Clinical Autonomic Practitioner/Scientist

The Autonomic Unit (a leading nationally and internationally recognised centre dealing with a wide variety of autonomic disorders with a strong academic link with the Institute of Neurology) requires a clinical autonomic scientist/practitioner or trainee to work alongside our existing clinical autonomic scientists/practitioners.

The Autonomic Unit provides an integrated investigational, diagnostic and therapeutic management service for people with a variety of autonomic nervous system disorders. You will be part of the healthcare science team performing comprehensive specialist physiological investigations on patients with neurological and other medical disorders to inform diagnosis and therapy. The autonomic nervous system controls blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, sexual function, and the motility of the intestine and the urinary bladder.

Autonomic disorders can arise alone, as a single medical condition, or in combination with many other diseases such as parkinsonism and diabetes. Core duties relate to physiological diagnostic testing with the production of factual and clinical reports. You will be capable of self-directed learning. Phlebotomy skills and experience of specialist autonomic testing are desirable but not essential as full training will be given. You will be a caring person who enjoys interacting directly with the general public.

Undertake comprehensive specialist physiological testing and factual reporting of a range of autonomic functions in patients with neurological and other medical disorders using the wide range of medical technology within the area. This will include venepuncture/cannulation as part of the test procedures and the collection and processing of blood samples for specialist plasma biochemical assessment.

Provide and receive confidential, clinical, complex, contentious and sensitive information requiring reassurance, verbal and non-verbal communication skills and empathy: Consent patients for their investigations and encourage compliance with investigation protocols; extract relevant clinical information from correspondence, clinical case notes, patients and carers, explain clearly the investigations to be performed, their purpose and possible outcomes. Patients and carers may be anxious, confused or have limited English. You may need to work through an interpreter.

Write clear factual summaries in medical case notes of the complex information obtained during clinical investigations.

Prepare clear, detailed factual reports of investigations and present this information in writing for the medical records, local and external and orally at Consultants’ ward rounds, to departmental colleagues and a wide range of clinical staff. Reports must be produced in a timely manner.

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women’s health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological, gastrointestinal and oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclear medicine and pathology.

We are committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

For further details / informal visits contact: Name: Mrs Madeline Tippetts Job title: Principal Clinical Autonomic Scientist Email address: ***email_hidden***