Job overview
The successful candidate will provide outpatient clinics at the PRH and RSCH. The rheumatology department at RSCH has recently been relocated to the new, state of the art Louisa Martindale building (LMB). Specialist clinics within the department are provided in Connective Tissue Disease, Vasculitis, Osteoporosis, Early Inflammatory Arthritis, Sero-negative Inflammatory Arthritis, Adolescent and combined Ophthalmology clinics. This job encourages an interest on Connective Tissue Disease and vasculitis.
Main duties of the job
Day to day care of Rheumatology outpatients & liaising with associated medical teams with regards to the rheumatological care of inpatients. Full-time working and participation in a 1:5 daytime rota for inpatient ward referrals, advice and guidance emails and referrals triage. Teaching and training of Resident Doctors from KSS Deanery and medical students from BSMS.
Working for our organisation
At UHSussex (UHSx), diversity is our strength, & we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness & experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, & can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) & a Veteran Aware Trust.
We treat our patients & staff with the same compassion & empathy we expect for ourselves. We’re here for them when they need us, and we go above & beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our candidate information pack & wellbeing programme, for staff which is extensive & designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.
As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching & training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us & throughout your career we will help you to grow & develop. We hope that in choosing UHSx you are choosing a long & happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make & feel valued for all that you do.
We look forward to receiving your application & the start of your journey with UHSx.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This is a 10PA newly created consultant post to facilitate service demands and has been created to support consultant rheumatology services across the department, particularly CTD/vasculitis, being designed to allow the successful candidate scope to develop a specialist interest. Clinical supervision of a rheumatology SpR, clinical supervision of nursing staff and rheumatology pharmacist and teaching of medical students is also expected. Clinical research is provided at the Clinical Investigation and Research Unit (CIRU) on the RSCH site. There are several on-going clinical trials to which the successful candidate could contribute. Dedicated time for these activities is given in the job plan. The successful candidate would be expected to do 4 clinics per week. General outpatient templates are standardised to a maximum of 3 new patients and 6 follow up patients OR 10 follow up patients with 30 minutes allocated for a new patient and 20 minutes for follow up patients. For specialist CTD clinics there are 40 minutes allocated for a new patient and 20 minutes for follow up patients. There are currently no designated inpatient beds for Rheumatology. Patients admitted remain under the acute admitting physician but with daily input from the Rheumatology SpR and consultant of the day. A 1:5 consultant rota for daytime Rheumatology on call/ward referrals is currently in place for which 1PA/week is allocated. Clinical supervision of specialist registrars & advanced practitioners and teaching of medical students is expected. Triaging of referrals, response to advice and guidance via emails and via ERS online portal, homecare drug prescribing and communication with patients, GPs and other specialists is distributed amongst consultant colleagues and included in job planning, accordingly. Attendance at departmental and governance meetings and engagement with departmental audit and service improvement plans are expected within the SPA allocation of the post. We have a strong link with the medical school and there will be a teaching commitment to the 4th year medical student musculoskeletal module and other opportunities to help with Student Selected Components, and 4th year “Individual Research Projects”. The successful candidate may want to participate in further Medical School teaching programmes after discussion with the department and as part of the job planning exercise with opportunity to apply for an Honorary Senior Lecturer role. The clinical investigation research unit (CIRU) has state of the art equipment and staff who can co-ordinate and conduct clinical trials. The post holder will be expected to clinically assess patients who have been entered into clinical trials. The post holder will be expected to engage with the managerial responsibilities of the department. An active role in departmental clinical governance and attendance at governance meetings will be expected. The Trust actively recruits and trains appraisers and this could be incorporated into the job plan if the successful candidate has an interest.
The post holder will maintain his/her own personal development through
1. Maintaining a high level of specialist knowledge in Rheumatology and extend his/her professional management knowledge and skills
2. Fulfilling the relevant commitment to continuing medical education
3. Actively participating in clinical audit
4. Encouraging research within the speciality
5. The opportunity to develop a subspecialty interest
Please see the job description and person specification attached to the advert for further details of the post.
Interviews are tentatively planned to take place on DATE and applicants will be informed of any changes accordingly.
Person specification
Qualifications and Experience
Essential criteria
6. •Basic medical degree
7. •MCRP UK or its recognised equivalent.
8. •Full and specialist registration (with a licence to practise) with the GMC or be eligible for registration within six months of the interview. • If you trained in the UK, you must also have a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in Rheumatology or be within six months of receiving it by the interview date. • If you trained outside the UK, you must provide evidence that your qualifications are equivalent to the UK CCT. (Equivalence must be confirmed by GMC by date of AAC)
Desirable criteria
9. •Higher Degree
10. •MSc Rheumatology
11. •PhD Rheumatology
Clinical Skills and Experience
Essential criteria
12. •Evidence of advanced skills in management of general rheumatology and rare autoimmune rheumatic conditions.
13. •Understanding of clinical risk management
Desirable criteria
14. •Accredited Clinical & Educational supervision
15. •Broad experience in the management of the GIM condition
Knowledge
Desirable criteria
16. •Breadth of experience in and outside specialty
Teaching Skills
Essential criteria
17. •Evidence of an interest and commitment to teaching
Desirable criteria
18. •Recognised teaching qualification
Organisation and Planning
Essential criteria
19. •Experience and ability to work in multi-professional teams
20. •Understanding of: NHS / Clinical governance / Resource constraints
Desirable criteria
21. •Evidence of managerial skills: Achievements / Course attended
Academic and Research
Essential criteria
22. •Evidence of participation in audit
Desirable criteria
23. •Research experience
24. •Publications
25. •Prizes and honours
Career Progression
Essential criteria
26. •Appropriate progression of career to date
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
27. •Evidence of:- Good communication skills both
Important information for applicants:
A Note on AI Use in Applications
We value the individuality and authenticity that each candidate brings to the application process. While AI tools are increasingly accessible, we strongly discourage their use in completing your application. Your responses should reflect your own voice, experiences, and motivations—elements that are essential to a fair and accurate evaluation.
Applications that rely heavily on AI-generated content may misrepresent your abilities and could result in your application being rejected. We encourage you to take the time to present your genuine self, as this helps us better understand your potential and ensures a transparent selection process.
Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.
Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.
Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.
DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check. We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.
Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.
UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications