Job summary
We are delighted to be able to offer an opportunity for a highly motivated, ambitious individual to join one of the largest and most innovative Cellular Pathology Departments in the UK. The department itself is housed in excellent facilities at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, is a cancer-referral centre and hosts Novopath (previously an MRC Molecular Pathology Node laboratory).
The post presents an opportunity to join a progressive team which continuously adopts and develops new diagnostic techniques, and will allow opportunities for involvement in teaching, training and research. We operate a well-established system of specialist reporting and the successful applicant will join a team of consultants and advanced practitioners. You will take a major role in the Haematopathology, Cytopathology and Renal pathology services in the Department.
You will have full and specialist registration (and a licence to practise) with the General Medical Council (GMC) or the General Dental Council (GDC) (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview). In addition, you will hold FRCPath or an equivalent level qualification.
In addition to the challenges of the role, we can offer you a commitment to teaching, education, research and audit.
Candidates for the post must be registered medical practitioners and on, or eligible to join, the Specialist Register within six months of the date of the Appointments Committee.
Please read the attached Job Description and Person Specification
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will be expected to specialise in Haematopathology, Cytopathology and Renal Pathology within the Department.
The successful candidate will be expected to participate in consensus meetings and MDT meetings as required.
For an informal discussion and further information regarding the opportunity and Directorate, please contact: Dr Antony Darne or Dr Peh Sun Loo, Joint Heads of Department, on 0191 2829440 or email antony.darne@nhs.net or peh-sun.loo@nhs.net
Please read the attached Job Description and Person Specification.
About us
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with over 18,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion. Rated 'Outstanding' by theCQC for the second consecutive time in 2019, we have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.
We're also proud to be the second largest provider of specialised services in the country. This means we support people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.
Our staff oversee around 1.84 million patients 'contacts' each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.
We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit in providing an inclusive environment. We value and respect the diversity of our employees and aim to recruit a workforce which reflects the communities we serve, and is equipped to deliver the best service to our patients. We welcome all applications irrespective of people's race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Consultants in the department currently spend approximately 85% of their time involved directly in clinical service provision and 15% undertaking supporting professional activities (audit, QA, CPD, management, research, teaching etc). Each consultant contributes 43 weeks to the rota with remaining weeks allocated to annual leave, study leave etc.
The advertised post is a newly created 10 PA post, NHS-based, although there may be an opportunity for a candidate with an appropriate academic profile to participate in research activities at the Newcastle University. This would be negotiated with the university at the time of appointment. Where appropriate an application will be made for the appointee to be granted the title of Associate Clinical Lecturer in Cellular Pathology. The department undertakes a significant amount of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and you will be expected to participate in these teaching programmes.
HAEMATOPATHOLOGY
The regional Specialist Integrated Haematological malignancy Diagnostic service (NEHODS: North of England Haemato-oncology Diagnostic Service) is based in Newcastle, and provides central review and expert diagnosis for lymphoma and bone marrow trephine specimens for the whole of the North East and Cumbria, and a streamlined referral pathway for these cases is in place. The team comprises a mixture of Haematologists reporting flow cytometry, bone marrow aspirates and trephines, and Cellular pathologists reporting the other tissue biopsies. The NEHODS team works closely with the Genetics GLH lab in Newcastle. The Haematopathology team in Cellular pathology currently has input from three NHS consultants, each contributing a varying proportion to the service alongside other commitments, as well as a Senior Lecturer with an academic appointment. The workload of the haematopathology team in Cellular pathology consists of approximately 1600 (include other team cases) lymphoid specimens per year plus contributions to reporting of trephine biopsies (predominantly undertaken by haematologists) with weekly review meetings. MDT meetings are organised on a regional basis. The appointee will contribute to the weekly lymphoma video conference MDT meetings for cases from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, South Tyneside General Hospital and Sunderland Royal Hospital. As well as to the weekly lymphoma MDT meeting for cases from Newcastle, Carlisle, North Tyneside, Durham and Darlington, held each Friday at the Freeman hospital or by videoconferencing. We are also seeking to provide pathology support for the North Tees/South Tees weekly Lymphoma MDT meeting. Weekly consensus review meetings for discussion of difficult and interesting cases are held by the team. Weekly MDT meetings are also held for discussion of patients with non-lymphoma haematological malignancies. There is also a monthly Supra-regional cutaneous T-cell lymphoma MDT meeting.
RENAL PATHOLOGY
The Department provides specialist reporting of medical renal and renal transplant biopsies for the Nephrology services at Freeman hospital, Great North Childrens hospital, Cumbria, Sunderland Royal Hospital and James Cook University hospital. The service works closely with the National atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome service at the RVI. The Department has excellent facilities for immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and provides the electron microscopy service for renal biopsies from Belfast and Liverpool. There is currently a team of three NHS consultants reporting the biopsies. There are weekly consensus meetings to review the biopsies preceding the weekly teleconferenced CPC meetings with the Nephrology team. There is an additional monthly CPC with the James Cook Nephrology team.
