Consultant Neonatologist

Job responsibilities

Clinical duties are divided pro rata based on clinical professional activities (PAs). This post will be remunerated at a rate of 10 PAs per week although the number of PAs worked each week will vary depending on attending duties, which are shared between the consultant group.

Intensive Care weeks: The attending consultant has continuing responsibility for care of both medical and surgical patients in their charge, including all babies in intensive care and the isolation room. The consultant will lead a grand ward round twice a week and it is expected that the consultant will do an informal ward round each day.

High-dependency Care weeks: The attending consultant has continuing responsibility for the care of patients in their charge including all babies in the high dependency area on the unit. The consultant will do a grand round twice a week and it is expected that the consultant will do an informal ward round each day. This consultant is also responsible for covering emergency activity outside of the neonatal unit (delivery suite and the emergency department), and for antenatal counselling of women onlabour ward.

Special Care weeks: The appointee will participate in providing cover for special care babies and the postnatal wards. During these weeks, the consultant will review patients in their care daily and provide support for junior staff looking after patients on the postnatal wards. There is an allowance for twice weekly ward round of transitional care patients on the postnatal wards. They also provide consultant support for the neonatal community nursing team.

Non-attending weeks: The appointee will undertake appropriate administrative and clinical duties associated with the running of the clinical department. Attendance at multi-disciplinary unit meetings, the Thursday morning teaching session and Grand Round and the multidisciplinary meetings planning direct patient care is expected as well as contribution to the educational activity of the department. There are days off during non-attending weeks in accordance with the total PA remuneration.

Clinic: There is a once weekly neonatal follow-up clinic, staffed by 2 neonatal consultants and a middle grade doctor. Once a month, this clinic is reserved for high-risk neonatal graduates who have a detailed neurodevelopmental assessment. This post holder will provide cover for 10 clinics/year. Clinics cannot be done during intensive care and high dependency attending and may be done during special care attending or in non-attending weeks. Other clinics done by consultants include a 2-year Bayleys follow-up clinic, a neonatal respiratory clinic and paediatric cardiology clinics with a consultant from Royal Brompton Hospital. There is also a neonatal presence in fetal medicine for clinics with parents whose baby has abnormality detected antenatally.

Out of hours of cover: On call will be 1:8.5 with prospective cover allowing for colleagues leave. With increasing activity and decreasing skill levels of junior staff, it is expected that the on-call consultant will remain in the hospital until 10 pm. The post holder will be expected to liaise with consultant colleagues in providing internal cover for annual leave and study leave. It is anticipated that the times of the resident out of hour cover might change in the future as the service expands. The consultant on-call for the weekend will do an ITU and HDU ward round each day and be on site for typically 10 hours per day.

Non-clinical duties:

Research: Individual research interests and opportunities will be welcomed and will be supported within the department and together with other research active collaborators such as infectious diseases and the medical school. There is the opportunity to participate as Principal Investigator in NIHR portfolio studies

Education: All consultants actively support multi-professional and undergraduate education within the department. It is expected that the post holder will contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. There may be opportunities to present at Medical School and ChildHealth Grand Rounds.

CPD, Appraisal and Job-planning: All consultants are expected to regularly update their professional knowledge and to maintain a portfolio of evidence for CPD. They will also have a commitment to participate in the Trusts mandatory and statutory training (MAST). The post holder will be supported to develop the required skills in educational supervision.

Management: All consultants are expected to take an active role in the management and administration of the clinical service and attend regular multidisciplinary meetings. In addition, the successful candidate will be expected participate in the Trusts system of governance and audit and to observe the Trusts agreed policies and procedures, drawn upin consultation with the profession on clinical matters, and to follow the standing orders and financial instructions of the Trust.

Academic matters: The post-holder will be expected to contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching .

Qualifications

Essential

• MRCPCH/MRCP (or equivalent)
• MD

Desirable

• Higher medical or related degree

Certification

Essential

• Registration with GMC and on the Specialist Register CCST or CCT in Paediatrics (Neonatal Medicine) or equivalent, (or eligible for CCST/CCT and registration within 6 months of interview)
• On Specialist register by equivalence
• Child Safeguarding level 3 training

Expertise

Essential

• Ability to take full and independent responsibility for a wide variety of neonatal illness, including care of surgical neonates
• Advanced technical skills in neonatal medicine
• Experience in neonatal follow-up programmes
• Ability to advise on the efficient and smooth running of a specialist service
• Experience of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
• Computing and IT skills
• Family integrated care experience

Desirable

• Formal training in teaching skills
• Higher qualification in medical education
• Appraisal and assessment training and skills
• Clinical interests to complement current medical staff
• Neonatal intensive care sub specialist area of expertise

Research

Essential

• Experience of research activity
• Attendance at Scientific Meetings
• Author of publications in peer reviewed journals
• Presentation to learned societies

Desirable

• Lead author in research publications
• Lead investigator n clinical study
• Higher research degree (PhD/ MD)

Management skills

Essential

• Evidence of leadership skills
• Evidence of basic management skills
• Good understanding of the structure and processes of the NHS
• Attendance at management course

Desirable

• Formal Management and Leadership training

Clinical Governance

Essential

• Understanding of Clinical Governance & Risk
• Evidence of involvement in multi-disciplinary Governance, Risk and Audit

Desirable

• Formal audit training & publication
• Formal risk training

Personal skills

Essential

• Commitment to continuing CPD, teaching and educational supervision
• Good organisational skills
• Good communication skills
• Ability to develop good working relationships as part of a team
• Caring attitude to patients

Desirable

• Formal leadership training

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).