Job summary
Please read the Job Description and Person Specification attached for full details of the post.
Applications are invited for a consultant for the stroke service at West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust.
The Trust is very proud of the Stroke services we provide to our patients. We would like to hear from forward thinking applicants who want to help us in continuing to provide excellent care and develop the services we offer.
The service has an excellent reputation with consistently high Sentinel Stroke National Programme (SSNAP) score with a consistent 'A' rating over five years.
This is as a opportunity for the right candidate, with an inspirational and visible leadership style, to be able to help us drive and deliver excellent, evolving, Stroke services at West Suffolk.
We provide a 24/7 thrombolysis service, stroke ward rounds, TIA service, stroke follow up clinics and refer to Addenbrookes for mechanical thrombectomy. We have close and excellent working relationships with colleagues in the emergency and radiology departments.
Main duties of the job
To be part of the Stroke team in the assessment and management of all possible stroke and TIA patients
To contribute to stroke service delivery by participation with colleagues in
o Emergency care including Thrombolysiso TIA clinicso Inpatient careo Outpatient care
To provide clinical leadership with the other stroke consultants to ensure the continuous development of stroke services.
Contribute to the implementation of the National initiatives to improve stroke care
Teaching and training ofo multi-disciplinary professionalso stroke teamo medical students
To participate actively in both stroke service and trust clinical governance, audit and research.
To have responsibility for ensuring active participation in continuing medical education (CME), appraisal and revalidation.
Maintenance of the highest clinical standards in the management of patients with stroke.
About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Job description
Job responsibilities
WSFT currently provides hyper acute stroke services in a dedicated combined specialist Hyper Acute Stroke, Acute Stroke, and Stroke Rehabilitation Unit. We have a 24 bedded stroke unit and operate a 24 hour a day stroke thrombolysis service and daily TIA assessment service supported by stroke specialist nurses. The 30 bedded ward is used flexibly to accommodate patients during the hyper acute and acute phase of their stroke including rehabilitation, supported by an Spr 2 specialty doctor, a junior doctor team and 3 consultant level doctors to provide medical management of patients.
Approximately 524 patients with diagnosed strokes were admitted to WSFT in the previous financial year from a catchment population of about 285,000.
Within the current model, the Emergency Stroke Outreach Team (ESOT) provides an immediate response to all patients attending WSFT with suspected stroke. These patients receive immediate structured assessment to determine likely diagnosis and suitability for thrombolysis. ESOT currently includes Stroke Clinical Nurse Specialists Stroke Specialty Doctor, and Stroke Consultant during working hours. In addition to the ESOT the Trust uses the Stroke Telemedicine Service (Stakeholder Partnership across the East of England) to support thrombolysis out of hours. The service also provides assessment and referral for thrombectomy to Addenbrookes hospital or the Royal London Hospital out of hours 24/7. However it is planned that Addenbrookes will soon provide a 24/7 service. This is supported by an onsite team consisting of Stroke Telemedicine Nurse, and Medical Registrar. Through this partnership, thrombolysis is provided 24/7 to confirmed stroke patients.
Person Specification
Experience and Clinical Expertise
Essential
1. Have at least 12 months experience in stroke medicine including hyperacute stoke care, TIA and thrombolysis
2. Ability to take full and independent responsibility for clinical care of patients
3. Clinical training and experience equivalent to that required for gaining UK CCT in medicine for the elderly, stroke, general medicine or neurology and stroke.
Desirable
4. Ability to offer expert clinical opinion on a range of problems in adult medicine.
Education, Qualifications and Special Training
Essential
5. MRCP or equivalent
6. Full GMC registration
7. Entry on the GMC specialist register in entry on GMC Specialist Register; eligible for entry on Register or within six months of receipt of Certificate of Completion of training (CCT) at time of interview in suitable specialty
8. MBBS or Equivalent
Desirable
9. MD or PhD
Knowledge and Communication Skills
Essential
10. Ability to facilitate the smooth running of emergency stroke medicine services with the stroke team
11. applicants to have demonstrable skills in written and spoken English that are adequate to enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues which could be demonstrated by one of the following:- o -that applicants have undertaken undergraduate medical training in English; oPLAB1 oPLAB2
12. If applicants believe that they have adequate communication skills, but do not fit into one of the examples they need to provide evidence
Appraisal
Essential
13. To have training and experience in appraisal systems
Standards
Essential
14. To have a thorough knowledge and demonstrable understanding of "Good Medical Practice" from the GMC
Management / Administrative experience
Essential
15. Ability to advise on efficient and smooth running of the stoke service
16. Ability to organise and manage day to day service delivery out-patient priorities
17. Ability to manage and lead strategic developments in service delivery
18. Experience of audit management
19. Ability and willingness to work within the Trust and NHS performance framework and targets
Special Aptitudes
Essential
20. Capacity to accept full responsibility to lead a clinical team
21. To teach and train all human resources from a wide spectrum of skills, background, abilities and experience
Teaching and Training
Essential
22. Experience supervising junior trainees Ability to teach clinical skills to students and trainees
Desirable
23. Experience of teaching basic clinical skills to undergraduates
24. Experience of teaching other professional groups
25. Training Qualification - to support above
Research and Publications
Essential
26. Ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems
27. Experience of conducting clinical audit
28. Active interest in supporting clinical stroke research
29. Experience of recruitment to Stroke Research Network clinical trials
Desirable
30. Experience of conducting research projects
31. GCP current
32. Publications in peer-reviewed journals
33. MD or PhD in relevant subject
Clinical Governance
Essential
34. To have a broad understanding of all elements of, and a commitment to the principles of Clinical Governance
Personal Skills & Qualities
Essential
35. Good personal interactive communications skills: clarity of expression and purpose
36. The ability to work as a team member
37. Acceptance of management and administrative duties by working within a structured hospital team for the greater good
38. Ability to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, GPs, nurses and other agencies
39. Commitment to Continuing Medical Education and the requirements of Clinical Governance