Job overview
We have an exciting opportunity for a fixed-term Consultant to provide maternity leave cover within the Frailty Service.
The role will primarily support our Frailty Ward, covering a minimum of 12 and up to 24 beds as part of a cross-cover arrangement. In addition, the post holder will be expected to contribute to selected sessions within our front-facing services. A draft job plan is included within this advert.
The successful candidate will also participate in the Acute Medical Take (unselected) on an approximately monthly basis, incorporated within the 10 PA job plan. When undertaking on-call duties, all scheduled programmed activities for that day will be cancelled. On-call commitments include a resident shift from 13:00 to 21:00, with non-resident overnight cover provided remotely.
There is also an expectation that the appointee will contribute to the clinical supervision and support of resident doctors.
Although the post is advertised on a full-time basis, we are happy to consider applications for Less-Than Full-Time (LTFT) working.
Please note we do not offer visa sponsorship for roles unless clearly stated in our adverts. This means even if you have the right to work currently but will require a new sponsorship to work for our Trust your application will not be considered.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will be expected to:
* Provide clinical leadership and senior decision-making within the Frailty Service
* Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, including frailty nurse specialists, ACPs, pharmacists, and resident doctors
* Contribute to clinical supervision, teaching, and support of resident doctors
* Participate in service development, quality improvement, and governance activities within the department
* Support the delivery of safe, effective, and patient-centred care in line with Trust values
The post holder will work flexibly across the frailty pathway to support service demands and maintain high standards of patient care.
Working for our organisation
At East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.
We run the following hospitals:
* The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
* New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
* Hertford County, Hertford
* Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood
We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.
We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The post holder will work as part of the multidisciplinary Frailty Service at Lister Hospital, delivering high-quality care to older patients with frailty across both inpatient and front-door settings.
The primary responsibility of the role will be the clinical care of patients on the Frailty Ward, supporting a caseload of approximately 12–24 beds as part of a cross-cover arrangement. The appointee will contribute to the delivery of comprehensive geriatric assessment, ongoing inpatient management, and discharge planning in collaboration with the wider multidisciplinary team.
In addition to ward-based duties, the post holder will be expected to contribute to front-facing frailty services, including assessment and management of patients within the emergency department and admission avoidance pathways, in line with service requirements and the indicative job plan.
The role includes participation in the Acute Medical Take (unselected) on an approximately monthly basis, within the agreed 10 PA job plan. During on-call periods, all other programmed activities will be cancelled. On-call responsibilities include a resident shift between 13:00 and 21:00, with non-resident overnight cover provided remotely.
The post holder will be expected to:
* Provide clinical leadership and senior decision-making within the Frailty Service
* Work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, including frailty nurse specialists, ACPs, pharmacists, and resident doctors
* Contribute to clinical supervision, teaching, and support of resident doctors
* Participate in service development, quality improvement, and governance activities within the department
* Support the delivery of safe, effective, and patient-centred care in line with Trust values
The post holder will work flexibly across the frailty pathway to support service demands and maintain high standards of patient care.
Person specification
Qualifications / Training
Essential criteria
* Hold a current licence to practice from the General Medical Council.
* College Membership (MRCP) or qualification of an equivalent level
Desirable criteria
* Postgraduate degree (or equivalent)
Previous Experience
Essential criteria
* Broad range of experience in Rheumatology
* Experience of supervising undergraduates, doctors in training and other colleagues
* Ability to offer and be accountable for full and independent expert diagnostic opinion
* Can evidence leading on patient safety issues and achieving a change in practice
Desirable criteria
* Demonstrable experience in a Locum Consultant role
Skills
Essential criteria
* Able to evidence engagement with clinical governance and the identification of errors and the learning from errors.
Desirable criteria
* Evidence engagement with appraisal and revalidation