Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Locum Consultant Head & Neck Surgeon

The closing date is 12 January 2026

Job summary

We are inviting applications for a Locum Consultant position to enhance the services of our ENT department, which currently serves approximately 560,000 patients. We are seeking a Locum Head & Neck Consultant to deliver exceptional patient care within our progressive organisation. In this role, you will be responsible for providing and developing services in collaboration with other Consultant colleagues. There is also potential for this position to become a permanent, substantive appointment.

This is an excellent opportunity to join a dynamic and innovative team comprising 7Consultants, 9 Speciality and trust-grade doctors, fellows, speciality trainees, Nurse Practitioners, Audiologists, and a substantial team of ENT nurses, technicians, and healthcare assistants. The department also benefits from an ENT failsafe coordinator and a supportive senior management team.

Main duties of the job

To provide a high standard of care to any patient for whom you have clinical responsibility. This will include any patients referred to you and cared for by you personally or by members of your team and, in addition, any patients of consultant colleagues when you are covering for annual leave.

To participate in clinical and other service activities and developments to ensure a high standard of patient care across the Trust.

To work in close co-operation with other medical, professional and managerial colleagues, both within and outside the speciality, to provide high-quality health care to the Trust's patients, and to contribute to future thinking about the Trust's strategic direction.

To participate fully in and share leadership of the clinical governance of the speciality, covering its Trust-wide activities. To attend clinical governance half-days as detailed in the Trust's Guide to Job Planning, unless on agreed leave or while attending emergencies.

To participate actively in departmental audits, the coordination of audit activities within the department and the implementation of change.

To take an active responsibility for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, training and supervision.

About us

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 and 2024 NHS Staff Survey.

We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff, we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.

Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working?We are a flexible, work-friendly organisation. Whether it's adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Click here to hear what our staff say.

Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:

  • Generous annual leave entitlement
  • Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 23.7% and life assurance benefits
  • Blue Light card eligibility
  • And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below

Details

Date posted

05 January 2026

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

£109,725 to £145,478 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Locum

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

359-MSD7680558-SURG

Job locations

Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital (Cross Site)

Hermitage Lane

Maidstone

ME16 9QQ


Job description

Job responsibilities

To take personal responsibility for risk management in your work and undertake to review practices and learn from mistakes.

To ensure that you respond promptly and efficiently to all complaints related to any patient care you or your staff have been involved with, assisting the Trusts corporate responsibility to reply to complaints within a specified time frame.

To ensure that you develop and maintain effective working relationships with those agencies concerned with the provision of health and social care services and those representing the interests of patients.

To undertake an annual appraisal leading to a personal development plan as outlined in the Trust Appraisal Policy. You must collect and maintain sufficient evidence to support the appraisal process and your GMC revalidation. The appraisal will inform the study leave and job planning processes.

Job description

Job responsibilities

To take personal responsibility for risk management in your work and undertake to review practices and learn from mistakes.

To ensure that you respond promptly and efficiently to all complaints related to any patient care you or your staff have been involved with, assisting the Trusts corporate responsibility to reply to complaints within a specified time frame.

To ensure that you develop and maintain effective working relationships with those agencies concerned with the provision of health and social care services and those representing the interests of patients.

To undertake an annual appraisal leading to a personal development plan as outlined in the Trust Appraisal Policy. You must collect and maintain sufficient evidence to support the appraisal process and your GMC revalidation. The appraisal will inform the study leave and job planning processes.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • MB BS (or equivalent)
  • Entry on the GMC Specialist Register via: CCT or CESR (CP) - proposed CCT/CESR (CP) date must be within 6 months of interview, CESR or European Community Rights
  • Fellowship in Laryngology
  • Higher surgical training in ENT within a recognised programme
  • Wide experience of general ENT

Desirable

  • Distinctions, scholarships, prizes
  • Other degrees, e.g. BSc, MSc MD

Audit

Essential

  • Understand the principles of audit

Desirable

  • Evidence of participation in audit projects

Research

Essential

  • An understanding of general principles, scientific method and interpretation of literature

Desirable

  • Evidence of personal research projects and their presentation
  • Publications in peer-reviewed journals
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • MB BS (or equivalent)
  • Entry on the GMC Specialist Register via: CCT or CESR (CP) - proposed CCT/CESR (CP) date must be within 6 months of interview, CESR or European Community Rights
  • Fellowship in Laryngology
  • Higher surgical training in ENT within a recognised programme
  • Wide experience of general ENT

Desirable

  • Distinctions, scholarships, prizes
  • Other degrees, e.g. BSc, MSc MD

Audit

Essential

  • Understand the principles of audit

Desirable

  • Evidence of participation in audit projects

Research

Essential

  • An understanding of general principles, scientific method and interpretation of literature

Desirable

  • Evidence of personal research projects and their presentation
  • Publications in peer-reviewed journals

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).

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.

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Address

Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital (Cross Site)

Hermitage Lane

Maidstone

ME16 9QQ


Employer's website

https://www.mtw.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

Address

Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital (Cross Site)

Hermitage Lane

Maidstone

ME16 9QQ


Employer's website

https://www.mtw.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

General Manager Head & Neck

Deidre Hart

dhart@nhs.net

07756295307

Details

Date posted

05 January 2026

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

£109,725 to £145,478 a year per annum pro rata

Contract

Locum

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

359-MSD7680558-SURG

Job locations

Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital (Cross Site)

Hermitage Lane

Maidstone

ME16 9QQ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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