The successful applicant(s) will join the current team of 9 consultants and 2 SAS Doctors, working in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) within the Southwest Neonatal Operational Delivery Network. The service undertakes approximately 3500 Intensive Care and High Dependency Care days and in around 4500 Special / Transitional Care days per year. The service benefits from a team of 1 Nurse Consultant, 9 ANNPs, 6 ENNPs as well as a two-tier team of junior medical staff whose cover duties are exclusively to the neonatal service. The unit supports the nursing team to train as Qualified in Speciality (QIS) adhering to BAPM staffing guidance.
The appointee will participate in providing cover to the neonatal service in a week on service model of care, providing consultant delivered care in 4 types of attending weeks in an 8-week cycle (NICU Service, Neonatal Transport and Transitional & Perinatal Care/Medical Education) and on call weeks Mon-Thurs. During attending weeks, other activities will be suspended to allow commitment to the acute daily workload and service needs of those clinical domains. There are opportunities to gain additional experience in neonatal transport by participating in the multi‑centre collaborative on‑call roster for the Southwest Neonatal Advice and Retrieval Service (SoNAR).
Main duties of the job
NICU Service
* The NICU Service Consultant is responsible for the day‑to‑day running of the neonatal unit, including morning and afternoon handover ward rounds and supervision of junior medical staff. All admitted patients are allocated to the NICU Service Consultant of the week.
Transitional & Perinatal Care / Medical Education
* The Transitional Care Consultant is responsible for the day‑to‑day running of the transitional care ward, including morning ward rounds and supervision of junior medical staff. Fetal medicine liaison and antenatal counselling services are also provided by this consultant.
Residential and transport responsibilities are described in the detailed job description below.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
NICU Service
* The NICU Service Consultant is responsible for the day‑to‑day running of the neonatal unit, including morning and afternoon handover ward rounds and supervision of junior medical staff. All admitted patients are allocated to the NICU Service Consultant of the week.
Transitional & Perinatal Care / Medical Education
* The Transitional Care Consultant is responsible for the day‑to‑day running of the transitional care ward, including morning ward rounds and supervision of junior medical staff. Fetal medicine liaison and antenatal counselling services are also provided by this consultant. All inborn infants are allocated to the TCW Consultant of the week unless admitted to NICU. Undergraduate medical student teaching, including an end‑of‑week formal feedback session, is delivered by the TCW Consultant, as are the multi‑professional education sessions for the NICU nursing and junior medical staff.
Southwest Neonatal Advice and Retrieval Service (SoNAR)
* The Transport Consultant undertakes telephone liaison with all Peninsula units each morning as well as the SoNAR North Hub to co‑ordinate and undertake neonatal transfers as necessary during working hours Monday to Friday. Out‑of‑hours medical cover is provided from the North Hub.
On Call Week
* The fourth service week consists of Monday‑Thursday on‑call cover resident until after the 9pm NICU ward round and then non‑resident.
Continuing responsibility
* The new consultants will have continuing responsibility for the care of their patients and for the proper functioning of the department. They are expected to embrace a team‑based approach to patient care and parental communication and will share in the provision of cover for consultant colleagues on leave.
Subspecialty interest
* The job plan for the new consultants will include time for the development of a special interest, which will be encouraged and welcomed. Subspecialty interests complementing the department’s existing range are cardiology, respiratory, developmental outcome, nutrition, transport medicine, research and medical education.
Non‑clinical duties
* The new appointees will be expected to take part in non‑clinical activities including training and supervision of junior doctors and other staff, participation in clinical audit, continuing professional development as defined by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, clinical governance, and annual appraisal/revalidation. They will also undertake administrative duties associated with patient care and department running.
Person specification
* Full GMC Registration, Registration on the Specialist Register, CCST/CCT in Paediatrics (Neonatal Medicine) or equivalent qualification overseas OR CCST/CCT in Paediatrics with a minimum of either 3 years post‑core neonatal training in a UK tertiary neonatal centre or 2 years post‑core neonatal training and 1 year of training in an allied specialty. MRCPCH (or equivalent).
* Recent experience and practice in neonatal medicine as a subspecialist. MSc, DM, PhD or equivalent higher degree.
KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE
* Wide neonatal experience including neonatal transport.
* Advanced skills in neonatal medicine.
* NLS provider course (or APLS or equivalent).
* Basic IT skills.
* Valid level 3 safeguarding training.
* Evidence of teaching medical undergraduates, junior doctors, and other health care professionals.
* Evidence of commitment to lifelong learning.
* Evidence of previous management experience.
* Special interest within neonatology.
* Skills in diagnostic and functional neonatal echocardiography.
* Instructor in APLS, NLS, ARNI or EPLS.
* Advanced IT skills.
* Appraisal and assessment training.
* Formal training in education.
* Experience of organising teaching programmes or specific teaching events.
* Completion of management training course.
APTITUDE & ABILITIES
* Ability to coordinate and manage the sick infant who requires transport.
* Understanding of the principles and importance of clinical governance.
* Knowledge and experience of clinical audit, including completed projects.
* Logical, analytical, and self‑critical approach to clinical practice.
* Understanding of research techniques and design, and ability to interpret published results.
* Commitment to practice evidence‑based medicine.
* Formal training in neonatal transport medicine.
* Experience of air transport.
* Formal audit training.
* Ability to demonstrate achievement of change.
* Potential to develop and lead local and network neonatal services.
* Published works in peer‑reviewed journals.
* Ability to supervise research.
* Commitment to continuing research.
DISPOSITION / ATTITUDE / MOTIVATION
* Clear evidence of career progression.
* Leadership skills.
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
* Ability to work as part of a multiprofessional team.
* Ability to prioritise work and manage own time.
* Willingness and enthusiasm to develop special areas and interests.
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