Specialist Doctor - Acute Medicine

Job summary

The Acute Medical Unit at Royal Lancaster Infirmary prides itself on the level of care it provides to its patients.

This post-holder has the opportunity to contribute to the further development of an established, but developing service. The post will suit candidates who are passionate about General Internal and Acute Medicine and are motivated to manage patients efficiently. In this role, you will be able to arrive at a diagnosis quickly and make safe and effective discharge decisions, utilising the safety net of review via the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit.

This department manages a newly purposed SDEC unit, alongside the acute inpatient facility, and works closely with colleagues in Emergency Medicine and other specialties in order to deliver excellent patient care in the right place and avoid hospital admissions whenever possible.

There is an emphasis on the ability of the team to excel as care providers and clinical decision makers, with patient safety at the forefront of everything. This applies across all levels of staff on the unit and is demonstrated by an active programme to develop Advanced Nurse Practitioners who remain as part of the permanent staff and embed the culture of the team.

Main duties of the job

Working independently to provide efficient medical diagnosis and care of patients admitted to the Acute Medical Unit, or the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit, as well as supporting the Emergency Department with medical reviews as may be required from time to time.

Conducting Ward Rounds in a timely manner, ensuring all electronic documentation is completed in line with Trust policy and procedures, including e-Prescribing, Patient Records and Patient Discharge Letters. The Trust operates a fully electronic patient record system.

The successful appointee will be expected to:

• Provide care for acutely unwell medical patients
• Contribute to service development and quality improvement
• Provide care for patients seen on the SDEC Unit, as required
• Provide leadership and work as part of our team
• Support colleagues as required across the Care Group

You will ensure, with colleagues, that the department provides an effective service across 7 days a week, within national and local standards.

You will join in the running of the Department, and share the management of patients under the care of the team, in order to help achieve national key performance indicators relevant to Acute medicine.

The appointment will be for 10 programmed activity sessions. The number of programmed activities may be negotiated down or up.

On Call arrangements may be negotiated.

About us

We operate from three main hospitals - Furness General Hospital (FGH) in Barrow, the Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI), and Westmorland General Hospital (WGH) in Kendal, as well as a number of community health care premises including Millom Hospital and GP Practice, Queen Victoria Hospital in Morecambe, and Ulverston Community Health Centre.

FGH and the RLI have a range of General Hospital services, with full Emergency Departments, Critical/Coronary Care units and various Consultant-led services.

WGH provides a range of General Hospital services, together with an Urgent Treatment Centre, that can help with a range of non-life threatening conditions such as broken bones and minor illnesses.

All three main hospitals provide a range of planned care including outpatients, diagnostics, therapies, day case and inpatient surgery. In addition, a range of local outreach services and diagnostics are provided from community facilities across Morecambe Bay