Locum Vascular Consultant Surgeon

Job responsibilities

Summary of the role:

Consultant Vascular Surgeon (11 PA), delivering a vascular surgery practice including on call, same day emergency care (SDEC), outpatient clinics and operating.

The on-call commitment is 1 in 9 (possibly changing to 1 in 10), with Consultants delivering inpatient care using a with a Consultant of the week (1 in 9 weeks). The post holder will be required to deliver outpatients in Royal United Hospital Bath, Southmead Hospital and Cossham Hospital.

All surgical and endovascular interventions (excluding endovenous) are delivered in Southmead Hospital (North Bristol NHS Trust) which is the networks arterial centre.

The Department:

Southmead Hospital, North Bristol Trust hosts the Major Arterial Centre (MAC) for the Bristol, Bath and Weston Vascular Network (BBWVN) and serves a population of 1.2 million adults. In addition to core specialist vascular services, BBWVN is commissioned to deliver complex endovascular aortic intervention (aneurysms and acute aortic syndrome) for the Southwest of England and South Wales (exceptionally funded, case by case). The network receives tertiary referrals for patients with thoracic outlet syndrome, complications of ilio-femoral DVT (including management of chronic occlusions) and mycotic aneurysms (prosthetic graft infection and primary infected aortic pathology).

The Vascular Surgery Department in Southmead Hospital is part of the Division of Anaesthesia Surgery Critical Care & Renal (ASCR). There are currently 11 consultant vascular surgeons. Three work less than full time, with one planning to retiring in July 2024 (thoracic outlet specialist interest) and another based only in Weston General Hospital (no operating). BBWVN delivers a 24/7 specialist on call service (currently 1:9.5) that is supported by a 1:7 middle grade on call rota and a 24/7 interventional radiology service (1:8). The appointee would join the vascular specialist on-call rota.

Inpatients are predominantly cared for on a dedicated specialist vascular ward (Gate 26A) which is made up with 32 beds. Emergency admissions are managed through a surgical admissions unit with the support of a shared Foundation and Core Trainee grade (GI surgery admissions) but overseen by the vascular middle grade. In addition to the consultant on call Monday-Friday, BBWVN run a consultant of the week model (1:9.5) whereby a single consultant oversees the ward management of patients with a daily ward round. Only at the weekend, does the consultant of the week also assume the responsibility of on call consultant. The ward team consists of a trainee Advanced Care Practitioner, 4 Foundation Trainees and 2 SHO grade clinical fellows. One FY2 and two core trainees are also part of the firm structure with every effort made to provide surgical training to this grade.

The physicians run G-POC team review patients prior to surgery on both and outpatient and inpatient basis to support medical optimisation and shared decision making. There is access to cardio-pulmonary exercise testing and a pre-operative preparation clinic. Vascular lists are supported by a team of recognised vascular Anaesthetists.

Monday to Thursday a morning hot clinic and afternoon diabetic foot clinic are run by a dedicated nursing team (4 WTE clinical vascular nurse specialists, 2 WTE Band 5 nurses, 1.6 WTE Band 3 support staff). All consultants in the network are job planned to deliver this activity and it is separate to on call responsibilities. Friday morning a hot clinic is run, and this takes part of the on-call consultants responsibilities.

The network aims where practically possible to deliver outpatient review and investigation as close to home as possible for patients in the network. As such, outpatient clinics are delivered in Cossham Hospital (North Bristol NHS Trust), Bristol Royal Infirmary (UHBW Hospitals Trust), Weston General Hospital (UHBW Hospitals Trust) and Royal United Hospital, Bath (RUH Trust). This also ensures that inpatients receive timely specialist opinion. There is Clinical Vascular Scientist support on all inpatient sites.

The post holder will be required to deliver routine outpatients and ward reviews in the Royal United Hospital Bath.

