Applications are invited for a Consultant in Acute Medicine at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust based within the Acute Medical Unit (AMU). This is a permanent contract.
The AMU is a busy, varied and fast paced and friendly environment. The consultants are supported by a wider multidisciplinary team including specialist registrars, advanced clinical practitioners, physician associates and nursing staff. As a consultant within the AMU you will be expected to provide comprehensive and timely assessment of patients presenting to the AMU, including to the acute assessment unit, short stay ward and Same Day Emergency Care.
The successful candidate will join the existing team of AMU consultants, and there is the opportunity to have allocated sessions for other specialist interests.
Interviews to be held on Friday the 6th March 2026
Main duties of the job
To join the existing Acute Medical Consultants in providing a comprehensive and timely assessment of patients presenting to the Acute Medical Unit (AMU).
Responsibilities include ward rounds on the short stay ward, review of patients within the Acute Assessment Unit and Same Day Emergency Care.
To participate in teaching and training of junior staff, medical students, and Advanced Nurse / Clinical Practitioners based on the AMU.
To participate actively in both Departmental and Trust Clinical Governance and Audit.
Successful candidates with a specialist interest may be able to provide specialist activity up to 3 sessions per week.
About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community
We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.
The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.
Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.
We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.
With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.>
We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.
Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?
Job responsibilities
The AMU assesses around approximately 1,000 medical patients per month. There is provision for single-sex accommodation. The AMU comprises of AAU and a Short Stay Ward. AAU includes a dedicated assessment area and Ambulatory Emergency Care. Within the AAU there is 5 monitored trollies where we provide level 2 care. Recently, we have established a Cardiology Clinic within our Ambulatory Care where the Cardiologist provides a review clinic for AMU patients. Short stay wardis currently located in F7 which admits patients whose length of stay is less than 72 hours. There is a regular monthly AMU operational meeting, attended by all members of the multidisciplinary team. The operational policy has been agreed by the Trust.
The AMU is working with other members of the trust to increase the number of ambulatory care pathways. This will be supported by the assimilation of community services under the umbrella of the acute trust. The unit works closely with the existing community services, including the Early Intervention Team, rapid response team and Suffolk COPD services to avoid unnecessary admissions wherever possible. The team have also worked with the local practice-based commissioning group to redesign the pathway for patients with suspected DVT, which was launched in early July 2010. The new pathway means that the GP performs the initial clinicalassessment and gives the first dose of anticoagulation, so that the patient has to attend DVT clinic the following day for a booked assessment and ultrasound scan. This is currently under review with an intention to run the service with a specialist nurse.
Person Specification
Qualifications and Specialist Training
* Entry on the GMC Specialist Register in General (Internal) Medicine or Acute Medicine and hold a licence to practise or be eligible for entry onto the Register (within six months of receipt of Certificate of Completion of Training) at time of interview
* MRCP or equivalent
* Full GMC registration with a licence to practise
* MD or PhD
Experience and Clinical Expertise
* Completion of supervised training in an appropriate SpR training programme or equivalent to that required for gaining UK CCT.
* Ability to offer expert clinical opinion on a range of problems in adult general/ emergency medicine
* Ability to take full and independent responsibility for clinical care of patients
Management and Audit Experience
* Ability to advise on efficient and smooth running of the Emergency Medicine service
* Ability to manage and lead a multidisciplinary team
* Ability to contribute to the development of services
* Experience of clinical governance and audit management
* Ability and willingness to work within the Trust and NHS performance framework and targets
Teaching Experience
* Experience of supervising FY1s, FY2s, ST1s, ST2s, ST3+s and SpRs
* Experience of workplace-based assessment
* Ability to teach clinical skills to students and trainees
* Experience of teaching basic clinical skills to undergraduates
* Experience of teaching other professional groups
Research Experience
* Ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems
* Experience of conducting research projects
* Publications inpeer- reviewed journals
Other Attributes
* Ability to workflexible within a multidisciplinary team
* Good inter-personal skills
* Enquiring, critical and reflective approach to workCaring attitude to patients
* Ability to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, GPs, Nurses and other agencies.
* Commitment to Continuing Medical Education and the requirements of Clinical Governance and Audit
* All applicants to have demonstrable skills in written and spoken English that are adequate to enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues which could be demonstrated by one of the following: - - PLAB 1 - PLAB 2 If applicants believe that they have adequate communication skills, but do not fit into one of the examples they need to provide evidence.
* Ability to travel to rural locations.
Language and Communication Skills
* Ability to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, GPs, Nurses and other agencies
* Commitment to Continuing Medical Education and the requirements of Clinical Governance and Audit
* All applicants to have demonstrable skills in written and spoken English that are adequate to enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues which could be demonstrated by one of the following:- -PLAB2 If applicants believe that they have adequate communication skills, but do not fit into one of the examples they need to provide evidence
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.
£109,725 to £145,478 a yearPro Rata Per Annum
#J-18808-Ljbffr