Within the department, you will have a high quality microscope, and a personal computer with voice recognition software. You will also have access to the Departmental secretaries. The department has good facilities for digital photography of macroscopic and microscopic specimens. There is also equipment and technical support for production of material for educational, audit and research presentations. The Department is in the process of introducing Digital pathology for reporting, but this will not be compulsory.
You will be expected to participate in audit and in relevant EQA schemes. You will also be expected to take part in continuing professional development and annual appraisal (the latter including annual job plan review). Time and funds will be made available by the Trust for attendance of professional and educational meetings etc. and appraisal familiarisation courses are provided in-house. Current study leave entitlement is 30 days over 3 years. Time will be made available for necessary individual preparation to support the annual appraisal procedure. You will share responsibilities with existing consultant staff for the training and supervision of trainee medical staff, and will be required to devote time to these activities on a regular basis. You will be required to undertake administrative duties contributing to the running of the Cellular Pathology Department in co-operation with the Head of Department.
Participation in the autopsy service is not a requirement of this post. Currently, approximately a fifth of the consultant staff undertake Coroners autopsies.
You will have full and specialist registration (and a licence to practise) with the General Medical Council (GMC) or the General Dental Council (GDC) (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview). You will also be expected to hold the FRCPath or an equivalent qualification.
Flexibility:
In line with the Trusts core value of placing patients at the heart of everything we do, we are developing our service provision to be responsive to the needs of our patients. To meet those needs some staff groups will be increasingly asked to work a more flexible work pattern so that they can offer services in the evening or weekend. As a result any offer of employment to a consultant post will be subject to you agreeing to work a new more flexible pattern of working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Consultants in the department currently spend approximately 85% of their time involved directly in clinical service provision and 15% undertaking supporting professional activities (audit, QA, CPD, management, research, teaching etc). Each consultant contributes 43 weeks to the rota with remaining weeks allocated to annual leave, study leave etc.
The advertised post is a newly created 10 PA post, NHS-based, although there may be an opportunity for a candidate with an appropriate academic profile to participate in research activities at the Newcastle University. This would be negotiated with the university at the time of appointment. Where appropriate an application will be made for the appointee to be granted the title of Associate Clinical Lecturer in Cellular Pathology. The department undertakes a significant amount of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and you will be expected to participate in these teaching programmes.
HAEMATOPATHOLOGY
The regional Specialist Integrated Haematological malignancy Diagnostic service (NEHODS: North of England Haemato-oncology Diagnostic Service) is based in Newcastle, and provides central review and expert diagnosis for lymphoma and bone marrow trephine specimens for the whole of the North East and Cumbria, and a streamlined referral pathway for these cases is in place. The team comprises a mixture of Haematologists reporting flow cytometry, bone marrow aspirates and trephines, and Cellular pathologists reporting the other tissue biopsies. The NEHODS team works closely with the Genetics GLH lab in Newcastle. The Haematopathology team in Cellular pathology currently has input from three NHS consultants, each contributing a varying proportion to the service alongside other commitments, as well as a Senior Lecturer with an academic appointment. The workload of the haematopathology team in Cellular pathology consists of approximately 1600 (include other team cases) lymphoid specimens per year plus contributions to reporting of trephine biopsies (predominantly undertaken by haematologists) with weekly review meetings. MDT meetings are organised on a regional basis. The appointee will contribute to the weekly lymphoma video conference MDT meetings for cases from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead, South Tyneside General Hospital and Sunderland Royal Hospital. As well as to the weekly lymphoma MDT meeting for cases from Newcastle, Carlisle, North Tyneside, Durham and Darlington, held each Friday at the Freeman hospital or by videoconferencing. We are also seeking to provide pathology support for the North Tees/South Tees weekly Lymphoma MDT meeting. Weekly consensus review meetings for discussion of difficult and interesting cases are held by the team. Weekly MDT meetings are also held for discussion of patients with non-lymphoma haematological malignancies. There is also a monthly Supra-regional cutaneous T-cell lymphoma MDT meeting.
RENAL PATHOLOGY
The Department provides specialist reporting of medical renal and renal transplant biopsies for the Nephrology services at Freeman hospital, Great North Childrens hospital, Cumbria, Sunderland Royal Hospital and James Cook University hospital. The service works closely with the National atypical Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome service at the RVI. The Department has excellent facilities for immunofluorescence and electron microscopy, and provides the electron microscopy service for renal biopsies from Belfast and Liverpool. There is currently a team of three NHS consultants reporting the biopsies. There are weekly consensus meetings to review the biopsies preceding the weekly teleconferenced CPC meetings with the Nephrology team. There is an additional monthly CPC with the James Cook Nephrology team.
Within the department, you will have a high quality microscope, and a personal computer with voice recognition software. You will also have access to the Departmental secretaries. The department has good facilities for digital photography of macroscopic and microscopic specimens. There is also equipment and technical support for production of material for educational, audit and research presentations. The Department is in the process of introducing Digital pathology for reporting, but this will not be compulsory.
