Consultant Cellular Pathologist interest Gynaecological & GI Pathology

Job responsibilities

Gynaecologic pathology:

GSTT is a major tertiary referral centre for Gynaecologic oncology patients within South East London. The current gynaecological histopathology team consists of 9 substantive consultants, both full and part-time - Dr Giuseppe Culora, Dr Padma Menon, Dr Alexander Polson, Dr Olga Wise, Dr Mina Mansy, Dr Holly White, Dr Kate Dineen, Dr Sophie Lane & Dr Mojisola Giwa. The current consultants also have other speciality interests.

The department deals with a mixture of biopsies and resections, including complex cancer specimens, as well as referrals for expert opinion or multidisciplinary discussion.

There is a large regional weekly gynaecologic oncology MDM, with typically around 50 patients discussed each week and attended by clinicians from referring hospitals in South East London. The pathology consultants support a team of 4 specialist surgical gynaecological oncologists whose range is continuously expanding, performing ultra-radical surgery for ovarian cancer whilst continuing to offer exenteration surgery, fertility sparing surgery for cervical cancer and state of the art brachytherapy treatment for cervical cancer. Services offered to patients with vulval disease are also evolving with the establishment of a joint clinic between a gynaecological oncology surgeon and dermatologist.

The annual average total histopathology workload for the main department is circa 40,000 specimens, excluding skin and head & neck histopathology which are delivered from separate ultraspecialist laboratories within the Trust.

The department is actively involved in recruiting patients to national and international studies following the appointment of a dedicated research nurse, with pathological support provided by the gynaecological pathology team.

The team are actively involved in teaching undergraduate students and pathology trainees. Up to 2 histopathology trainees are allocated to the gynaecological pathology team on a monthly basis and are involved in all aspects of specimen dissection, histological interpretation and report writing.

Gastro-intestinal pathology:

The successful candidate will be joining an existing team of 10 substantive consultants several of whom have other speciality interests. The current gastro-intestinal histopathology team includes both full time and part-time consultants Dr Ula Mahadeva, Dr Harriet Deere, Dr Baljit Gill-Barman, Dr Michael Green, Dr Mark Ong, Dr Vivek Sekhawat, Dr Mojisola Giwa, Dr Maria Buttice, Dr Benita Stevenson and Dr Kate Dineen.

Responsibilities include the reporting of over 10,000 GI specimens (biopsies and resections from upper and lower GI tract, surgical liver biopsies and a few biliary tract biopsies).

GSTT is the Upper gastrointestinal cancer centre for South-east London, Medway and East Kent and regional network referral centre for anal tumours. It is also a tertiary referral centre for coeliac disease, complex Inflammatory Bowel Disease cases, the management of early neoplasia in Barretts oesophagus and EUS Fine Needle Biopsies (the latter reported by the cytopathologists).

The surgical specimens encompass the standard neoplastic and non-neoplastic resections for upper and lower GI, including oesophago-gastrectomies, but we also specialise in radical and salvage pelvic exenterations for complex/ recurrent colorectal and anal tumours.

We routinely perform (in-house or outsourced) cancer predictive marker testing for the GI cancers, in accordance with national guidelines.

There are five MDMs, four weekly and one monthly. These are Upper GI, Local Hepato-pancreaticobiliary, Lower GI and Inflammatory Bowel Disease MDMs weekly and a monthly Lynch/ Hereditary Bowel Cancer MDM.

We are involved in multiple research studies and tissue banking.

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

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 gastrointestinal or gynaecological histopathology.
• Proven record of experience as a trainee in histopathology and cytopathology.
• Continuing and recent diagnostic practice experience in gastrointrestinal or gynaecological histopathology as a specialist interest.

Desirable

• Cytopathology experience

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 gastrointestinal or gynaecological 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).