Job responsibilities
Summary and purpose of post
We are seeking an enthusiastic, fellowship trained, Shoulder and Elbow surgeon to join our existing team. The successful applicant will be on the specialist register, be undertaking or have completed a recognised shoulder and elbow fellowship, and have a demonstrable track record in research and publication. A particular interest in complex arthroplasty and/or elbow surgery would be welcomed. We have a thriving research department and the successful applicant would be expected and supported to undertake and publish meaningful research to enhance the national and international standing of our unit.
About the Trust
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides a comprehensive range of orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal medicine, including research into disorders of bone, joints and muscles. Services and research activities also include spinal injuries, rheumatology, sports injuries, stem cell therapy, metabolic disorders and orthotics.
As well as general elective orthopaedics, as a specialist orthopaedic centre we provide services for the following conditions:
- Complex orthopaedic surgery (spinal and revision joint surgery)
- Complex paediatric surgery
- Spinal cord injury rehabilitation
- Bone tumour surgery
- Speciality bone densitometry
- Specialist rheumatology
We provide both specialist and routine Orthopaedic care to our local catchment area and work with partner organisations to provide specialist treatment for bone tumours and community based rheumatology services. We provide services for a population well in excess of 750,000 people. The normal catchment area includes Shropshire, North Wales, Mid Wales, Merseyside, Cheshire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Stoke on Trent. The hospital receives secondary and tertiary referrals from an even wider area due to the specialist nature of its work, and as part of our military veterans programme.
The hospital has eight inpatient wards including a private patient ward, twelve operating theatres, as well as extensive outpatient and diagnostic facilities. Outreach clinics are held in neighbouring healthcare facilities to ensure that specialist services are provided as close to peoples homes as possible.
The Trust prides itself in achieving orthopaedic excellence and maintains a significant contribution to training orthopaedic surgeons. The hospital trains 10% of all orthopaedic surgeons within the UK through the post graduate training scheme. The Trust also contributes to the training of Pre- Registration Healthcare professionals by providing clinical placements for medical, nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, operating department practitioners, orthotic and radiography students.
Our Values
Our five Trust Values were developed with our staff and describe the way that we work to ensure that we deliver the best care to our patients and show respect and support for each other. Our values are:
- Friendly - patients are always put at ease and made welcome
- Excellence - the care we deliver has great outcomes for patients
- Caring - we put the patient first and are considerate of their needs
- Professional - we apply high professional standards to our work
- Respect- for our patients and each other
Our Services
The RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital is a 161 bedded (excluding HDU) specialist hospital, dealing primarily with elective Orthopaedics from Shropshire, North and Mid Wales. There are a number of specialised Units within the hospital including; Arthroplasty, Rheumatology, The West Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI), Department of Spinal Disorders, Foot and Ankle, Upper Limb and Microsurgery, Musculoskeletal Tumours and the Paediatric Orthopaedic Department. In addition, the hospital has a Midwifery led Maternity Unit and a Care of the Elderly Unit. The Arthritis Research Centre was opened in 1996 highlighting the research activity for which the hospital is known. Pre-pandemic over 11,500 procedures are performed in our theatres each year.
There is a specialist Musculoskeletal Radiology Department with MRI, ultrasound and CT scanning, with 6 full-time specialist Musculoskeletal Radiologists.
The hospital has nine inpatient wards, including a Private Patient Unit. We have twelve (laminar flow) operating theatres, including a short stay surgery unit (the Menzies Unit) and full out-patient and diagnostic facilities.
High quality private care is supported by the Trust. There is a Private Patient Unit (The Ludlow Unit) on site to which the successful candidates could enjoy admitting rights.
The Trust was a pioneer in the team-based approach to surgical care; each Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon is attached to one of the following teams.
