Locum Consultant in Cardiology - Interest in Cardiac Imaging

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust

This job is now closed

Job summary

We are seeking to recruit an innovative and progressive Locum Consultant with an interest in imaging and heart failure to join our Cardiology team. The appointee will cover our new hospital Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH) during the on call with outpatient clinics at City hospital Birmingham and/or Sandwell General Hospital. Applications are welcomed from candidates with CCT (or equivalent) with an interest in imaging who are on the General Medical Council's Specialist Register in Cardiology or who will be within six months of obtaining their CCT at the time of interview. In addition, applicants should demonstrate within their application that they are fully trained in general Cardiology, can manage Primary PCI oncall and can perform PCI independently. This job is a locum job for a period of 9 months.

Main duties of the job

The appointee will perform first class imaging (CTCA or stress echo or CMR) for elective outpatient cases and urgent inpatients where required.

On-call for Cardiology wards and general cardiology 1 in 7 (with internal cover).

The appointee will also cover clinics (general Cardiology & specialty), ward rounds and administration duties and also have flexible imaging cover. The post will be based primarily at MMUH for ward rounds, pacing cath lab and oncalls. The Trust has reconfigured its services in preparation for the implementation of the Right Care Right Here Programme and the post-holder therefore is required have outpatient work continuing on at least one of the other sites.

The appointee will take equal responsibility with existing Consultants for the proper functioning of the clinical service, working with clinical and managerial colleagues towards achieving and maintaining national maximum waiting times and developing clinical pathways.

About us

Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust (SWBT) is an integrated careorganisation with a budget of approximately £600 million and over 7,000 staff. Diversity and social care is at the core of what we do as the Trust provides Community and Acute Services to over half a million people in an urban centre that demands massive regeneration and has substantial premature mortality.

Our new acute hospital, the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital (MMUH), opens this year and will provide care to our local population from first class, purpose-built premises. As a result, the base of this role may change to MMUH . If this is applicable to your role, you will be informed during the recruitment process and continue your application with this understanding. The development of the new hospital will play an important role in the regeneration of the wider area and in improving the lives of local people and reducing health inequalities.

We have three strategic objectives:

Our People - to cultivate and sustain happy, productive and engaged staff
Our Patients - to be good or outstanding in everything we do
Our Population - to work seamlessly with our partners to improve lives

Date posted

12 February 2025

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

£105,504 to £139,882 a year per annum

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

9 months

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

381-ME-6789331-B

Job locations

Midland Metropolitan University Hospital

Grove Lane

West Midlands

B66 2QT

Job description

Job responsibilities

Dr Vinoda Sharma is currently Specialty Lead for Cardiology; Dr Stavros Apostolakis is the Clinical Director for Admitted Care, of which Cardiology forms a part; Dr Chetan Varma (also a consultant cardiologist) is the Group Director for Medicine and Emergency Care. MMUH has Medical Admission Units adjacent to the Emergency Departments. The Trust runs a ward-based system for general medical patients.

Cardiology day time duties

The cardiology consultants provide a seven day service for cardiology patients at MMUH. The appointee will participate in day time general cardiac duties as Cardiologist of the Week (COW) at MMUH Cardiology department on a 1 in 7 rota (8am-6pm weekdays), reviewing and managing Cardiology patients, and 8am -2pm on the weekend of the COW week. AMU Cardiology referrals in MMUH are covered by the Interventional Cardiologists who perform a 1:8 cover Monday to Friday from 08:00-12:30 noon. A separate consultant covers AMU Cardiology between 12:30 noon and 4 pm. On call weekend interventional cardiologists do a Saturday morning list for acute ward patients. Both consultants are supported by a dedicated cardiology registrar on call rota.

On the MMUH AMU, there is a daily consultant ward round on the acute medical unit (after initial assessment by the RMO and medical on-take team) in which patients needing prolonged specialist cardiac or catheter lab management are transferred the Cardiology A2 ward. All the patients requiring cardiology management are reviewed by the cardiology team with daily ward rounds on the cardiology wards, acute medical unit and ward referrals. All suspected acute coronary syndrome patients will be seen, as well as those with significant arrhythmias and those with heart failure.

Out-patient Clinics at Sandwell and City Hospitals

At Sandwell Hospital, the out-patient department is directly adjacent to the cardiology department and therefore access to exercise testing, echocardiography and rhythm management facilities. At City Hospital, the Birmingham Treatment Centre also provides out-patient facilities adjacent to the Cardiology Department. The appointee would have two cardiology clinics per week. There may be a requirement for the appointee to do outpatient work outside the hospital in line with the Right Care Right Here programme. At present there were a total of about 18000 outpatient attendances per year in the cardiology Dept. Modern IT systems (UNITY) support delivery of service to improve rapid turnover and communication with primary care and all our patient records are electronic.

