Consultant Cellular Pathologist interest in Lung & Haematopathology

Job responsibilities

Lung pathology:

The successful candidate will be joining an existing team of 4 substantive lung consultants and 2 locums. The current lung consultants also have other speciality interests.

Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust is a specialised thoracic tertiary referral centre and receives referrals from the South East London network and wider, including Canterbury and Reading. The histopathology service is currently provided by a team of 3 consultants. There are 6 thoracic surgeons based at Guys Hospital, making it one of the largest centres in the UK, covering 17 referring hospitals and 14 MDMs. There were over 1400 operative resections in 2024 and frozen sections are relatively frequent. There is an expanding navigational bronchoscopy service of approximately 30 cases per month with plans to expand to 500 per year by the end of 2025. We receive a wide variety of surgical specimens from biopsies to lobectomies and pneumonectomies and well as thymectomies and decortications. There is one MDM a week (Friday 8 am).

We routinely do molecular analysis on our tumours which we integrate into our reports. We provide thoracic tissue for a bank which provides material for research and is of great value to the Academic Health Science Centre and the Biomedical Research Centre. All the clinicians are keen on research and running trials so there is ample opportunity for participation in this.

We are committed to teaching postgraduate students as well as being involved in the university teaching of undergraduate students.

Haematopathology:

The successful candidate will join an established team of four substantive haematopathology consultants, each of whom also holds additional specialist interests.

The haematopathology service at Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust provides comprehensive diagnostic services for the local population, including haematopathology reporting for Greenwich and Lewisham NHS Foundation Trust. The service also functions as a tertiary referral centre for myeloproliferative neoplasms, systemic mastocytosis, and cutaneous T-cell lymphomas. Non-cutaneous tissue reporting is carried out by the haematopathologists, while dermatopathologists report on cutaneous samples.

In addition to histopathology, there will be a component of reporting of cytology specimens directly related to haematopathology, including fine needle aspirates and EBUS-TBNA samples. The post will involve integration of molecular and cytogenetic investigations, as well as complete integration with respect to bone marrow reporting. There may also be future opportunities to participate in the flow cytometry reporting rota.

The department receives approximately 2,000 haematopathology cases annually, with over 50% comprising bone marrow trephine biopsies. Four multidisciplinary meetings (MDMs) are held each week, including a joint myeloid MDM with Kings College Hospital. GSTT also hosts the supra-regional MDM for cutaneous lymphomas, in collaboration with the renowned St Johns Cutaneous Lymphoma Service.

We hold twice-weekly haematopathology consensus meetings and are actively involved in the training of both histopathology and haematology trainees. The team maintains a strong record of participation in national and international conferences and haematopathology workshops.

Professional Qualifications

Essential

• Full and Specialist registration (and with a licence to practise) with the General Medical Council (GMC), or be eligible for registration within six months of interview.
• Applicants that are UK trained, must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview.
• Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT.
• MRCP or show evidence of equivalent qualification
• FRCPath or show evidence of equivalent qualification
• Evidence of continuous professional development.

Desirable

• PhD or other Higher Postgraduate degree in Medicine or Science
• Any additional medical or sub-speciality qualifications either national or international.

Clinical Experience

Essential

• Comprehensive clinical experience in lung histopathology and haematopathology
• Proven record of experience as a trainee in histopathology and cytopathology.
• Continuing and recent diagnostic practice experience in haematopathology as a major specialist interest
• Continuing and recent diagnostic practice experience in lung pathology as a major specialist interest

Clinical Skills

Essential

• Ability to work as an effective member of a multidisciplinary team.
• Familiarity with modern morphological and molecular diagnostic techniques

Desirable

• Experience in clinical guideline development.

Audit Management & IT

Essential

• Evidence of contribution to effective clinical governance, audit clinical risk management, and IT skills.
• Understanding of principles of audit.
• Evidence of understanding of the role of clinical management.

Desirable

• Management training or qualification.
• Evidence of leadership in the development of clinical services.

Research, Teaching skill & experience

Essential

• Understanding of the principles and applications of clinical research.
• Evidence of original research.
• Ability to supervise junior staff in diagnostic work.
• Experience of teaching and training undergraduates, postgraduates and junior medical staff.

Desirable

• Appraisal training.
• Teaching qualification.
• Evidence of original research and publication in haematopathology & lung pathology.

Leadership/Management skills

Essential

• Communication; Ability to communicate with clarity and intelligently in written and spoken English; ability to build rapport, listen, persuade/ negotiate.
• Accountability; Ability to take responsibility, lead, make decisions and exert appropriate authority.
• Interpersonal Skills; Empathy, understanding, listening skills, patience and ability to work co-operatively with others.
• Able to change and adapt, respond to changing circumstances and to cope with setbacks or pressure.
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Staff Management; Experience of performance management, developing and motivating staff.
• Finance; Knowledge of finance and budgets.

Desirable

• Previous experience in management positions, e.g. speciality lead, clinical lead, clinical director.

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.

UK Registration

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