Elective surgery is delivered at Southmead Hospital in 2 theatres, one of which is a Hybrid Suite with additional capacity on a shared CEPOD list. There are 18 4-hour sessions of operating for Vascular Surgery per week. Joint consultant operating is mandated for both open and endovascular aortic aneurysm surgery. The hospital has 48 critical care (Level 2 or 3) beds.

Multidisciplinary team (MDT) working is encouraged and supported by a daily MDT meeting (MS Teams) Monday to Friday to discuss patients with time critical conditions. On a Wednesday morning we hold a separate MDT for patients with non-urgent conditions. MDTs are supported by a coordinator. Wednesday morning also provides the time for regular morbidity/mortality, consultant, and research meetings.

Unit Activity:

North Bristol is a higher-volume unit for most arterial procedures, with 392 lower limb bypasses reported on NVR from 2020-22. We perform around 40 infra-renal aortic aneurysm repairs per year (2/3 endovascular) and 60 supra-renal endovascular repairs. Seventy carotid endarterectomies performed in 2020.

Consultants are occasionally asked to review children at the Bristol Childrens Hospital. New appointees will be supported for this existing Consultants more familiar with managing vascular paediatric problems, both in hours and out of hours.

Research:

The unit has a proven track record in Research, with a busy clinical research programme recruiting into multiple NIHR and commercial studies, supervising higher degrees (MD/PhD), academic clinical fellows and foundation trainees. This programme is led by Professor Rob Hinchliffe and Mr Chris Twine. We currently have three speciality trainees in recognised combined research and clinical roles. Through the NBT research department there is access to research support including research nurses to support studies. Medical Students rotate through vascular surgery and the appointee will be expected to provide teaching as opportunities required. There are opportunities for formal tutoring roles through the hospitals academy which a number of Vascular Surgeons hold.

Other

Essential

• Must reside within 30 minutes or ten miles from the principal place of work
• Must hold the appropriate home office work / residence status to provide work in the UK.

Qualifications And Registration

Essential

• BM, BS or equivalent.
• FRCS (Vasc) or equivalent
• Maintain Full registration with the GMC. OR Must have CCT in Vascular Surgery or equivalent and have been entered on the GMC Specialist Register at the time of the appointment. OR Specialist registrars that do not hold a CCT must be due to be awarded one within 6 months of the interview date.

Desirable

• Higher academic qualification (e.g., MD or MS).

Training And Experience

Essential

• Recent experience and familiarity of UK hospital systems and practices (or equivalent).
• Minimum of 8 years postgraduate experience including higher surgical/medical training, three years as a Senior Registrar in an approved training post, or equivalent. Part of this period may be in a post of equivalent responsibility and training potential.
• Training in diagnosis and treatment of common vascular surgery conditions including diabetic foot sepsis.
• Desire to develop a sub-specialist thoracic aortic practice.

Desirable

• Experience of managing people with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.
• Experience of operating on people with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Further Training, Management, Audit

Essential

• Evidence of recent CME/ reasonable training progression at this stage of career.
• Experience in audit project and written up
• Knowledge of contemporary NHS management issues.
• Knowledge of political context within which we operate

Desirable

• Completion of a general management course or programme.

Research, Teaching, Publications

Essential

• Proven teaching ability.
• Willingness to undertake teaching of medical under-graduates & postgraduates.

Desirable

• Proven track record in research.
• Willingness to undertake further research.
• Ability to gain the trust and confidence of colleagues and patients.
• Ability to teach effectively
• Evidence of relevant publications in peer reviewed journals.
• Demonstration of involvement in clinical directorate management.

Leadership and Teamwork

Essential

• Proven ability to build and maintain effective teams
• Have a positive attitude towards members of the wider healthcare team
• Evidence of good organizational and compassionate leadership skills
• Evidence of positive development and change management
• An understanding of positive leadership in the context of healthcare.

Communication skills

Essential

• Is empathetic and sensitive to the needs of others including patients and colleagues.
• An ability to explain complex and sensitive information, sometimes under stressful circumstances to others.
• Must be able to influence and persuade effectively.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills to write and present management reports as required.

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).