You will be expected to participate in audit and in relevant EQA schemes. You will also be expected to take part in continuing professional development and annual appraisal (the latter including annual job plan review). Time and funds will be made available by the Trust for attendance of professional and educational meetings etc. and appraisal familiarisation courses are provided in-house. Current study leave entitlement is 30 days over 3 years. Time will be made available for necessary individual preparation to support the annual appraisal procedure. You will share responsibilities with existing consultant staff for the training and supervision of trainee medical staff, and will be required to devote time to these activities on a regular basis. You will be required to undertake administrative duties contributing to the running of the Cellular Pathology Department in co-operation with the Head of Department.
Participation in the autopsy service is not a requirement of this post. Currently, approximately a fifth of the consultant staff undertake Coroners autopsies.
You will have full and specialist registration (and a licence to practise) with the General Medical Council (GMC) or the General Dental Council (GDC) (or be eligible for registration within six months of interview). You will also be expected to hold the FRCPath or an equivalent qualification.
Flexibility:
In line with the Trusts core value of placing patients at the heart of everything we do, we are developing our service provision to be responsive to the needs of our patients. To meet those needs some staff groups will be increasingly asked to work a more flexible work pattern so that they can offer services in the evening or weekend. As a result any offer of employment to a consultant post will be subject to you agreeing to work a new more flexible pattern of working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work.
Person Specification
Education, Qualifications and Specialist Skills
Essential
- Primary Medical Qualification
- Full GMC Registration
- Entry onto the GMC Specialist Register (within 6 months from the date of the AAC)
- Holder of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or within six months of award of CCT or equivalent by date of interview
- FRCPath or equivalent
Desirable
- Higher Degree (MD or PhD)
- Specialist training in Haematopathology
- Specialist training in Renal Pathology
- Specialist training in Cytopathology
Clinical Experience
Essential
- Broad general experience in all diagnostic pathology
- Evidence of experience in Haematopathology, Cytopathology and Renal pathology
- Ability to offer an expert clinical opinion within the speciality
- Ability to take independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients referred to a tertiary centre
Desirable
- Experience in Haematopathology reporting in a SIHMDS
- Experience in Cytopathology and Renal pathology reporting
Management and Administration Experience
Essential
- Involvement with management and project leadership within the specialty
- An understanding of Clinical Governance
Desirable
- Proven management and administrative experience and understanding of management goals
- Evidence of leadership / project management
- Evidence of having implemented change
- Experience in developing and implementing new technologies
Teaching
Essential
- Experience of supervising junior medical staff
- Experience of participation in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
Desirable
- Attendance at courses to develop teaching skills
- Postgraduate qualification in medical education
Research
Essential
- Evidence of involvement in and understanding of research methodology and publication of findings
Desirable
Audit
Essential
- Evidence of participation in audit
Desirable
- Evidence of having changed practice as a result of audit
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Alignment with the Trust's Core & Professional Behaviours
- Flexible approach to service delivery and committed approach to development
- Committed to share in professional, managerial and teaching responsibilities necessary to fulfil the obligations of the Directorate to the Trust and its workforce
- A commitment to personal / unit CPD
- Ability and willingness to work a more flexible pattern of working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work
Person Specification
Education, Qualifications and Specialist Skills
Essential
- Primary Medical Qualification
- Full GMC Registration
- Entry onto the GMC Specialist Register (within 6 months from the date of the AAC)
- Holder of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or within six months of award of CCT or equivalent by date of interview
- FRCPath or equivalent
Desirable
- Higher Degree (MD or PhD)
- Specialist training in Haematopathology
- Specialist training in Renal Pathology
- Specialist training in Cytopathology
Clinical Experience
Essential
- Broad general experience in all diagnostic pathology
- Evidence of experience in Haematopathology, Cytopathology and Renal pathology
- Ability to offer an expert clinical opinion within the speciality
- Ability to take independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients referred to a tertiary centre
Desirable
- Experience in Haematopathology reporting in a SIHMDS
- Experience in Cytopathology and Renal pathology reporting
Management and Administration Experience
Essential
- Involvement with management and project leadership within the specialty
- An understanding of Clinical Governance
Desirable
- Proven management and administrative experience and understanding of management goals
- Evidence of leadership / project management
- Evidence of having implemented change
- Experience in developing and implementing new technologies
Teaching
Essential
- Experience of supervising junior medical staff
- Experience of participation in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching
Desirable
- Attendance at courses to develop teaching skills
- Postgraduate qualification in medical education
Research
Essential
- Evidence of involvement in and understanding of research methodology and publication of findings
Desirable
Audit
Essential
- Evidence of participation in audit
Desirable
- Evidence of having changed practice as a result of audit
Personal Attributes
Essential
- Alignment with the Trust's Core & Professional Behaviours
- Flexible approach to service delivery and committed approach to development
- Committed to share in professional, managerial and teaching responsibilities necessary to fulfil the obligations of the Directorate to the Trust and its workforce
- A commitment to personal / unit CPD
- Ability and willingness to work a more flexible pattern of working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work
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.
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).
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.
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).
