Job responsibilities
The
Division of Neurology at the Walton Centre wishes to appoint to the
intermediate tier of Rehabilitation Medicine. This
is an existing post created from the Merseyside QIPP Board establishing a
Rehabilitation work stream, recognising the need for a comprehensive and
integrated response to the rehabilitation needs of patients experiencing a
sudden and devastating loss of function following an acute event such as major
trauma, amputation, subarachnoid haemorrhage, encephalitis, or an episode of
significant illness requiring an extended stay on critical care etc. As
all the posts will make use of the extensive training opportunities available
within the Hub - Walton Centre and Spoke Units St Helens/Broadgreen/Walton
Centre (SWS)/ Clatterbridge Hospital sites. These posts will suit anyone
wanting to gain wide experience of Rehabilitation Medicine, whilst continuing to use some of their current skills such as
acute/general medicine, general surgery, trauma, neurology.
The Walton Centre (WCFT) has been
identified to provide the hub service, on the basis in part of existing
provision (30 level 1 neuro-rehabilitation beds).
Clinical models have been developed for
the hub and spoke provision. Overall co-ordination of the access and management
of the patient pathway through the service is via a centralised clinical
management team. Each
hub and spoke unit have dedicated Rehabilitation Consultants.
All appointees must be eligible for full
medical registration, with a licence to practice. Preference will be given to applicants having
certificated levels of competence. This
is a Locum post.
The Walton Centre
NHS Foundation Trust
The Walton
Centre NHS Foundation Trust is an independent specialist neurosciences NHS Trust
hospital providing a high quality, integrated and multidisciplinary neurosciences
service to Merseyside, North Wales, the Isle of Man and part of West Lancashire
which totals a population of 3.2 million. The Centre is adjacent to the
University Hospital; Aintree which is a busy District General Hospital Trust
located 6 miles from the centre of Liverpool.
The Centre is
based in a purpose-built building, opened in 1998. The Centre is virtually
self- contained and has 149 neuroscience beds, (including a day ward and a
programmed investigation unit), available to the admitting specialities of
neurosurgery, neurology and pain relief though the majority are occupied by
neurosurgical patients. Critical care facility comprises a 16 bedded dedicated
Neuro-Intensive Care Unit and a 4 bedded high dependency area. There are plans
to expand the in-patient capacity including diagnostics, theatres, and
in-patient beds to accommodate increasing demand.
Main Departments
Rehabilitation
Hub Units
30 beds at the Walton
Centre. Lipton Ward (hyperacute) and Complex Rehabilitation Unit (Level 1, supportive
rehabilitation). Providing multidisciplinary rehabilitation to adults of all
ages with a variety of complex rehabilitation, medical and surgical needs.
Spoke Units
20 beds at Seddon Specialist
Rehabilitation Unit St Helens Hospital,15 beds at Phoenix Unit Broadgreen
Hospital (Level 2 unit), 10 beds at Sid Watkins spoke (SWS) unit at Walton
Centre and 8 beds at Clatterbridge Hospital providing multidisciplinary active rehabilitation
to adults with complex needs focusing on maximizing independence and quality of
life followed by effective transfer of care to the community.
Neurosurgery
There are 16 Consultant Neurosurgeons, covering a range of specialist
interests including tumours, neurovascular, functional/pain, skull base, and
major spinal work. There are almost 4000 operations per annum of which 450 are
pain relief procedures.
Neurology
There are 50
Consultant Neurologists, including the academic staff, with a wide range of
interests including epilepsy, cerebrovascular disease, demyelination, dementia,
muscle and movement disorders. They provide a satellite outpatient/referral
service to all the general hospitals within the Walton Centres catchment area.
The Walton Pain Service
The Centre also houses the regional chronic pain
service, which was founded in the 1960's by Dr Sampson Lipton, and has an
international reputation. The Regional Centre for Pain Relief is a
multidisciplinary department run by 4 Consultants (including The Professor of
Pain Science) and an Anaesthetic Specialist Registrar. Two of the neurosurgeons
have close links with this department. There is further integration with the
Pain Research Institute which is part of the University Department of Neuroscience.