- Arthroplasty
- Spinal Surgery
- Musculoskeletal Oncology
- Knee & Sports Injuries
- Hand and Upper Limb
- Foot and Ankle
- Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery
The junior staffing at Oswestry consists of 18 Specialty Registrars who will usually be in the more senior years of training (ST5 ST8). Orthopaedic Service Registrars also support the complement of Locally Employed Doctors in Orthopaedics. In the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital you will be involved in FY/CT/ST training and supervision.
Shropshire and the local hospitals
The population of Shropshire and mid-Wales is approximately 500,000. Shropshire and Telford Hospitals NHS Trust is based on two main sites - the Princess Royal Hospital, Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital with a number of local hospitals serving the rural areas. The Wrexham Maelor Hospital, located some 20 minutes north of RJAH also provides full DGH services
The Trust is situated in the beautiful Shropshire countryside, on the Welsh border, in the middle of an extensive unspoilt rural area but with has excellent transport links, 30 minutes by road from Chester and Shrewsbury. Manchester and Liverpool airports are about an hour by road, and Birmingham airport 90 minutes. The M54 motorway, which starts just outside Shrewsbury, provides quick access to the national motorway network and there are reasonable rail links from Gobowen via Shrewsbury or Chester.
The Hand and Upper Limb Unit
The successful applicant will join the existing friendly team of 10 consultant Upper Limb Surgeons.
You will hold 1 elective and 1 pre-operative clinic a week and 2-3 operating sessions. You will also deliver trauma services at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, on a 1:12 basis. When on-call, this involves a fracture clinic am, trauma list pm, incl Saturdays and Sundays. In the of weeks there is 1 weekly fracture follow-up clinic and 1 trauma list every 2 weeks.
Consultants
Mr David Ford
Mr Stuart Hay
Mr Marck Van Liefland (Clinical lead)
Mr Simon Pickard,
Mr Cormac Kelly
Mr Richard Potter (Clinical Chair)
Mr Ibrahim Roushdi
Mr Rohit Singh
Mr Ron Dodenhoff
Mr Piers Moreau
The post holder will be accountable to: Clinical Lead for Upper Limb (professionally & reporting)
Operations Manager (managerially)
Mentoring
Any of your consultant colleagues will be happy to offer clinical support and guidance to ensure you are well supported especially for those in their first year of appointment.
Job plan
The post is for a permanent whole time consultant (ten programmed activities per week with an eleventh available).
The job plan attached to this job description represents a proposed timetable and is subject to change within the needs of the service. The final job plan will be agreed in discussion between the successful candidate and the Clinical Lead for Upper Limb and will be subject to Annual Review, in line with the consultant contract terms and conditions and the Trusts relevant job planning and other guidance policies.
Additional NHS responsibilities and external duties cannot be agreed prospectively but considered after appointment and agreed at subsequent job planning reviews. There will be a job plan review for the appointee within 12 months of commencing in post to review DCC and additional SPA time can be allocated should any additional activities have been undertaken.
The total number of programmed activities is 10, with 2 supporting professional activities (SPA). There is an opportunity to progress to 2.5 for specific activities which are agreed upon between the consultant and their clinical manager
Work Schedule
The proposed Work schedule and timetable which forms part of the job plan is attached.
Supporting professional activities
Management, Audit and Professional Development
The appointee will have a responsibility for the running of their clinical service, integrating this with the department as a whole and ensuring appropriate communication with consultants, managers and hospital committees. The appointee will be responsible for contributing to the achievement of relevant aspects of the Trusts contractual obligations and business plans.
The appointee will be expected to ensure their clinical service is in accordance with the principles of Clinical Governance which must include appropriate clinical audit, clinical targets, KPIs, evidence based practice.
The appointee will take responsibility for their own continuing professional education/development in accordance with guidelines set out by the appropriate college or professional body. Maintain knowledge and skills in relevant areas of professional responsibility; safeguard professional standards of conduct and practice.
Education and Training
The appointee will contribute to the training and teaching of nursing, medical and other staff involved in delivering inpatient medical care.
