Job summary
Working Full time: 40 hours per week
Two posts available one commencing 4th February 2026 and one commencing 23rd March 2026. Both posts will be contracted until 4 August 2026
Salary as per the 2016 New Junior Doctor Terms & Conditions in addition you will be paid additional pay elements as per the Rota.
These exciting posts (first appointed in August 2014) are for doctors to gain Critical Care experience in a range of aspects of the care of patients from the community or from within the hospital. The posts will offer candidates from the UK or from further abroad a unique opportunity to consolidate their experience in a busy and supportive NHS foundation hospital and provide a stepping-stone to the next level of clinical experience.
Junior Fellows in Critical care will participate on a 9 person full shift rota covering Critical Care including nights and weekends with compensatory days off following on-call periods.
This is not an educationally approved post however the post-holder will have educational teaching, learning and assessment equivalent to those on National Training Programmes.
Applicants for these posts must hold a medical degree from an institution recognised by the GMC. They must have full GMC registration and a licence to practise. Applicants must have NHS experience and be able to demonstrate an ability to communicate in English in a clinical environment.
Main duties of the job
The Junior Fellow will be part of the Critical Care/Anaesthesia Team and will be professionally and personally responsible for ensuring that their clinical practice is, at all times, of the highest quality. They will be expected to be supportive of and play their part in the work and commitments of the team, ensuring that they put patients and their safety at the centre of their practice.
They will be required to act professionally and respect the values of the Countess of Chester Hospital (see appendix on Trust values)
The duties will involve the day-to-day care of the level 2 & 3 patients under the supervision of a consultant, this will include daily reviews as well as practical procedures including intubation, vascular access, ventilation (including complex modes), procedural ultrasound, assessment of critically ill patients, use of invasive monitoring and percutaneous tracheostomy.
The appointee will be directly accountable to the Lead clinician in critical care.
The appointee will be expected to undertake continuing medical education, continuing professional development and participate in audit/research.
About us
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
o The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds.o Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility.o Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 5916 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 411,000. This includes 361,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Job description
Job responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costswill be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A Medical degree or Diploma, acceptable to the General Medical Council
- Full registration with the GMC at time of appointment and hold a current licence to practice.
- Evidence of achievement of Foundation year competences as per UKFPO affiliated Foundation Programme or equivalent by time of appointment in line with GMC standards/ Good Medical Practice
- In date ALS
Desirable
- Additional degree or post-graduate medical qualifications, or parts there of
- ATLS, APLS
- Instructor Potential or above in any Life Support course
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working within the NHS
- Evidence that career progression is consistent with years since graduation in medicine.
- Evidence that present achievement and performance is commensurate with Good Medical Practice.
Desirable
- Experience in anaesthesia
- Experience in intensive care medicine
- Evidence of Clinical Capability in assessment of the acutely unwell patient
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- A Medical degree or Diploma, acceptable to the General Medical Council
- Full registration with the GMC at time of appointment and hold a current licence to practice.
- Evidence of achievement of Foundation year competences as per UKFPO affiliated Foundation Programme or equivalent by time of appointment in line with GMC standards/ Good Medical Practice
- In date ALS
Desirable
- Additional degree or post-graduate medical qualifications, or parts there of
- ATLS, APLS
- Instructor Potential or above in any Life Support course
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working within the NHS
- Evidence that career progression is consistent with years since graduation in medicine.
- Evidence that present achievement and performance is commensurate with Good Medical Practice.
Desirable
- Experience in anaesthesia
- Experience in intensive care medicine
- Evidence of Clinical Capability in assessment of the acutely unwell patient
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.
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).
Additional information
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.
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).
