Consultant Rheumatologist
The closing date is 14 April 2026
The Rheumatology unit serves a population in excess of 550,000 across Shropshire, Mid and North Wales and South Cheshire, offering inpatient, day case and out-patient services from RJAH and outreach clinics. It is a friendly, progressive department, recognised by the Trust for its patient-centred approach and high-quality care.
The rheumatology service's main hub is based at Oswestry with MDT satellite clinics in the Acute hospital in Shrewsbury and Community hospitals in Ludlow, Newtown and Powys, and Euston House in Telford.
The Rheumatology Service sees the full range of acute and chronic rheumatological disorders. The bulk of the workload involves the care of people with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, vasculitis, lupus and related inflammatory disorders. There are currently some 600 people on TNF-inhibitors in Shropshire and increasing numbers being treated with rituximab, tocilizumab and other biologic agents. We adhere to the monitoring requirements of the BSR Biologics Register and assessments are carried out by our 7 Nurse Specialists.
Main duties of the job
Clinical Care
* Provision of rheumatology clinical activity, predominantly related to early diagnosis and the ongoing management of inflammatory arthropathies.
* There will be scope for developing an area of special interest.
* Liaise constructively with other healthcare and social care providers to ensure effective inter-specialty and interdisciplinary team working.
* Provision of rheumatology in-reach at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital to see ward referrals.
* The candidate is encouraged to join the medical on-call for inpatients at RJAH which is currently shared between 4 consultants providing supervision to a team of senior middle grade doctors. The on-call does not involve Acute unselected intake and is solely for supervision of the medical issues that arise for the inpatients at RJAH.
* Inpatient admissions are very infrequent in Rheumatology, however in the small number of in-patient admissions there is ample time for the consultant to review in their Patient Administration sessions with the support of the Specialty Doctor.
About us
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic NHS Trust (RJAH) is one of the leading orthopaedic hospitals in the country, with some of the highest levels of staff and patient satisfaction, as well as a strong reputation for research and innovation.
In the National Staff Survey, 74% of our staff would recommend the Trust as a place to work and 92% would recommend the hospital to a friend or relative for treatment.
Joining RJAH is more than just a job - we want our people to have the best opportunities to thrive in their role. We have a range of fantastic staff benefits on offer to everyone who joins RJAH and you'll have access to outstanding professional development opportunities and state-of-the-art facilities.
RJAH has strong links with a range of universities including Staffordshire, Keele, Glyndwr, Chester and Birmingham. The hospital is located on a site outside Oswestry in Oswestry, just off the A5. The nearest train station is in Gobowen, approximately two miles from the hospital. The station is part of the Chester to Birmingham line. We are based in North Shropshire, close to the border with North and Mid Wales. It is one of the most attractive parts of the country, with a rich historic culture and excellent transport links. It offers outstanding opportunities for anyone who enjoys an outdoor lifestyle or is looking to raise a family.
Job responsibilities
Please see attached job description for detailed responsibilities and an example of a proposed job plan.
Qualifications
* Full GMC registration with license to practice and with no restrictions on practice
* Entry on the GMC Specialist Register in Rheumatology, via CCT or Portfolio route, Proposed CCT/CESR date must be within 6 months of interview
* European Community Rights Primary Medical Degree MRCP (or Equivalent)
* Further higher qualification.
* General Internal Medicine
Experience Skills and Competencies
* Currently practicing Demonstrable competency in the management of patients with rheumatic disease and the delivery of those services.
* Wide experience in aspects of rheumatology
* Involvement in the development of, or experience of establishing and developing rheumatology services - in acute and/or community settings.
Training
* Comprehensive general professional training through medical specialties.
* Higher professional training in Rheumatology.
* Community or population based clinical services - organisation and evaluation.
Academic achievement, research and publication. Teaching experience.
* Exposure to research; with some presentation and publication experience.
* Academic training together with research and publication.
* Involvement with assessment, appraisal and postgraduate education. Evidence of a substantive commitment to research e.g. primary research publications in peer reviewed journals
* Demonstrates a critical and enquiring approach to work and acquiring knowledge'
Clinical leadership
* Basic understanding and practice of clinical leadership [with reference to the clinical leadership framework: personal qualities, working with others, managing services, improving services, setting direction] Demonstrates what makes teams work effectively
* Competence, demonstrated through experience, in managing & improving clinical services; setting direction for service developments. Practical experience of clinical service evaluation and review.
Audit and Clinical governance
* Audit used in practice; exposure to clinical governance
* Ability to use a range of IT systems including Microsoft Office.
* Evidence-based practice and guideline development experience.
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.
Address
The RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital and NHS Foundation Trust
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