Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Consultant Rheumatologist

The closing date is 11 December 2025

Job summary

We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic Consultant Rheumatologist who can provide excellent outpatient general Rheumatology care supported by military consultant colleagues and Specialist Nurses, within a multidisciplinary Defence Rheumatology Service (DRS) here at Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC).

You will need to deliver a high standard of care and support a highly skilled team, cope well under pressure, have sound judgement and the ability to make sound decisions.

Collaborate with wider defence medical teams.

This is a full time position of 40 hours weekly within a purpose built Tri-Service rehabilitation centre located at Stanford Hall.

If you have what it takes and you are excited about executing your skills within this role then we would love to hear from you.

Benefits:

  • Access to learning and development tailored to your role
  • A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
  • NHS Pension
  • Free Parking
  • Gyms
  • Swimming Pool and Hot Tub
  • On Site shop
  • Golf Course
  • Running Track
  • Tennis Courts
  • Cinema
  • Officers Mess Membership

Allowances:

  • On call supplement

Main duties of the job

The Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre's (DMRC) purpose is to provide inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation for Service Personnel (SP) with musculoskeletal and neurological injuries related to sports, exercise & training, overseas operational activities, other trauma or neurological diagnosis or event. The delivery of care is centred around thorough and timely outpatient care, as well as intensive, residential, group-based rehabilitation provided by consultant led multi-disciplinary teams. These are broadly Lower Limbs, Spines, Upper Quadrant and Specialist Rehabilitation, DMRC is the only site offering Defence Rheumatology Services and will accept referrals for any SP in the UK military with any rheumatological concern. As a result, the caseload consists of patients with a breadth of presentations ranging from complex conditions often managed in the NHS, to more routine inflammatory and non-inflammatory illness.

About us

Our success depends on our people our Whole Force regular and reservist military, civil servants and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for us.

Our civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, developing strategy, making policy, supporting ministerial decision-making and Parliamentary processes. In fact, with over 2,000 different roles working across 650 sites around the world, now really is an excellent time to join one of the largest, most exciting departments in government.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to attracting and retaining people from across the full range of backgrounds and enabling flexible ways of working as the norm. We offer maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks full pay followed by 13 weeks of statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, and paternity leave of 2 weeks full pay.

In return, you can expect a department that helps you learn and develop that recognises your expertise and contribution, both as an individual and part of a team.

If you've ever wanted to do more, see more, go further or be better, we have roles in more professions and vocations than ever before. Let's see where your future will take you, together.

Details

Date posted

13 November 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

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

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

32 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share

Reference number

K0003-25-0511

Job locations

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre

Stanford Hall

Stanford on Soar

Loughborough

LE12 5QW


Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities for the role include but are not limited to:

  • Attend and lead Rheumatology clinics and review clinics as per individual job plan
  • Clinical leadership, to deliver a high-quality clinical service and promote a culture of evidence-based best practice, in line with relevant literature and guidelines.
  • Clinical leadership, to deliver a high-quality clinical service and promote a culture of evidence-based best practice, in line with relevant literature and guidelines.
  • Clinical team leadership, direction, support, and guidance to a team of highly skilled Rheumatology Specialist Nurses and Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHPs) to deliver an occupationally focused Rheumatology and Rehabilitation service, in collaboration with wider Defence Medical Services (DMS) including Primary Care, Occupational Health and Mental Health, and the Chain of Command (CoC).
  • Coordination of surgical, medical, rehabilitation, psychological and social care input to ensure delivery of a patient-centred, integrated, biopsychosocial model of care.
  • Close collaboration and subject matter expert guidance to the Civilian Service manager (CSM) or Officer in Command Force Regeneration (OC FG), working in their role as operational team lead.
  • Supervision and training of junior civilian and military medical colleagues including supervision of audit & quality improvement projects (QIPs).

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for the full list of duties.

Selection Process:

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in your CV and that you have saved it, making sure that any reference to your personal details have been removed from your CV prior to submitting your application.

Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

  • Leadership
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Developing Self and Others
  • Working Together

Please see the link to our YouTube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpdNWKQSRI

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Consultant Rheumatologist in the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall. Your responsibilities will be as described in this job advert. The reason why you are appointed for a fixed period is due to funding ending. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and will end on 10th July 2028.

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an internally advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer (for up to a maximum of 3 years). At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities for the role include but are not limited to:

  • Attend and lead Rheumatology clinics and review clinics as per individual job plan
  • Clinical leadership, to deliver a high-quality clinical service and promote a culture of evidence-based best practice, in line with relevant literature and guidelines.
  • Clinical leadership, to deliver a high-quality clinical service and promote a culture of evidence-based best practice, in line with relevant literature and guidelines.
  • Clinical team leadership, direction, support, and guidance to a team of highly skilled Rheumatology Specialist Nurses and Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHPs) to deliver an occupationally focused Rheumatology and Rehabilitation service, in collaboration with wider Defence Medical Services (DMS) including Primary Care, Occupational Health and Mental Health, and the Chain of Command (CoC).
  • Coordination of surgical, medical, rehabilitation, psychological and social care input to ensure delivery of a patient-centred, integrated, biopsychosocial model of care.
  • Close collaboration and subject matter expert guidance to the Civilian Service manager (CSM) or Officer in Command Force Regeneration (OC FG), working in their role as operational team lead.
  • Supervision and training of junior civilian and military medical colleagues including supervision of audit & quality improvement projects (QIPs).

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for the full list of duties.

Selection Process:

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in your CV and that you have saved it, making sure that any reference to your personal details have been removed from your CV prior to submitting your application.

Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use. https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

  • Leadership
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Developing Self and Others
  • Working Together

Please see the link to our YouTube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEpdNWKQSRI

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Consultant Rheumatologist in the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre, Stanford Hall. Your responsibilities will be as described in this job advert. The reason why you are appointed for a fixed period is due to funding ending. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and will end on 10th July 2028.

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an internally advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer (for up to a maximum of 3 years). At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

Person Specification

Provide a CV

Essential

  • Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question; you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
  • Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
  • Please use double spacing where possible

Behaviour Statement

Essential

  • Have you been dismissed for gross misconduct relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation from any role in the past five years, or resigned or otherwise left a role but would have been dismissed for such gross misconduct because of an adverse decision, had you continued in that employment?
  • Please respond with Yes or No as appropriate.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience working in inflammatory and rheumatological conditions

Registration Details

Essential

  • Full GMC registration with licence to practice
  • Entry onto GMC Specialist register
  • Member of Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) or equivalent
  • Please provide your registration number.
  • You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.
Person Specification

Provide a CV

Essential

  • Please copy and paste your full CV as your response to this question; you will not be able to upload your CV as an attachment.
  • Please ensure to refer to the essential criteria where applicable as your application may be rejected should insufficient information to shortlist be included.
  • Please use double spacing where possible

Behaviour Statement

Essential

  • Have you been dismissed for gross misconduct relating to bullying, harassment, discrimination or victimisation from any role in the past five years, or resigned or otherwise left a role but would have been dismissed for such gross misconduct because of an adverse decision, had you continued in that employment?
  • Please respond with Yes or No as appropriate.

Experience

Essential

  • Experience working in inflammatory and rheumatological conditions

Registration Details

Essential

  • Full GMC registration with licence to practice
  • Entry onto GMC Specialist register
  • Member of Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) or equivalent
  • Please provide your registration number.
  • You are required to be registered with the relevant professional body, as detailed in the advert, prior to submitting your application.

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.

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.

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

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Address

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre

Stanford Hall

Stanford on Soar

Loughborough

LE12 5QW


Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)

Address

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre

Stanford Hall

Stanford on Soar

Loughborough

LE12 5QW


Employer's website

https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-defence (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Details

Date posted

13 November 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

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

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

32 months

Working pattern

Full-time, Part-time, Job share

Reference number

K0003-25-0511

Job locations

Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre

Stanford Hall

Stanford on Soar

Loughborough

LE12 5QW


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Services)'s privacy notice (opens in a new tab)