Robotic UGI fellow

Job description

Job responsibilities

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust has a vision to be recognized as a world-class hospital, leading the field through innovative healthcare solutions, focusing on the best outcomes for our patients, delivered in a safe, caring and inspiring environment.

At present PHU provides the following services, Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Oncology, Radiology, Orthodontic and Oral Surgery, General and Specialist Medicine, General Surgery, Breast Screening and Surgery, Plastic Surgery, Renal Services, Acute Medical Admissions, Ophthalmology, Maxillofacial, ENT, Critical Care, Coronary Care, Elderly Medicine, Rheumatology, Elderly Medicine, Rehabilitation, Dermatology and Neurology.

The Department

There are 120 general surgical beds at Queen Alexandra Hospital, a 24 bed Intensive Care Unit and a 10 bed Surgical High Care Unit (run by Surgery). The Day Surgical Unit has 65 beds.

CT scanning, PET, EUS and MRI are on site with specialist gastrointestinal radiologists and up to date facilities for diagnostic and interventional radiology. In particular, we have been collaborating closely with Professor Bhandari to develop a state-of-the-art endoscopic resection service of international repute at Portsmouth. We also have a comprehensive clinical and medical oncology service on site with ready access to radiotherapy.

Most consultants also see outpatients at one or more peripheral clinics, which include Petersfield and Fareham.

A Surgical Assessment Unit was opened in 2004 to provide a modern facility for emergency surgical admissions. A DOSA Unit (Day of Surgery Admission Unit) opened in 2010 and the majority of elective cases go through it.

The UGI Surgical Unit at Portsmouth is a recognised Cancer Centre for Oesophagogastric Cancer, with a busy MDT drawing patients from the Central South Coast Cancer Network (includes Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Chichester and Winchester). We routinely practice dual consultant operating, with Minimal Access surgery being our standard approach. Over the last 3 years we have implemented a Robotic Surgery program, using the Da Vinci X and Xi surgical robots to assist with oesophagogastric cancer and benign surgery. PHU currently has the largest Robotic-assisted minimally invasive oesophagectomy series in the UK.

We have a high volume benign UGI practice with over 1000 laparoscopic cholecystectomies per year (70% of them daycase and ~40% acute), and a busy tertiary referral practice for anti-reflux surgery with over 150 fundoplications per year many of which are performed robotically. We share the General Surgical on call with our colorectal colleagues. Hepatobiliary and pancreatic cancer surgical patients are discussed at the HPB MDT on Fridays, with resectable patients going to Southampton for surgery and palliative patients managed on site. We are a recognised Bariatric Surgical Centre with 200+ cases per year.

The UGI Unit is based at Queen Alexandra Hospital. The UGI Unit works as a team, with close collaboration among the consultants to provide a unified approach to patient management. We share responsibility for decision-making and risk management, regularly operate together, and cover each other’s patients and lists when one is away.

Inpatient treatment is based on ward E2. The Unit manages about 50-60 patients undergoing oesophagogastric cancer resections plus a large number of patients with benign disease per year. Arrangements are in place for anaesthetic assessment, and we have excellent relationships with the ITU team and Critical Care Unit.

There are ongoing audits of benign and bariatric work, and data on the cancer patients are entered onto a local database and the NOGCA database. All laparotomies are entered into the NELA database. A weekly Surgical Quality Assurance Meeting takes place where outcomes & results are discussed frankly.

Major surgery is undertaken at Queen Alexandra Hospital in a twenty eight theatre suite close to the UGI inpatient ward, offices, SAU, SHCU and ITU (all on one floor E level). There is also a dedicated Day Surgical Unit based on D level where most of our day surgical hernia and cholecystectomy surgery takes place.

We have a high volume specialist hernia service including major abdominal wall reconstruction. The UGI surgeons also run the laparoscopic adrenalectomy service.

Our main laparoscopic theatres are E1 and E2, both of which are Storz OR1 endotheatres, opened in February 2010, paid for through charitable funds. These are state-of-the-art theatres with multiple monitors and capacity for recording and broadcasting live endosurgery. Our main robotic theatres are E12 and E14, which are equipped with a da Vinci X and Xi system, respectively, both with dual operating consoles.

The Post

The post is the first and only RCS recognised senior clinical fellowship in robotic oesophagogastric surgery. We aim to appoint a well-trained post-CCT Fellow with a proven interest in robotic surgery. Training and experience in a tertiary referral centre for UGI disease is essential, and a higher degree, UGI publications and ongoing UGI research interests will be looked upon favourably. Robotic UGI surgery experience is desirable. Ability to work very flexibly as a team member with existing colleagues is essential.

Minimal access surgical training in benign UGI surgery (including cholecystectomy, hernias & hiatal surgery) is an essential part of this post as most patients are operated on laparoscopically or robotically in this unit including the emergency patients. Being a competent surgeon entails more than just operative skills, and evidence will be sought as to the appointee's ability & judgement to manage post-operative complications and/or critically ill patients.

Full details of the post can be found on the Royal College of Surgeons website: https://www.rcseng.ac.uk/education-and-exams/accreditation/rcs-senior-clinical-fellowship-scheme/national-surgical-fellowship-scheme-register/general-surgery/

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Applicants should be post-CCT or equivalent and planning a career in Oesophagogastric or Robotic Upper GI Surgery.

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

Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

Address

Queen Alexandra Hospital

Southwick Hill Road

Cosham

Portsmouth

PO6 3LY

Employer's website

https://www.porthosp.nhs.uk/work-for-us/ (Opens in a new tab)