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Key details
Location
Site: Royal Victoria Infirmary
Town: 317 02 Royal Victoria Infirmary
Postcode: NE1 4LP
Major / Minor Region: Tyne and Wear
Contract type & working pattern
Contract: Fixed term: 12 months (from date of appointment)
Hours: Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Salary
Salary: £46,148 - £52,809 per annum
Salary period: Yearly
Grade: (Band 7)
Specialty
Main area: 317 RDTC 116506
Interview date: 05/03/2025
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.
We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under-represented groups.
Newcastle Hospitals are proud to be one of the exemplar organisations across the NHS on sustainability, with a long history of delivering Sustainable Healthcare in Newcastle (Shine) and the first healthcare organisation in the world to declare a climate emergency. Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.
Job overview
We are seeking a new Senior Medical Information Scientist, to join the UK Teratology Information Service (www.uktis.org), based in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne. This national service, commissioned by the UK Health Security Agency and hosted by the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides information on all aspects of the safety of drugs and chemicals in pregnancy to healthcare professionals throughout the UK.
We require an enthusiastic and motivated individual to join a multi-disciplinary team of scientists and clinicians. The individual would contribute to undertaking research in the effects of drugs and chemicals on fetal toxicity, providing high quality medical information to health professionals and patients, and represent UKTIS at meetings and conferences at a national and international level.
Responsibilities
* To provide support to the Head and Assistant Head of Teratology and the UK Teratology Information Service, a service hosted by the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and commissioned by UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) on behalf of all UK health departments.
* This is a service for healthcare professionals throughout the UK which provides advice and risk assessment on any aspect of reproductive toxicity (male or female fertility, preconception advice, pregnancy advice) following exposure to drugs, chemicals and other noxious substances in the environment, the work place or the home.
* This also includes advice on the effects of deliberate and accidental poisoning prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and via breast milk.
* The risk assessment may involve discussion of therapeutic abortion or voluntary termination of pregnancy and conveying distressing news concerning congenital malformations.
* Retrospective risk assessment of the possible causes of congenital malformations, neurodevelopmental delay and other adverse pregnancy outcomes such as miscarriages is also provided.
* The main aim of the service is to prevent reproductive toxicity, especially congenital malformations, from occurring by delivering appropriate, accurate, evidence-based advice.
* The position has specific responsibility for:
o Training National Poisons Information Service (NPIS) staff in teratology;
o Assisting in providing assessment and support of new staff following teratology training;
o Assist the Assistant Head of Teratology in co-ordination of teratology monograph updates;
o Maintenance of the UKTIS database of pregnancy outcomes;
o Checking teratology enquiry and follow-up forms for clinical accuracy (clinical governance);
o Managing their own workload within the teratology office;
o Research and development work in the field of teratology and reproductive risk;
o Supporting colleagues to enable them to answer enquiries concerning reproductive effects of drugs, chemicals and poisons;
o Supporting the Head and Assistant Head of UKTIS in providing the unique national Teratology Information Service to healthcare professionals in the UK.
* In addition, the Senior Medical Information Scientist (UKTIS) will provide a high-quality health information service in the areas of teratology (safety of drugs and chemicals in pregnancy), poisoning in pregnancy and medicines information for NHS health professionals, carers and, where appropriate, members of the public.
Person specification
Qualifications & Education
Essential criteria
* Relevant first degree in Biological Sciences or Pharmacology
* A relevant postgraduate qualification to master’s level or equivalent, or evidence of working towards this
* Evidence of continuing professional development, such as postgraduate study and conference attendance and participation
Desirable criteria
* Postgraduate qualification such as an MPhil or PhD in pharmacology, toxicology or developmental biology
Knowledge & Experience
Essential criteria
* Be experienced in interpreting data and critically evaluating the quality of primary literature, in particular therapeutics, clinical toxicology and reproductive toxicology (fertility, pregnancy and development of the unborn child)
* Show experience in use of primary, secondary and tertiary literature sources. Must be able to operate scientific databases, use applications which access Medline and be familiar with other sources used for searching the primary literature
* Produce high quality written material for abstracts, summaries, monographs and letters that are scientifically and grammatically correct
Desirable criteria
* Previous employment or experience in a health information/clinical advisory role (NHS, private or academic)
* Previous experience of working in a research environment
* Report writing
* Publications in primary literature
* Contribution to research projects relating to clinical toxicology/reproductive toxicology/teratology
* Use of statistics packages and databases
Skills & Abilities
Essential criteria
* Requires the ability to prioritise workloads, balance and progress work tasks simultaneously, respond to tight deadlines, and meet enquirer requirements, and contribute to a telephone answering rota system
* Have highly developed listening skills and be able to relate and deliver information and clinical advice clearly and concisely
* Have ability in training individuals and groups including clinical scientists, pharmacists, nurses and other healthcare professionals
* Ability in basic mathematical skills and a sound understanding of basic statistical principles
* Skilled in the operation of Microsoft products, in particular Windows, Internet Explorer, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint and use of an email application
* Able to prepare and present material for the continuing education of colleagues, for regional, national or international professional meetings
Further details / informal visits contact
Name: Shelley Handyside-Cook
Job title: Service Manager
Email address: [email protected]
Telephone number: 0191 2137855
Informal enquiries or visits are encouraged by the Assistant Head of UKTIS, Dr Sally Stephens ( [email protected]) 0191 2137855
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