University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

Clinical Trials Research Fellow

This job is now closed

Job summary

Applications are invited for Clinical Trials Fellows to support Research and Development (R&D) in The Lind Research Centre and other clinical trials settings at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), Devon, UK. Derriford Hospital is the tertiary centre for the South West Peninsula. Plymouth and the surrounding districts comprise a population of 450,000. There is easy access to the coast and Dartmoor national park, with a favorable climate.

The post provides an ideal opportunity for doctors interested in progressing their careers through research & clinical trials. The posts also offer an opportunity to gain an insight into research for those taking time out before progression in core or specialty clinical training. Our fellows in recent years have progressed on to specialty training or NIHR academic clinical fellowship posts in their specialty of choice

The post of Clinical Trials Fellow is for an experienced doctor (ideally with at least 2 years post foundation training)

Start date of the post(s) is August 2024 for a period of 12 months.

For further information please contact Dr Gary Minto telephone 01752 431046 gary.minto@nhs.net

Main duties of the job

The post would involve provision of medical cover to a multitude of clinical trials, mostly running at the James Lind Research Centre. We have a large and varied trials portfolio spanning across a number of specialties, for example neurology, asthma, hepatology, diabetes, stroke and cardiology. Recently we have broadened our research offer to the community through our mobile research unit and now include large scale vaccine trials and trials in primary care, in collaboration with GP partners.

Note that the post does not usually support clinical trials in haematology or oncology since research is embedded into clinical teams in these specialties.

Clinical trials fellows may wish to develop clinical experience & education to enhance their career progression in their preferred specialty. In some instances, we may be able to work with service lines for the fellow to provide some clinical work to those specialty areas. Where candidates are interested in this possibility, advance planning is advised. The department will support time for those undertaking medical professional exams.

There is no regular on call component or acute medical rota contribution to this job, however occasional covers for planned overnight admission of participants in clinical trials may be required.

About us

We are a people business - where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment team on 01752 432100. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Date posted

13 May 2024

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Doctor - other

Salary

£43,923 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

216-ML-CTRF6112435

Job locations

Research Offices, Level 2, MSCP

Bircham Park Offices, 1 Roscoff Rise

Derriford, Plymouth

PL6 5FP

Job description

Job responsibilities

PRIMARY DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The applicant should have a good medical knowledge. A good understanding of the importance of research, methodology and accurate data collection is essential.

It is the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, and staff. The post-holder is required to comply with the appropriate Health and Safety Policies as may be in force.

A responsibility to decline to undertake duties for which the post-holder has not been trained, or for which the post-holder does not believe they will be able to undertake safely.

It is the responsibility of the post-holder to ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard and in accordance with the current quality initiatives within the area of work.

All staff who have access to or transfer data are responsible for that data and must respect confidentiality and comply with the requirement of the Data Protection Act 1998, in line with the Trusts policies. Such information should not be released without the consent of the patient, client, staff member concerned unless required by a court order.

The post-holder is responsible for data quality and complying with the policies, procedures and accountability arrangements throughout the Trust for maintaining accuracy and probity in the recording of the Trusts activities.

The post-holder will be required to comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in line with Trust Policy.

The post-holder is required to comply with Trust policy on the implementation of Working Time Regulations (1998, 2009 amendment) including declaration of hours worked and breaks taken by undertaking monitoring exercises when required and reporting any instances where the pattern of working hours may constitute a health and safety risk to the post-holder, patients, public and other Trust employees. The post-holder will not be subjected to any unlawful detriment by reporting any concerns under the Regulations.

The post-holder will be responsible for undertaking the administrative duties associated with the care of patients and the administration of the department.

The post-holder will be required to participate in the annual appraisal process.

The post-holder will be required to complete annual updates in mandatory training.

Travel as necessary between hospitals/clinics will be required but a planned and cost-effective approach will be expected.

Any other duties that may be required from time to time.

Expectations of the Post-holder

An appropriate Contract of Employment incorporating national terms and conditions (in accordance with national and local collective agreements).

An appropriate agreed job plan that may be changed by mutual agreement between the doctor and the Service Line in accordance with the procedure for the agreement for the review of job plans and any recommendations following appraisal.

Receive appropriate consultant supervision and mentoring.

Adequate support and time allocation to allow doctors to participate in the Trusts appraisal process .

KEY RESULT AREAS

The post-holder must comply with all aspects of confidentiality, professional codes of conduct, UHP Staff Charter and the NHS Managers Code of Conduct.

Objectives and How They Will Be Met

The post-holder will be required to deliver against key performance indicators & set targets, in close collaboration with Consultant colleagues and the rest of the research delivery team.

Teaching and Training

The post-holder is expected to participate in teaching and training of junior staff and other clinical staff groups.

Study and Training

The post-holder can participate in professional continuing medical education; a discretionary study leave budget of up to £577 per year from the Postgraduate Medical Education Centre is provided for this purpose. The post-holder will be entitled to apply for a contribution to funding of study leave and an appropriate allocation of study leave days per contract year.

Career Progression

This post provides our fellows with a broad range of transferable skills and CV enhancing opportunities. The majority of our post holders in recent years have gone on to specialist training posts or NIHR academic clinical fellowships in their preferred speciality.

COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

The post holder will have excellent communication skills with staff and patients. Standard treatments are often difficult for patients to understand, and trials add another layer of complexity. They will have to be comfortable explaining why research is important, adept at reassuring potential participants, confident discussing randomisation issues and ultimately be good at recruiting participants to trials.

They will have to liaise with all hospital departments involved in the running and coordination of the trials. They will also need to develop a good working relationship with all the research teams to ensure a balanced and wide portfolio of trials.

MOST CHALLENGING PART OF THE JOB

Key objectives are to provide research participants with an excellent experience, whilst still meeting commissioned performance targets. The post holder will need to work in a range of specialist areas and in close collaboration with numerous Consultant colleagues from different specialties. They will need to have good time management skills, as they will need to prioritize their workload to fit in with colleagues` commitments and the time frames of research protocols.