Job summary
We are actively seeking an enthusiastic and driven colleague with a keen interest in Fetal Medicine, alongside a commitment to general obstetrics and gynaecology. Our primary goal is to bolster our specialist services in Fetal Medicine, Complex termination of pregnancy and bereavement services, while simultaneously advancing the Directorate's Quality and Safety strategy.
This post is an integral part of our consultant expansion initiative, aiming to increase our current team of 17 to 20 members. This expansion facilitates the implementation of separate acute obstetric and gynaecological cover from Monday to Friday, as part of our 'hot week' system. Obstetric 'hot weeks' will occur at a frequency of 1 in 22, while gynaecological 'hot weeks' will be scheduled at 1 in 18.
Service provision for Obstetrics is primarily based at the Tunbridge Wells hospital, with Birth Centres adjacent to Maidstone Hospital and in Crowborough. Annually, we deliver just under 6000 babies across the three units. Gynaecology inpatients and most emergencies are managed at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, supplemented by an early pregnancy service. Additionally, we offer a day-case service at Maidstone hospital, with outpatient services available at both locations.
Main duties of the job
The role encompasses approximately 10 Programmed Activities (PAs), consisting of 8.5 Direct Clinical Care (DPA) and 1.5 Supporting Professional Activities (SPA). As a new consultant within the trust, there's an anticipation of gradually integrating additional managerial, educational, and other responsibilities into the role. SPA time offers flexibility for activities supporting professional development and service enhancement, including teaching, audit, educational supervision, and mandatory training, with evidence of delivery expected through annual appraisal.
The new appointee will provide fetal medicine sessions as well as cover for the Delivery Suite, a Maternity Day Assessment unit, maternity triage, weekly caesarean section, and antenatal, postnatal inpatients.Provide expert opinions on patients with a wide range of complex obstetric problems, taking independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients and provide expert opinion for all areas of fetal medicine. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop (further) special interest skills and / may work in specialist clinics at local tertiary fetal medicine unit such as Medway hospital.
About us
The Trust consists of the Tunbridge Wells Hospital and Maidstone Hospital and serves a population of approximately 500,000 people, living in the West Kent and East Sussex areas. The Trust also manages the Kent Cancer Centre at Maidstone and Canterbury.
The Women's Directorate strives for excellence across the service, from our community care to our labour suite and birth centres. We work in collaboration with our local Maternity network, and Maternity Voices Partnership, we are developing our service to provide high quality care and excellence throughout the maternity journey.
Service provision for Obstetrics is based at the Tunbridge Wells hospital with Birth Centres adjacent to Maidstone Hospital and in Crowborough. We deliver approximately 5800 babies per annum across the three units. Gynaecology inpatients and most emergencies are treated at Tunbridge Wells Hospital. We also provide Ambulatory Gynaecology service at Maidstone hospital. Outpatient services are at both hospitals.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To provide clinical commitments in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Interest and experience in Labour ward management is essential.
To contribute to daytime emergency obstetrics and gynaecology cover and contribute to the on-call obstetrics and gynaecology rota. This includes provision of prospective cover for colleagues during annual and study leave and other absences as far as is practicable and clinically safe. The department provides a 7-day service.
To provide oversight and clinical leadership for the fetal medicine service and working with the multidisciplinary team and external agencies in providing evidence-based care in line with national standards.
To assist the Consultant Obstetricians & Gynecologists and Consultant Midwife in the continuing update and training of all staff by contributing to in house PROMPT training
To provide antenatal, intra-partum and postnatal care within the department in close co-operation with colleagues and other specialties.
To provide a high standard of care to any patient for whom you have clinical responsibility. This will include any patients referred to the postholder and cared for by the postholder personally or by members of your team and, in addition, any patients of consultant colleagues when you are covering on-call or for annual leave.
To participate in clinical and other service activities and developments with the aim of ensuring a high standard of patient care across the Trust.
To work in close co-operation with other medical, professional and managerial colleagues, both within and outside the specialty, to provide high quality health care to the Trusts patients, and to contribute to future thinking about the Trusts strategic direction.
To take an active responsibility for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, training and supervision. And that all doctors in training for whom you have supervisory responsibilities undertake delegated clinical tasks that are within their level of competence and knowledge.
To assume responsibility, both personally and corporately with consultant colleagues, for the management of junior medical staff. You are expected to be involved in their professional development, both clinical and personal as per guidance from HEEKSS and GMC.
To ensure at all times that the postholder comply with the General Medical Councils published guide Good Medical Practice including the Duties of a Doctor.
To take personal responsibility for risk management in your work and undertake to review practices and learn from mistakes.
To ensure that you respond promptly and efficiently to all complaints related to any patient care you or your staff have been involved with, assisting the Trusts corporate responsibility to reply to complaints within a specified time frame.
To ensure that you develop and maintain effective working relationships with those agencies concerned with the provision of health and social care services and those representing the interests of patients.
To undertake an annual job plan, review as outlined in the Trust Guide to Job Planning.
You are required to take reasonable care for the health and safety of yourself and others who may be affected by what you do while at work. You must adhere to Trust IRMER Regulations.
Person Specification
Management and administrative experience
Essential
- Demonstrate an understanding of the process of structured training, assessment, and appraisal
- Experience of hospital management role.
- Staff management: delegating, appraisal of performance, dealing with poor performance
Desirable
- Attendance at management training course
- Interest in mentoring and coaching
- Ability to share departmental management duties
Qualifications
Essential
- FULL GMC REGISTRATION
- Entry on Specialist Register (CCT or entry expected within 6 months of interview date)
- MRCOG or appropriate specialist registration
- Fetal Medicine foundation certification across a range of obstetric scanning or equivalent.
- ATSM or equivalent in Fetal Medicine
Desirable
- ASTM in Advanced Labour Ward Practice
- Obstetrics Ultrasound training
- ATSM in Benign Gynaecology or equivalent experience
- Skills in Complex TOP
- Experience in Bereavement care
Clinical Experience, Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- Able to perform a full range of Obstetric scanning independently
- Able to run labour ward and on-call acute gynaecology independently
- Ability to take full and independent responsibility for clinical care of patients.
- Ability to integrate within, motivate and provide professional lead in multidisciplinary team
- Experience in setting up an MDT
Desirable
- Experience of working in a Fetal Medicine unit.
- Training in breaking bad news or equivalent raining.
- Experience of clinical governance
- Clinical research in the fields of special interest
- Demonstrate ideas for innovation and research
- Experience in Clinical Audit and Quality Improvement
- Committed to ongoing CPD and ensuring practice remains up to date
- Demonstrate an ability for self-reflective learning
Teaching/Audit/Quality Improvement
Essential
- Experience of teaching in informal and formal settings
- Experience of acting as a clinical or educational supervisor
- Experience of supervising junior medical staff
- Knowledge and experience of delivery of RCOG training programme
Desirable
- Medical education experience/courses
- Evidence of interest and experience in supporting trainees in difficulty, training in effective delivery of feedback
- Educational supervision of medical students
Personal attributes
Essential
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to lead effectively within a multidisciplinary team
- Good leadership skills
- Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives, GPs, nurses and other agencies
- Enthusiasm and ability to work under pressure
- Supportive and tolerant
- Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team
- Resident 30 minutes of the hospital when on-call
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.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website .
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants .
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website .
Employer details
Employer name
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Address
Tunbridge Wells Hospital
Tunbridge Wells
TN2 4QU