensure continued and effective registration with the NMC.

To have responsibility for the Health, Safety and Welfare of self and others and to comply at
all times with the requirement of the Health and Safety Regulations.

To ensure confidentiality at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during
the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity in accordance with the
provisions of the Data Protection Act and its amendments.

To work in accordance with the Trust’s Equal Opportunities policy to eliminate unlawful
discrimination in relation to employment and service delivery.

To promote at all times equal opportunities for staff and patients in accordance with St
George’s Healthcare policies to ensure that no person receives less favourable treatment
than another on the grounds of: age; disability; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy
and maternity; race (ethnicity); religion or belief; sex (gender); gender reassignment or
sexual orientation.

To ensure skills are up-to-date and relevant to the role, to follow relevant Trust policies and
professional codes and to maintain registration where this is a requirement of the role.
Feb 2013

To comply with St. George’s Healthcare No Smoking Policies.

To undertake such duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the
responsibilities of the grade and the needs of the service.
This job description is not an exhaustive document but is a reflection of the current
position. Details and emphasis may change in line with service needs after consultation
with the postholder.
St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust is an Equal Opportunities employer and operates a No
Smoking Policy.
Person Specification
Job Title: Screening Practitioner
Factor
Band: 6
Essential
Desirable
Qualifications and
Training
Registered health care
professional
Degree
Counselling/health promotion
qualification
Experience
 Minimum 2 years post
 Evidence of providing written




Skills
registration
Evidence of managing a
caseload or care group in a
clinical setting with
multidisciplinary working
Evidence of having worked
with patients from at least
one of the following groups
o lower GI disease
or cancer
Evidence of having been
responsible for day to day
supervision or co-ordination
of staff in a clinical setting
Evidence of participation in
quality assurance, audit and
research
 Patient examination and





history taking
Presentation skills
I.T skills (standard key board
user)
Customer care skills
Ability to organise and
prioritise own workload
Ability to supervise others
and verbal communications to
consultants and GPs as an
integral part of caseload
responsibilities.
 Working with patients with lower
GI cancers
 Experience of conducting
audit/QA/research and changing
practice
 Responsibility for safe use of
equipment and resources/stock
control
 Advanced patient examination
and history taking
 Basic counselling skills
 Patient teaching/adult education
 Accessing and entering
electronic data in clinical
systems

Method of
Assessment
A
A
I
A
I
Feb 2013
 Ability to communicate
sensitive information and
address barriers to
understanding
 Ability to maintain accurate
records
 Venepuncture and
cannulation
 Holds full driving licence
Knowledge
 Aware of national agenda
and changes to improve
cancers services including
the Bowel Cancer Screening
Programme
 Knowledge of clinical
governance, risk
management, valid consent
and withdrawal of consent.
 Knowledge of equality and
diversity
Other
 Demonstrates the ability to
Attitude/Attributes
/Behaviours
organise self and team
members
 Demonstrates a history of
continuing professional
development
 Demonstrates positive
attitudes towards cancer
screening
 Registered as a car user
according to local policy
Key:
I = Interview
A = Application Form
T = Practical Test
 Lower gastro-intestinal diseases
 Benign and malignant GI cancer
A
I
presentation and disease
progression
 GI endoscopy and radiological
investigations/treatment for GI
cancer
 Surgical and oncology
procedures for treatment of GI
cancer
A
I