Locum Consultant Neonatologist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHUT) has a vision to be recognised as a world-class hospital, leading the field through innovative healthcare solutions, focusing on the best outcomes for our patients, delivered in a safe, caring and inspiring environment.

At present PHUT provides the following services, Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Oncology, Radiology, Orthodontic and Oral Surgery, General and Specialist Medicine, General Surgery, Breast Screening and Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Renal Services, Acute Medical Admissions, Ophthalmology, Maxillofacial, ENT, Critical Care, Coronary Care, Elderly Medicine, Rheumatology, Elderly Medicine, Rehabilitation, Dermatology, Neurology, Obstetrics, Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Neonatal Intensive Care.

Additional Information:

Portsmouth University Hospitals NHS Trust is a provider of acute health services under contract to a range of Purchasers in the area of the Hampshire basin and Western South Downs. The catchment is in excess of 650,000 people. The area served by the Trust is on the Solent and the English Channel and includes the City of Portsmouth and the Boroughs of Gosport, Fareham and Havant extending from Warsash in the west to Emsworth on the Sussex border and its northern boundaries encompass Petersfield and Liss. With the exception of the rural north, it is an essentially urban area having grown up around the Royal Naval establishments in Portsmouth and Gosport. It now provides a wide range of modern high-tech industries and the facilities associated with a commercial port and cross Channel ferry terminal.

The Department

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Portsmouth is a purpose-built and spacious unit which moved to its current location in the new build at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in July 2009.

The Neonatal unit is one of two tertiary neonatal units in the Wessex Neonatal Network (or one of 3 as per advert). It is a busy unit with 14 level 1 intensive care cots, 4 level 2 intensive care cots and 13 special care cots making a total of 31 cots. There is the ability to flex to 22 level 1 and 2 cots and 35 cots in total depending on need and nurse staffing. The intensive care cots are fully equipped for providing medical intensive care including HFOV, nitric oxide and therapeutic hypothermia. There are currently 6.6 WTE neonatologists who partake in a rolling rota.

In 2020 the neonatal unit had 492 admissions, 38 of those were less than 27 weeks gestation, 120 less than 32 weeks gestation and 25 had a birth weight less than 750g. VON data for the neonatal unit is excellent; in 2019 there were 124 babies who met the VON criteria - with low mortality especially in babies less than 26 weeks gestation and low levels of severe IVH. 5 year survival to discharge figures are 72% in babies born at 23 weeks gestation; 90% in babies born at 24 weeks gestation; 85% in babies born at 25 weeks gestation and 91% in babies born at 26 weeks gestation. For three consecutive years Portsmouth neonatal unit has received commendation from NNAP for being in the top 3 units in the country with respect to admission temperature in the less than 32 weeks gestation babies. Neonatal and extended perinatal mortality data from MBBRACE reveals that Portsmouth Neonatal Unit have mortality rates between 5 15% lower than equivalent Trusts.

The pharmacy service at Portsmouth provides bespoke TPN for the babies on the neonatal unit and also supplies other units in the country. There is a dedicated pharmacist for the neonatal unit.

There are also dedicated dieticians, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists.

The unit has a full time breastfeeding advisor and team and also a developmental care team. A parent counsellor/ psychotherapist visit the unit weekly to meet with parents. In 2016 Portsmouth NICU was the second unit in the country to be awarded the Bliss Baby Charter accreditation. The unit was the first to reaccredit in 2020.

ROP surveillance is provided by ophthalmologists Mr Tony Evans, Mrs Alison Tappin and Ms Kate Bolton. There is weekly in-house screening and cases are also referred in for review from the rest of the Network. ROP laser surgery or intraocular Avastin/Lucentis is performed in-house on the neonatal unit in a purpose-designed room.

The unit has 3 Olympic CFM machines, 2 Criticool mattresses and a servo-controlled Tecotherm mattress to provide therapeutic hypothermia. The neurophysiology department provides comprehensive cover for EEGs and their interpretation. Radiology facilitates all imaging in a timely manner including MRI scanning following therapeutic hypothermia and contrast studies for babies with bile-stained vomiting.

The majority of neonatal consultants perform echocardiography. The unit is also supported by Dr Roy Sievers, General Paediatrician with an interest in Cardiology and the Paediatric Cardiologists in Southampton who do twice monthly clinics in Portsmouth. Any baby requiring PDA ligation is transferred to Southampton and usually repatriated on the day of the surgery.

The Wessex Genetics service provides an excellent service for babies at Portsmouth with weekly clinics and ward reviews as required. There are also quarterly PANDA meetings between the Obstetricians, Neonatologists and Clinical Geneticists in attendance.

Any baby requiring surgical review is referred to Southampton.

The Neonatal Unit has a close working relationship with the Maternity unit which is co-located. There are around 6000 births a year in Portsmouth and the majority deliver in the main Obstetric unit which is adjacent to the neonatal unit. There is also a co-located midwifery-led unit at Queen Alexandra Hospital along with midwifery-led units on Portsea Island, Gosport and Petersfield. The consultant-led maternity unit in Portsmouth has an excellent safety record with low stillbirth and perinatal mortality and morbidity figures. There is a weekly in-house fetal medicine meeting.

Dr Peter Gonda, consultant paediatric pathologist, provides input into the perinatal meetings and conducts post-mortems as required.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• MRCP/MRCPCH or equivalent AND
• CCT in Paediatrics (Neonatal Medicine) or equivalent
• Eligible for/ or holder of CCT in Paediatrics (Neonatal Medicine) within 6 months of the interview

Desirable

• MSc, MD, PhD or equivalent higher degree

Experience

Essential

• Wide neonatal experience and advanced skills in neonatal medicine
• At least 2 years experience of working in a tertiary perinatal referral centre
• Ability to perform and interpret cranial ultrasound scans
• NLS provider
• Evidence of leadership skills
• Computing and IT skills

Desirable

• NLS instructor
• Appraisal and assessment training and skills
• Neonatal transport experience
• Training in echocardiography

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Address

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Southwick Hill Road

Cosham

Portsmouth

PO6 3LY

Employer's website

https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)