Job summary
We are delighted to be able to offer an opportunity for a highly motivated, ambitious individual to join our well integrated team.
The appointee will be joining a team of obstetricians with special interests in all aspects of complex maternity care. We are looking for an individual with the clinical skills and enthusiasm necessary to join and make a significant contribution to this team. This is a replacement appointment to support the current establishment of 13 WTE consultants (on a 1:12 on call rota). Candidates should be aware that a further 3 posts have been approved by Trust Board with a view to expansion of the team over the next 2 years. The expansion will allow delivery of 52 week antenatal clinic services and support consultant roles in governance, quality improvement and teaching. Expansion of the team to 16WTE will enable team members to more easily take on regional/ national leadership roles, as well as giving the team resilience around pre-retirement career plans and supporting flexible working for colleagues.
As a flexible working friendly organisation, we want to be sure that you can work in a way that is best for us and for our patients, and for you. Speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
Please read attached Job Description and Person Specification.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for a highly motivated obstetrician with an interest in intrapartum care and high-risk obstetrics. The appointee will be joining a team of 12 other obstetricians with special interests in all aspects of complex maternity care. We are looking for an individual with the clinical skills and enthusiasm necessary to join and make a significant contribution to this team.
The new appointee will provide cover for the Delivery Suite, Maternity Day Assessment unit and antenatal / postnatal inpatients as well as Antenatal clinic sessions. Support and mentoring will be provided in all aspects of work.
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop (further) special interest skills and / or work in specialist clinics alongside the high-risk obstetric team.
For an informal discussion and further information regarding the opportunity and Directorate, please contact: Dr Marie Smith via email at .
About us
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 16,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion. We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and 're also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around million patients 'contacts' each year, 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, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Clinical:
1. Provide expert opinions on patients with a wide range of complex obstetric problems, taking independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients referred to a tertiary centre.
2. Provide consultant-based dedicated sessions (including elective Caesarean section lists) on the Delivery Suite in a flexible manner to ensure prospective cover at times of colleagues absences
3. Providing expert opinions on patients with a wide range of intrapartum complications, as expected in a tertiary unit.
4. Deliver outpatient antenatal clinical care as well as contributing to ward rounds for antenatal and postnatal inpatients.
5. Provide medical support to the workload in the Maternity Assessment Unit as well as contributing expertise in out-patient management.
6. Participate in the departmental (obstetric only) on-call rota. The unit will provide 98-hour cover. To do so the on-call rota will be a maximum of 1 in 10 but we are making appointments to further reduce this to 1 in 12 - with a 24-hour pattern (resident 8am to 10pm including weekends, and on-call from 10pm overnight), and there will be no duties the following day. It is expected there will be a flexible approach to delivering the 98-hour cover to DS.
7. To undertake clinical duties in such a way that meets with Directorate and Trust aims and objectives.
8. Undergo Continued Medical Education (CME) in accordance with guidelines stipulated by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG).
9. Undertake an annual appraisal and job plan review. It is expected that objectives within job plan reviews will be based on Trust objectives such as fulfilment of fixed contractual commitments on the basis of a 42 week working year with due allowance for statutory holidays.
10. Participate in all aspects of Clinical Governance, including audit projects, the formulation of guidelines and full involvement with risk management meetings and processes.
11. Provide a major contribution to the work necessary for NHSLA / CNST assessments. Assist the Directorate Manager and Clinical Director in the timely investigation of complaints working to provide reports within the timeframe set out by Trust policy.
12. Contribute to the general organisation and running of the Obstetric and Gynaecological services within the Trust, working in collaboration with other colleagues.
13. It is a condition of employment that so far as is reasonably practicable, all employees must minimise the risk of infection to themselves, colleagues, patients, relatives and visitors and, in so doing, must: be familiar with, and adhere to Trust policies and guidance on infection prevention and control; attend Trust Induction Programme(s) and statutory education programmes in infection prevention and control; include infection prevention and control as an integral part of your continuous personal / professional development; take personal responsibility so far as is reasonably practicable, in helping ensure that effective prevention and control of health care acquired infections is embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently by you and your colleagues.
Administrative:
14. Undertake administrative duties in relation to the care of his / her patients and in relation to the running of the Department of Obstetrics in co-operation with the Heads of Department, Directorate Manager and Clinical Director.
15. The appointee will also be a member of the Medical Staff Committee of the hospital.
16. To undertake general administrative duties within a context of compliance with Directorate and Trust aims and objectives.
17. Become involved with the financial management of the unit - at all times looking to ensure the delivery of high quality care to agreed standards, but at the same time reviewing working practices to provide the most efficient use of resources.
Research:
18. The Trust welcomes and encourages research as a high profile activity that compliments the service provided. The emphasis being on studies that fall within the National Institute of Health Research Portfolio.
Teaching:
19. Make an active and appropriate contribution to undergraduate and postgraduate education and training as directed by the undergraduate lead or postgraduate college tutor.
20. Work with the team to facilitate new teaching methods and ideas.
21. Work with the educational leads in undergraduate and postgraduate education to ensure that the programmes of teaching are provided to the required standard.
22. Participate in the teaching of undergraduate medical students from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in all parts of the course but specifically in stage 3 and 5 during the attachments in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
23. Active involvement in the clinical supervision of all postgraduate trainees in the department with specific responsibility for a small number of individuals as educational supervisor under the direction of the college tutor.
24. The incumbent will be expected to contribute to the teaching of ATSM trainees.
25. Participate in the teaching and training of any other health care professionals within the Directorate.
Person Specification
Education, Qualifications and Specialist Skills
Essential
26. Primary Medical Qualification
27. Full GMC Registration
28. Entry onto the GMC Specialist Register (within 6 months from the date of the AAC)
29. MRCOG or appropriate specialist training
Desirable
30. Higher Degree
31. Special skills training in the specialty
32. Obstetric-related ATSMs. High Risk Pregnancy/ Advanced Antenatal Practitioner / Maternal Medicine - or equivalent experience
Clinical Experience
Essential
33. Evidence of experience in the specialty
34. Evidence of a substantial commitment to the obstetrics
35. Evidence of significant expertise in intra-partum care
36. Ability to offer an expert clinical opinion within the speciality
37. Ability to take independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients referred to a tertiary centre
Management and Administration Experience
Essential
38. Involvement with management and project leadership within the specialty
39. Evidence of involvement in authoring or reviewing clinical guidelines
40. An understanding of Clinical Governance
Desirable
41. Proven management and administrative experience and understanding of management goals
42. Evidence of leadership / project management
43. Evidence of having implemented change
44. Experience in developing and implementing new technologies
Teaching
Essential
45. Experience of supervising junior medical staff
46. Experience of participation in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
47. Ability to teach clinical / technical / practical skills
Desirable
48. Attendance at courses to develop teaching skills
49. Postgraduate qualification in medical education
Research
Essential
50. Evidence of involvement in and understanding of research methodology and publication of findings
51. Research/critical review of literature
Desirable
52. Higher degree
53. Publications in the last 5 years
Audit
Essential
54. Evidence of participation in audit
Desirable
55. Evidence of having changed practice as a result of audit
56. Evidence of having revisited the audit to assess improvement
Personal Attributes
Essential
57. Alignment with the Trust's values
58. Flexible approach to service delivery and committed approach to development
59. Committed to share in professional, managerial and teaching responsibilities necessary to fulfil the obligations of the Directorate to the Trust and its workforce
60. A commitment to personal / unit CPD
61. Ability and willingness to work the on-call rota
62. Ability and willingness to work a more flexible pattern of working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work