Neuroradiology
There are 10 Consultant Neuroradiologists and an SpR
in neuroradiology. There are two rotating registrar posts and currently one
externally funded neurointerventional fellow post. The Department is well
equipped with a spiral CT scanner, a biplanar angiography suite, 3T and 1.5T MR
scanners and myelography. There are close academic links with the University of
Liverpools Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Centre which houses
1.5T and 3T MR scanners and a MEG scanner. The department of anaesthesia works
closely with the radiology department providing general anaesthesia for
interventional procedures and MRI scanning.
Neurophysiology
There are 5 Consultant Neurophysiologists and 1 SpR. A
complete neurophysiological service is available which includes intraoperative
monitoring and a videotelemetry service. One of the neurophysiologists has a
special interest in intraoperative monitoring and there is a designated
neurophysiology technician for surgical procedures.
Neuropathology
There are 2 Consultant Neuropathologists and when
available an St3 plus trainee on rotation. Neurohistology, Neurochemistry and
Cytology including Immunocytology are undertaken.
Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of
Liverpool
The University of Liverpool, Department of Neurological
Science is now located within the Clinical Sciences Centre adjacent to the
Walton Centre on the University Hospital Aintree campus. This represents a
partnership between WCFT, Aintree University Hospitals, the University of Liverpool,
Edge Hill University College and the Pain Relief Foundation. There are
professors in Neurology Pain Science (currently vacant), and Neuropsychology. The
University Department has an active program of research and teaching. The WCFT and
the University Department have also created a Neurosciences Research Centre (NRC)
where members of the Centre can undertake various clinical trials. The NRC has
a manager and team of nurses/secretaries to help in the participation of high-quality
trials. In addition, the Pain Research Institute is able to provide research
facilities for those with appropriate interests. Other University Departments
and colleagues have shown themselves extremely willing to collaborate in joint programs
of research.
Postgraduate Education
The WCFT has a very active program of postgraduate
education with a regular weekly series of clinical meetings, lectures, journal
clubs and neuropathology. The Centres library is situated in the Clinical
Sciences Centre. The new Clinical Sciences building contains an IT resource centre
which will give access to appropriate software for medical research material,
etc. This can also be accessed via the Centres own IT system. The education
facilities include a Lecture Theatre with a capacity of 225 equipped with the
latest audio-visual aids, video conferencing facilities, an exhibition facility
and seminar rooms.
The rehabilitation network will also conduct its own
structured program for education of all levels and types of clinical staff.
The
Job Itself
The appointment is temporary
and will provide experience in Rehabilitation Medicine. The successful candidate is likely to be based
at Walton Centre but may be required to spend time at other Spoke units at St
Helens Hospital/Broadgreen Hospital. This will be based on the needs of the
service. The posts are designed for individuals wishing to gain experience in
working in an integrated rehabilitation network in the NHS. Successful applicants
will rotate to work in more than one unit during their post.
Your direct line of
management/supervision is through the Consultant in Rehabilitation to the
Clinical Director of the Rehabilitation Network.
Duties of the Post
1. Medical supervision of day-to-day operation
of the unit, including
a) recognition and appropriate management
of acutely ill patients, initiating treatment and/or requesting specialised
help as required.
b) Effective liaison with other
specialities to ensure the acute and chronic medical needs of all patients are met.
c) Independent ward round every Monday and
Friday morning
d) working in coordinated fashion with
other MDT members
e) coordination of arrangements for safe
periods of weekend leave
f) responsibility for ensuring decisions
made at consultant ward round and at MDT meeting are enacted in a timely fashion.
g) responsibility for ensuring collation
and availability of test results and other information required for consultant
ward rounds and MDT meetings.
2. Attendance at consultant ward round and
at MDT meeting.
3. Provide cover for the Registrars for
short periods of absence from the unit.
When the Registrar is away on leave, effective daily communication with
the consultant responsible.
4. Communication and liaison with family,
with GPs and other consultants. Completion
and signing of MDT discharge summaries on in-patients on the unit.
5. Weekly out-patient clinic opportunity
available
6. Availability for ward referrals on
patients under other consultants on other wards, but only as directed by
rehabilitation consultant.
8. Attend clinical governance sessions
related to audit, risk management and training events in rehabilitation and
other branches of medicine.
