Job responsibilities
We are looking for a dynamic and enthusiastic colleague to join our team in the provision of gastroenterology services. You will provide outpatient, inpatient and endoscopic gastroenterology services.
This is a full-time position but candidates wishing to work part-time or in a job-share are encouraged to apply. If a part-time or job-share person is appointed, modification of the job plan will be discussed with the appointee on a personal basis.
A special interest in Gastroenterology can be at a general or hepatology level. You would normally have clinical responsibility for a number of outpatient and inpatient gastroenterological patients.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POST
- Provision of a high-quality comprehensive district general hospital gastroenterology service including endoscopy with responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, and the proper functioning of the service.
- Participate fully in the ongoing development of the gastroenterology service, in line with national and NICE frameworks.
- Professional supervision and management of junior medical staff including the observance of local employment and human resource policies and procedures
- Responsibilities for carrying out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and contributing to undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education activity, locally and nationally.
- Engage in medical audit and other clinical effectiveness activities, in particular the Trusts Clinical Governance processes, fostering improvements in quality and standards.
- CPD is provided in job plans and attendance at audit and other governance meetings is mandatory
- Cover for colleagues' annual leave and other authorised absences
- The post holder must at all times carry out his/her duties with due regard to the Trusts Equal Opportunities Policy
- It is the responsibility of all employees to comply with Trust Health and Safety policies and maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors, and staff
- All employees have an individual responsibility to have a knowledge of and employ the basic principles of infection control practice and to ensure adherence to the requirements in the Infection Control Manual
- In line with GMC Good Medical Practice, it is the responsibility of the postholder to ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with current quality initiatives within the area of work
- All staff who have access to or transfer data are responsible for that data and must respect confidentiality and comply with the requirement of the Data Protection Act 1998, in line with the Trusts policies; The post holder is responsible for data quality and complying with the policies, procedures and accountability arrangements throughout the Trust for maintaining accuracy and probity in the recording of the Trusts activities:
- The post holder is expected to comply with Trust policies and procedures
- Staff are required to comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in line with Trust Policy
- To participate in the 1 in 11 Consultant general medical emergency on-call rota to include cover for colleagues annual leave and other authorised absences. The weekday on-calls require the Consultant to be available between 2000-0800 for advice and to come in if required. The evening and morning weekday ward rounds are undertaken by the Acute Physicians. Weekends requires the on-call Consultant to perform a morning and evening ward round
- Any other duties which may be required from time to time. Every post holder can make a difference to a patients experience. You will come across patients as you walk around the hospital; we rely on all our staff to be helpful, kind, and courteous to patients, visitors, and each other.
The Gastroenterology Service
The Gastroenterology Service provides general and sub-specialty outpatient and inpatient care for gastroenterology and hepatology including suspected cancers, as well as providing diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopies and an in hours bleed service.
There are weekly MDTs for hepatobiliary and upper GI cancers with close links to Southampton General Hospital, which is the regional centre for upper GI and hepatobiliary cancer. The Out of Hours (OOH) Endoscopy service is commissioned through Southampton General Hospital in accordance with their OOH endoscopy criteria.
This is an exciting time to join the team at St. Marys Hospital. There are plans to develop services utilising the advantages of being a small district general hospital, the uniqueness of being part of an integrated Trust, with the best practice of others locally, in particular within the Acute Partnership with Portsmouth University Hospitals Trust, as well as national guidance; this is focused at both general and sub-specialty levels.
We benefit from a JAG accredited modern endoscopy unit which carries out diagnostic and therapeutic gastroscopy, colonoscopy and ERCP, including treatments of bleeding lesions, variceal banding, oesophageal and biliary stenting and biliary stone removal. Bowel Cancer screening is also undertaken.
Activity levels for 2020/21 (impacted by Covid and consultant vacancies) are as follows:
Outpatient referrals
1,200
News
800
Follow ups
800
New to follow up ratio
1:0
Endoscopic procedures
480
Outpatient clinics include approximately 6 new or 9 follow up patients, and Consultants hold 3 clinics per week. Endoscopy lists are 10 points and consultants attend 2 per week. Inpatients seen can vary between 4 and 8 on Whippingham Ward and a further 3-5 inpatient referrals from other consultants/wards each day.
The Gastroenterology team currently includes one Consultant (not including this vacancy with plans to expand), one specialist Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) nurse (with plans for further recruitment), and two part-time hepatology nurses, working alongside upper GI cancer nurse specialists and an endoscopy team.
The Gastroenterology Service is supported by 2 middle grades, an FY2 and an FY1 on Whippingham Ward, alongside a team of general medicine junior doctors.
The Job Plan:
The job plan will be a prospective agreement that sets out the Consultants duties, responsibilities, and objectives for the coming year. It will cover all aspects of the 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 include personal objectives including details of their link to wider service objectives and details of the support required by the Consultant to fulfil the job plan and the objectives.
Programmed Activities in Job Plan
Direct Clinical Care (includes clinical activity, clinical related activity, unpredictable emergency work) 8 PAs on average per week.
Supporting Professional Activities (SPA) (includes CPD, audit, teaching and research) 1.5 SPA for core activities with additional 0.5 PA allocated for additional roles to be agreed with Care Group Director.
The provisional timetable represents a job plan consisting of 10-programmed activities (PAs) per week. The actual number of PAs and personal Job Plan objectives will be agreed between the Consultant and Care Group Director.
Standard endoscopy lists will normally include 10 points of activity. The Job Plan will be reviewed at 3 months and conducted annually thereafter by the Care Group Director.
On the ward the post holder will be responsible for gastroenterology inpatient beds (averaging 5 to 10), and patients referred for an opinion from other consultants and wards requiring prompt review. This duty will be shared month on / month off with one other gastroenterologist (subject to recruitment to the two vacancies). The consultants will cover each other for times of leave as per the on-ward timetable below.
On Call:
There will be an option for a general medicine on-call commitments as part of 1 in 11 rota with the appropriate Category A and low frequency with 3% payable. Any on-call allocation of 1.0 PA which will be in addition to the 10 PA job plan. The on call is covered by the MAU Consultants 8am-5pm Monday to Friday, so the Consultant will only take over the on call from 5pm to 8am during a weekday on call. The Consultant will work a 1 in 11 weekend and come in for a post take ward round on both Saturday and Sunday morning when on call.
Review:
The Clinical Director will review this work programme at the start of this appointment to ensure consistency with other colleagues timetables.
Mentoring:
An individual mentoring programme will be developed to provide ongoing assistance, support and development in the role.
Appraisal and Revalidation:
The Trust has the required arrangements in place, as laid down by the Royal College of Physicians, to ensure that all doctors have an annual appraisal with a trained appraiser and supports doctors going through the revalidation process.
