Guardian of Safe Working Hours

Job description

Job responsibilities

The guardian will:

1. Act as the champion of safe working hours for doctors in approved training programmes and ensure that action is taken to ensure that the working hours within the trust are safe.

2. Provide assurance to the trust board that doctors are safely rostered and are working hours that are safe and in compliance with the TCS.

3. Record and monitor compliance with the restrictions on working hours stipulated in the TCS, through receipt and review of all exception reports in respect of safe working hours.

4. Ensure that exception reports regarding training hours, as set out I the work schedule, are sent to the DME or equivalent officer.

5. Work in collaboration with the DME and the LNC to ensure that the identified issues within exception reports concerning both working hours and training hours are properly addressed by the employer and/or host organisation.

6. Escalate issues in relation to working hours raised in exception reports to the hospital management board for decisions where these have not been addressed at a local level.

7. Require a work schedule review to be undertaken where there are regular or persistent breaches in safe working hours which have not been addressed.

8. Directly receive exception reports where there are immediate or serious risks to safety and ensure that the organisation at a local level has addressed the concerns that led to the exception report. Where this is not addressed within the timescales identified in Schedule 5, and the guardian deems it appropriate, the guardian will raise this with the executive of the employing and/or host organisation.

9. Review the reports received when a manager does not authorize payment for hours worked beyond those described in the work schedule in order to secure patient safety and recommend action where appropriate.

10. Have the authority to intervene in any instance where the guardian feels the safety of patients and/or doctors is compromised, or that issues are not being resolved satisfactorily.

11. Distribute monies received as a consequence of financial penalties to improve the training and working experience of all doctors. Examples may include and should not be limited to:

IT systems

Facilitating study leave

Rest facilities

Handover systems

Expertise in rota design

Service improvement projects

Examination/course/professional support

Role redesign pilots

Staff engagement

Library facilities

Corporate journal subscriptions.

12. Prepare, not less than quarterly, a report for the trust board which summarizes all exception reports, work schedule reviews and rota gaps, and provides assurance on compliance with safe working hours by both the employer and doctors in approved training programmes.

13. Prepare, no less than annually, a plan for improvement on rota gaps and submit the plan in a statement in the Trusts Quality Account, which will also need to be signed off by the Trusts Chief Executive.

14. Submit details of the disbursement of fines for inclusion in the organizations annual report, including clear detail of where fines have been spent.

15. To chair the resident doctors forum (or fora) to include relevant representatives from the LNC, including the chair, and other elected resident doctor members, to provide quality assurance of safe working practice and scrutinise the distribution of fines.

16. Oversee all diversity and equality issues associated with ensuring safe working practices. This will include liaison with the Director of Medical Education to ensure that a member of the educational faculty in the Trust is designated as a champion for flexible training.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified medical professional and membership of the GMC Specialist Register

Experience

Essential

• Minimum consultant level or equivalent senior medical level

Skills

Essential

• Knowledge and understanding of TCS of doctors in training
• Knowledge and understanding of Working Time Regulations and safe working patterns and rotas for doctors in training
• Facilitation, interpersonal, mediation and negotiation skills in order to promote medical and dental education and challenge practice within the LETB
• Ability to manage budget
• Proven ability in leadership to achieve goals, manage change and deal with constraints
• Ability to act as an effective champion for safe working

Desirable

• Knowledge of recent developments in medical education and of key issues

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

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Kingsway

Derby

DE22 3LZ

Employer's website

http://www.derbyshirehealthcareft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)