Job summary
This is a rotational speciality doctor post (employed as per the speciality doctor contract) in all the domains of geriatric medicine. The post is based in the acute secondary care and community services across South Devon and is focused on providing consistent high-quality care to frail and older adults living within our catchment.
The specialty doctor (Healthcare of Older People) post will provide the doctor with a breadth of experience in healthcare for older people (HOP), acute and sub acute, geriatric medicine, long term care, and non-acute general internal medicine. There is a specific focus on managing frailty syndromes and common geriatric medicine presentations, with an emphasis on holistic care of the older adult.
This role will offer the opportunity and support to develop appropriate capabilities and experience to apply for a specialist doctor contract post in due course.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will join the existing Healthcare for Older People team at Torbay and South Devon Foundation Trust to provide specialised clinical expertise, expert advice and leadership to patients, carers, and trust staff. The post holder will be working within existing interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams based across services in Torbay and South Devon.
The main responsibilities are to provide effective and appropriate geriatric medical care of inpatients. At times this will mean directly delivering the care, at other taking a more leadership approach of more junior team members.
The domains of practice include acute assessment and participation in the frailty front door services such as same day emergency care and working with frailty intervention team; providing 'middle grade' supervision of inpatient care across a variety of wards (including management of complex dementia, orthogeriatrics, stroke medicine, and community hospital rehab wards); and contributing to outpatient management via clinics and virtual frailty ward.
The post holder will be provided with all the training and supervision required to develop a specialist interest in a specific domain of geriatric medicine (such as stroke medicine, movement disorders or surgical liaison) as agreed with the post holder and wider team.
About us
Why Work With Us
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust is an integrated organisation providing acute health care services from Torbay Hospital, community health services and adult social care. When we formed our integrated care organisation in October 2015 we became the first Trust in England to join up hospital and community care with social care. As one organisation, we are working with our partners to improve the way we deliver safe, high-quality health and social care.
The Trust runs Torbay Hospital as well as four community hospitals, stretching from Dawlish to Brixham. We also provide health and social care to the local population.
We have around 500,000 face-to-face contacts with patients in their homes and communities each year and see over 78,000 people in our Emergency Department annually. We serve a resident population of approximately 286,000 people, plus about 100,000 visitors at any one time during the summer holiday season.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Responsibility for patients and client care
- Practise in a middle grade role (equivalent to registrar grade), with supervision from consultant colleagues, in all areas of geriatric medicine, including frailty, orthogeriatrics, stroke, community, rehabilitation, falls, dementia, delirium, movement disorders, palliative care, nutrition, acute, subacute, and long term geriatric medicine.
- Provide timely and comprehensive assessment and treatment of older people with complex health needs, especially by completing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) alongside multidisciplinary (MDT) colleagues.
- Practise using a patient-centred approach, championing the patients wishes and goals when negotiating investigation and treatment plans.
- Facilitate safe and timely patient discharges using a Home First approach whenever able.
- Work in a variety of settings, for example, geriatric and general medical wards, Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) clinic, general outpatient clinic, community hospitals, domiciliary visits and provide liaison support to other non-geriatric wards.
- Practise and promote a high standard of written and verbal communication with patients, carers, and colleagues.
- Respect patients dignity, ensure confidentiality and work to overcome communication barriers.
- Practise safe prescribing and safe use of medical devices.
- Be aware and comply with legal framework for practice including consent framework, data protection, and equality and diversity.
Responsibility for supervision, leadership and management
- Lead a team of junior doctors and multidisciplinary colleagues, be approachable and a role model.
- Engage with acute, community, and non-geriatric specialty colleagues in a collaborative way.
- Demonstrate an understanding of leadership styles and use this to create effective and successful team relationships.
- Demonstrate the ability to appropriately challenge others, escalating concerns when necessary.
- Engage with annual appraisal, job planning and reviews of performance and progression.
- Post holders will be supervised by a named HOP Consultant available to contact each day as needed.
- Post holders will be allocated a supervisor in each of their clinical posts to discuss development goals and guide learning.
Communication and working relationships
- Deliver regular teaching to junior and MDT colleagues.
- Participate in our departmental medical students teaching programme.
- Supervise junior colleagues and provide on the job training.
- Be involved in assessing and providing formal or informal feedback for colleagues in medical and non-medical roles.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GMC registered medical practitioner
- Meets entry criteria for specialty doctor grade
- Must have completed four years' full time postgraduate employment (or equivalent gained part time or flexibly), at least two of which will be in a specialty training programme or as a fixed term post in a relevant specialty; or have equivalent experience and competencies
- Minimum 1 year post-registration experience in Geriatric medicine
Desirable
- MRCP (UK) or equivalent
- Diploma in Geriatric Medicine
- Diploma in Palliative Care
Knowledge
Essential
- Able to take responsibility for independent management of patients with minimal supervision
- Able to fulfil the requirements of the job plan
- Able to communicate effectively and work well with patients, their relatives and the multidisciplinary team (MDT)
- Progress towards or attainment of Royal College of Physicians exams (MRCP (UK); Geriatric Medicine Specialty Certificate Examination)
Desirable
- Post-registration experience of working in other specialties relevant to Geriatric medicine
- Experience leading an MDT independently
- Participation in research, including literature review to guide clinical practice
- Publications in peer-reviewed journals
- Evidence of service development
- Advanced Life Support (ALS) in date
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
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Torbay Hospital
Lowes Bridge
Torquay
TQ2 7AA