Consultant in Emergency Medicine

Job responsibilities

The ED sees over 110,000 cases per year a further 52,000 are streamed from the front door to the adjacent GP led Urgent Clinic. Our proportion of minor illness is much lower than in many other EDs, thus our incidence of pathology is proportionately higher. Around 25% of our workload is paediatric.

There are ongoing works to upgrade and rebuild parts of the hospital site, including redesigning an Acute Services Block and a large expansion of the ED due to complete in Summer 2023. There are also plans to build an on-site helipad.

The hospital command & control centre is within the ED and gives us opportunity to influence the Trust wide response to patient flow. The Emergency Admissions Unit and Same Day Emergency Care area is co-located within our footprint, and is staffed by Acute Physicians and on-call general physicians. This provides 7 day consultant physician presence and promotes effective collaboration with specialty teams. The department has access to all the equipment and resources you would expect in order to provide a high standard of Emergency Medicine.

The Department consists of 12 Consultants, 7 Specialty Doctors, 9 Specialty Trainees (ST3-6 level), 5 GPVTS, 3 ACCS, 4 FY2, and 27 Clinical Fellows (ST1-6 equivalent).

The pattern of work will cover duties on an annualised shift basis including weekends. The on calls will be shared amongst the Consultants the rota provides internal cover for annual and study leave according to the RCEM guidelines. Specialty specific roles include:

The clinical assessment, resuscitation and timely onward referral, admission or discharge of all types of patients attending the Emergency Department. Consultants are expected to be based on the shop floor when scheduled for DCC Programmed Activities.

To provide professional and effective leadership and to be immediately available to give a Consultant opinion, guidance and advice on any patient seen in the Emergency Department when scheduled for clinical duty.

To supervise junior ED medical staff during working hours.

Share the clinical responsibility for the Emergency Department review clinics and management of Head Injured inpatients.

There will be a clear handover of clinical commitment to another consultant on those occasions where a consultant scheduled for DCC shift needs to attend a meeting, in order to pre-empt tensions between Direct Clinical Care (DCC) and Supporting Professional Activity (SPA).

The allocation of programmed activities will be based on 7.5 for direct clinical care and 1.5 for supporting professional activities. The detailed job plans will be agreed in consultation with the Clinical Director, with the approval of the Medical Director and Chief Executive or his/ her representative.

The job plans will be a prospective agreement that sets out a consultants duties, responsibilities and objectives for the coming year. It will cover all aspects of a consultants professional practice including clinical work, teaching, research, education and managerial responsibilities. It will provide a clear schedule of commitments, both internal and external. In addition, it will provide personal objectives, including details of links to wider service objectives, and details of the support required by the consultant to fulfil the job plan and the objectives.

The pattern of work may change in the future to meet local changing needs and annual review meetings will take place in line with the new Consultant Contract, job planning and appraisal arrangements.

The Luton and Dunstable University Hospital (L&D) has always been renowned for its friendly atmosphere and good working relationships. The Hospital has an excellent track record of financial and senior executive stability.

The Trust has University Hospital status which provides an academic environment to the hospital. In addition to postgraduate training, we welcome medical students from the UCL Medical School throughout the year and by arrangement with the medical school provide a programme of clinical placements to support their education. We have an excellent reputation for junior staff training. Within the Centre of Multi-Professional Educational & Training (COMET) is the Medical Education Department, the library including an IT suite, and the Training & Development Department. The main aim of the Medical Education Department is to promote postgraduate and continuing medical education and training for all doctors and dentists. The Hospital actively promotes career development and progression for all staff.

The Hospital has excellent access to the surrounding areas with easy access to central London and the rural Chilterns. The rural areas include many attractive villages and towns within easy reach of the Hospital including St Albans and Harpenden. Excellent schools are found nearby. There is also very good access to the Midlands and North by road using the M1 or A1, or by rail to one of the Lutons three stations. A direct link using the new Busway takes passengers from Luton Train station just 7 minutes to reach a stop that is within a short walking distance of the hospital. London Luton Airport is within fifteen minutes of the hospital.

