Chief Registrar

Job description

Job responsibilities

Applications are open to senior trainees:

• National Training Number (NTN) ST4 level or above
• Locally Employed Doctors (LED) at equivalent experience of ST4 or above
• Working full time or less-than-full-time
• Who have full GMC registration.

This is a fixed-term role for a minimum of 12 months. For those with an NTN, the role can be undertaken out of programme (experience) and must be discussed with your educational supervisor and training programme director (TPD), and permission to apply must be granted by the TPD.

JOB PURPOSE

The chief registrar role is a leadership role for senior speciality trainees. The role provides 40% protected time to develop and implement local initiatives focusing on, for example, service improvement, engagement and morale, education and training, workforce and sustainability.

Chief registrars benefit from access to a bespoke taught development programme provided by the Royal College of Physicians, which runs from September 2025 to June 2026 and comprises five 2-day modules that chief registrars are expected to attend.

REPORTING, MENTORING AND EDUCATIONAL SUPERVISION

The chief registrar will ideally report to and be mentored by the medical director, a nominated deputy, or other senior clinical leader. The mentor role requires a minimum time commitment of monthly 1 hour meetings with the chief registrar, and this commitment should be taken into account when nominating a suitable mentor.

The chief registrar will also have a named educational supervisor for their clinical role, who may or may not be the same as their clinical supervisor.

There will be formal educational oversight of the role, with an induction, educational agreement, personal development plan and regular appraisals.

APPOINTMENT

By interview. Composition of interview panel to be decided locally but should ideally involve HEE representation (training programme director (TPD) / Director of Medical Education), senior medical manager, and ideally a lay/patient representative.

Due diligence should be applied to equality and diversity.

TRAINING STATUS

NTN trainees must discuss applications for chief registrar roles with their education supervisor and TPD in advance of applying. Permission to apply for the role must be obtained from the TPD.

The principle requirement of the GMC is that the chief registrar role should be undertaken at a site approved by the GMC for training in the applicants specialty.

For Locally Employed Doctors, local discussion should occur with the Trust chief registrar lead and educational supervisor to ensure suitability for the programme. Local assessment of prior experience to be at ST4 or above will be made within the Trust.

POST DESCRIPTION

KEY RESULT AREAS

The chief registrar job description is broad in scope in order to allow chief registrars and recruiting organisations to have autonomy and flexibility over the work the chief registrar undertakes. Chief registrars should focus on addressing key local challenges and priorities, which may include some or all of the following:

• Providing a bridge between senior clinical leaders, managers and the wider trainee workforce to improve communication, engagement and morale.
• Service improvement, for example redesigning pathways, implementing new technology and establishing new services to improve flow and outcomes for patients.
• Improving the quality of clinical and non-clinical education and training activities, and supporting/mentoring other trainees to engage in quality improvement.
• Involvement in workforce planning and improving the deployment of trainees to meet service needs and improve morale.
• Improving efficiency and reducing waste.
• Working across teams and boundaries to engage stakeholders in quality improvement and influence change.

The chief registrar should attend departmental and divisional management meetings to gain an understanding of management and the wider social, political and economic influences on healthcare delivery.

Where possible and appropriate, chief registrars should attend Board meetings. They should lead any sessions on service development, improvement and transformation for which they have direct responsibility.

CLINICAL DUTIES

Continuing clinical work as an LTFT trainee or as a part-time LED will be expected.

Contribution to an out-of-hours tier 2 on-call rota will be expected for section 12 approved doctors.

DEVELOPMENT

The RCP delivers a bespoke development programme for chief registrars that comprises five 2-day modules held between September 2025 and June 2026.

Travel and accommodation expenses for chief registrars attendance at development programme modules should be reimbursed by the Trust.

ENVIRONMENT

• Driving licence essentialThe post holder is required to be flexible and to travel where necessary across KMPT sites. The post holder may be required to work cross-site when required across Kent.

Department - Medical Education Department

Trust - Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust

Teaching and Postgraduate Education available:

Weekly 1 hour Journal clubs

Weekly 1 hour HST balint group

Monthly 2 hour HST Teaching Programme

Weekly 2 hour CPD Teaching.

Monthly 1 hour Medical Staffing Committee meetings

Face to face trainee events which include HST Calman Days, Trainee Conference & Trust Wide CPD Programme .

RESOURCES

All KMPT Trainee doctors have access to an onsite Doctors resource room with PCs, AV and literature available. All trainees will be provided with details on how to register to our linked NHS library services. Details are provided in induction packs.

No additional study leave funding is attached, as the relevant training is provided within the post.

COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Main contacts in the trust:

Chief Medical Officer - Dr Afifa Qazi

Deputy Chief Medical Officer (Quality and Safety) - Dr Koravangattu Valsraj

Deputy Chief Medical Officer (Workforce) - Dr Mohan Bhat

Director of Medical Education: Dr Rachel Daly

Deputy Directors of Medical Education Dr Rhian Bradley and Dr Tonye Ajiteru

Director if Undergraduate Medical Education Dr Richard Brown

Medical Education Manager: Angela Pendleton

Deputy Medical Education Manager: Luke Maczka, Tracy Mara

Administrators: Medical Education Team

Trust junior doctors and Medical students

For detailed information regarding the role, please refer to the attached job description and person specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• First medical degree
• Appropriate professional postgraduate qualification e.g. MRCP, MRCS etc.

Desirable

• Higher specialty qualifications
• Distinctions/Honours/Prizes

Skills

Essential

• Sound basic clinical skills
• Competent in management of emergencies
• Computer literacy and keyboard skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Experience in delivery of teaching and education.
• Project management skills - experience of participating in or leading projects
• Full GMC Registration with Licence to practise

Desirable

• Experience of setting up courses. Faculty on local or national courses
• Experience of Quality Improvement project

Experience/Achievements

Essential

• At least 12 months working in the NHS
• Audit experience

Desirable

• Peer reviewed publications

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Good organisational and time management skills
• Ability to function effectively under pressure. Interest in learning, development, and service improvement
• Commitment to continuing personal development

Desirable

• Academic excellence

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

Kent & Medway NHS & Social Care Partnership Trust

Address

Kent

TBC

TBC

ME16 9PH

Employer's website

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