Cardiac Intervention/Pacing

MMUH is equipped with state of the art Siemens Artis Icono Biplane catheter labs adjacent to each other with plans to install a third catheter lab in the provided space. Cath lab coordination is supported using the dedicated Labyrinth@ IT system and dedicated nurse Cath Lab Coordinator. One cath lab runs routinely from 8am-6pm and Saturday mornings from 9am - 12pm, with the second lab running 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday. Angiograms and pacing are supported using the Change Healthcare@ system, images being visible on any PC within the Trust at any time by the cardiology team as well as Cath reports and BCIS returns.

The Trust has a longstanding PCI programme and has undertaken coronary intervention with off-site surgical support from neighbouring cardiac surgical facilities for over 2 decades. A primary angioplasty service for acute myocardial infarction was established in the early 2000s, with 24 hours, 7 day service running since January 2005. There is a full Emergency department at the new Midlands Metropolitan Hospital.

For more information on the job role and responsibilities, please refer to the Job Description attached.

For an informal discussion, please contact:

Dr. Chetan Varma, Consultant Cardiologist and Group Director for Medicine on 0121 507 5841, Email: c.varma@nhs.net

Dr Stavros Apostolakis, Consultant cardiologist and Clinical Director for Medicine on 0121 5075841 Email: stavros.apostolakis@nhs.net

Dr Vinoda Sharma, Consultant Cardiologist and Specialty Lead on 0121 507 5841, Email: vinodasharma@nhs.net

Job description

Job responsibilities

Cardiology day time duties

Out-patient Clinics at Sandwell and City Hospitals

Cardiac Intervention/Pacing

For more information on the job role and responsibilities, please refer to the Job Description attached.

For an informal discussion, please contact:

Dr. Chetan Varma, Consultant Cardiologist and Group Director for Medicine on 0121 507 5841, Email: c.varma@nhs.net

Dr Stavros Apostolakis, Consultant cardiologist and Clinical Director for Medicine on 0121 5075841 Email: stavros.apostolakis@nhs.net

Dr Vinoda Sharma, Consultant Cardiologist and Specialty Lead on 0121 507 5841, Email: vinodasharma@nhs.net

Person Specification

Qualifications:

Essential

oEntry on the Specialist Register in cardiology (or entry expected within 6 months from the date of interview)

Desirable

oHigher Degree

Clinical Experience:

Essential

oClinical training and experience equivalent to that required for gaining CCT in cardiology
o Ability to take full and independent responsibility for the management of acute cardiac emergencies
o Special interest that complements the existing consultants (e.g. cardiac imaging - preferably formal accreditation in stress echocardiography, TOE, CMR, CTCA etc.)

Desirable

An interest in undertaking clinical research [in line with the Trust strategy]

Clinical Effectiveness

Essential

oExperience of conducting clinical audit

Teaching and Training Experience

Essential

oAbility to teach clinical skills to medical and nursing staff and other disciplines.

Desirable

oFormal training in teaching

Research, Innovation and Service Improvement Experience:

Essential

oAbility to apply research outcomes to clinical problems

Desirable

oKnowledge and experience of the application of information technology to cardiology
oPublications in relevant peer-reviewed journals in the last five years.
oEvidence of having undertaken original research

Other Requirements:

Essential

oFull GMC Registration

Person Specification

Qualifications:

Essential

oEntry on the Specialist Register in cardiology (or entry expected within 6 months from the date of interview)

Desirable

oHigher Degree

Clinical Experience:

Essential

oClinical training and experience equivalent to that required for gaining CCT in cardiology
o Ability to take full and independent responsibility for the management of acute cardiac emergencies
o Special interest that complements the existing consultants (e.g. cardiac imaging - preferably formal accreditation in stress echocardiography, TOE, CMR, CTCA etc.)

Desirable

An interest in undertaking clinical research [in line with the Trust strategy]

Clinical Effectiveness

Essential

oExperience of conducting clinical audit

Teaching and Training Experience

Essential

oAbility to teach clinical skills to medical and nursing staff and other disciplines.

Desirable

oFormal training in teaching

Research, Innovation and Service Improvement Experience:

Essential

oAbility to apply research outcomes to clinical problems

Desirable

oKnowledge and experience of the application of information technology to cardiology
oPublications in relevant peer-reviewed journals in the last five years.
oEvidence of having undertaken original research

Other Requirements:

Essential

oFull GMC Registration

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).