Applicants must be fully registered on the UK General Medical Councils Specialist Register and have MRCP. Specialist Registrars may apply if within 6 months of CCT.

Candidates unable for personal reasons to work full-time are also invited to apply.

The appointment will be subject to full Occupational Health Clearance and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check for the successful candidates prior to commencement.

Please note that all shortlisted candidates will be required to attend a pre-interview assessment process and thereafter successful applicants will be invited to interview for the post.

Closing Date: 28th March 2025

Assessment Date: 15th May 2025

Interview Date: 6th June 2025

Please refer to the Job Description for full details of the post.

Qualifications

Essential

• Medical Degree
• MB ChB or Equivalent
• FRCEM (UK) or equivalent
• Valid ATLS, ALS, APLS or equivalent

Desirable

• MD or equivalent Higher Degree or evidence of relevant research
• Other relevant post-graduate qualifications e.g. DipIMC
• Instructor Status in ATLS, ALS, APLS or equivalent.

Registration

Essential

• Full GMC Registration (GMC Licence to Practice is mandatory before employment commences)
• Entry onto the GMC Specialist Register:
• CCT (or within 6 months of receipt of CCT at time of interview)
• CESR (must be on Specialist Register at time of applying)

Desirable

• Eligibility to enter the GMC Specialist Register in Emergency Medicine within 3 months from the time of interview and hold a Licence to Practice

Clinical Experience

Essential

• Excellent all round experience of DGH work
• Evidence of thorough and broad training and experience in Emergency Medicine. Able to offer expert clinical opinion on all aspects within Emergency Medicine.
• Able to take full and independent responsibility for clinical work and delivering service without direct supervision
• Substantive work in UK EM practice at senior decision maker level
• Able to provide ED shop floor leadership and supervision

Desirable

• Evidence of shopfloor supervision training e.g. RCEM ESLE

Clincial Effectiveness

Essential

• Understanding of clinical governance and ability to demonstrate ongoing CPD
• Experience of guideline appraisal
• Participation in relevant local audits
• Ability to interpret and apply clinical research
• Ability to undertake EM relevant project work and liaise with specialties

Desirable

• Participation in relevant national audits
• Evidence of implementing relevant evidence based medicine
• Implementation of evidence based guidelines
• Participation in relevant national audit
• Recent published clinical research in peer reviewed journal
• Evidence of strategic work e.g. contribution to planning and policy development
• Ability to deliver change

Teaching

Essential

• Knowledge and ability to teach all grades of medical and clinical staff, including ACP's, paramedics, nurses, PA's and ENP's
• Understands learner centred teaching

Desirable

• Has attended Teaching the Teachers or similar course
• Postgraduate training in clinical education

Professional interest

Essential

• Evidence of professional interests relevant to EM practice
• Has a thorough knowledge and understanding of "Good Medical Practice" from the GMC

Desirable

• RCEM level 1 accreditation in EM ultrasound

Personal Skills

Essential

• Ability to co-operate in a democratic team environment
• Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Flexible attitude, team player with good management skills
• Leadership Skills
• Able to provide senior EM clinical skills and leadership as described by the RCEM curriculum
• Able to organise and prioritise workload
• An understanding of accountability for patient care
• Evidence of management experience or training
• Time management skills
• IT literacy

Desirable

• Ability to share departmental management duties e.g. staff rotas

Clinical Governance

Essential

• Able to demonstrate a broad understanding of the principles and elements of clinical governance
• Understanding of patient safety and risk management

Personal Circumstances

Essential

• Caring, honest and reliable
• Able to foster good working relations with staff
• Excellent verbal and written skills in English
• A shared ethos and to values of the Trust
• Able and willing to work with consultant colleagues in equitable sharing of clinical, non-clinical and on-call duties
• Residence within 10 miles by road or up to thirty minutes travelling time of the hospital for purposes of on-call emergencies
• Fit to undertake the role with satisfactory Occupational Health clearance
• Satisfactory DBS clearance

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).