Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Provision of support to Specialist nursing teams (both community and hospital)

Attendance and presentation at weekly journal club

Attendance and presentation at weekly Teaching/research meeting

The ward team comprises two respiratory consultants (weekly changeover), a sub-specialty clinical fellow, ward registrar and four junior grade doctors.  Osler Chest Unit is a newly refurbished 24 bedded respiratory high care unit with most of the rooms being individual.  We are ably supported by a large team of expert physiotherapists and nurses.   

Our Asthma service is run from the JR Hospital whilst COPD services are run from the Churchill Hospital.

Professor Ian Pavord, Dr Tim Hinks, Dr Nayia Petousi and Dr Andrew Chadwick run a clinical asthma service which undertakes extensive research into the mechanisms underlying asthma.  The service provides a large biological clinic aided by a team of Specialist nurses and research fellows.

Dr Maxine Hardinge runs specialist COPD clinics and works together with the community respiratory nursing team who provide admission avoidance, early discharge, home oxygen and pulmonary rehabilitation. Dr Alastair Moore and our colleagues in Cardiothoracic Surgery providing tertiary level lung volume reduction services via traditional surgery and valves. 

Supervised training will be provided to the post holder as required. Training requirements will be reviewed at start and mid-way though post. It is envisaged that the post-holder will gain significant clinical experience in all aspects of respiratory failure. It will be necessary for the post holder to work closely with the rotational specialist registrar (or equivalent) flexibly to ensure adequate middle grade cover.

Teaching/Research

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust is a teaching hospital Trust, and the post-holder will be required to participate in programmes for teaching clinical students, training junior doctors and in clinical examinations. It is expected that this will be an integral part of every day clinical activity.

There is also potential for the post-holder to become involved in research in airways disease. In addition, our HDU provision incorporates the management of COVID-19 patients with higher oxygen requirements and we have played a very active role in the recruitment of patients to trials of novel COVID therapies as part of National and local studies.

Clinical Governance

The post-holder will participate in all clinical governance activities, including clinical audit, clinical effectiveness, risk management, quality improvement activities as required by the Trusts, and external accrediting bodies.

Personal and Professional Development

The post-holder will be required to keep himself/herself fully up-to-date with their relevant area of practice and to be able to demonstrate this to the satisfaction of the Trusts.   Professional or study leave will be granted at the discretion of the Trusts, in line with the prevailing Terms and Conditions of Service, to support appropriate study, postgraduate training activities, relevant CME courses and other appropriate personal development needs.  

Management

The post-holder will be required to work within the Trusts’ management policies and procedures, both statutory and internal, accepting that the resources available to the Trusts are finite and that all changes in clinical practice or workload, or developments requiring additional resources must have prior agreement with the Trusts. He/she will undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of his /her patients and the running of his/her clinical department under the direction of the lead clinician and/or directorate chair.

Risk Management

The management of risk is the responsibility of everyone and will be achieved within a progressive, honest and open environment.

Staff will be provided with the necessary education, training and support to enable them to meet this responsibility.

Staff should be familiar with the

• Major Incident Policy
• Fire Policy

and should make themselves familiar with the ‘local response’ plan and their role within that response.

Responsibilities for Health & Safety

The post holder is responsible for ensuring that all duties and responsibilities of this post are carried out in compliance with the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974, Statutory Regulations and Trust Policies and Procedures.  This will be supported by the provision of training and specialist advice where required.

Infection Control

Infection Control is everyone’s responsibility. All staff, both clinical and non clinical, are required to adhere to the Trusts’ Infection Prevention and Control Policies and make every effort to maintain high standards of infection control at all times thereby reducing the burden of Healthcare Associated Infections including MRSA.

All staff employed by the OUH have the following key responsibilities:

• Staff must decontaminate their hands prior to and after direct patient contact or contact with the patient’s surroundings.
• Staff members have a duty to attend mandatory infection control training provided for them by the Trust.
• Staff members who develop an infection (other than common colds and illness) that may be transmittable to patients have a duty to contact Occupational Health.

Equality and Diversity

OUH value equality and diversity in employment and in the services we provide.  We are committed to promoting equality and diversity in employment and will keep under review our policies and procedures to ensure that the job-related needs of all staff working in the Trust are recognised.

The Trusts will aim to ensure that all job applicants, employees or clients are treated fairly and valued equally regardless of sex, marital status, domestic circumstances, age, race, colour, disablement, ethnic or national origin, social background or employment status, sexual orientation, religion, beliefs, HIV status, gender reassignment, political affiliation or trade union membership.  Selection for training and development and promotion will be based on the individual’s ability to meet the requirements of the job.

Freedom of Information

The post holder should be aware of the responsibility placed on employees under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and is responsible for helping to ensure that the Trusts comply with the Act when handling or dealing with any information relating to Trust activity.

Patient and Public Involvement

Both Trusts are committed to, and have a statutory duty to, involving service users, carers and the public in the work of the organisations.  We consider that patient and public involvement is the responsibility of every individual working for our Trusts.  All staff have a responsibility to listen to the views of patients and to contribute to service improvements based on patient feedback.  You will be expected to support the Trusts in this aim through your working practice.

Serious Untoward Incidents

There is a culture of encouraging all staff to report incidents and near misses so that the Trusts can reduce the risk of harm by investigating and incorporating risk reducing measures to safe guard patients, visitors and staff, in accordance with the Trusts’ Incident Reporting Policies.

Children’s Rights

The post holder will endeavour at all times to uphold the rights of children and young people in accordance with the UN Convention Rights of the Child.

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

The Trusts are committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults throughout the organisation. As a member of the trust there is a duty to assist in protecting patients and their families from any from of harm when they are vulnerable.

Information Governance

You must maintain a Trust email account.  All staff must complete annual information governance training which can be completed on-line. For further details, go to the Information Governance intranet site: http://OUH.oxnet.nhs.uk/InformationGovernance/Pages/Default.aspx

General

The post-holder will assume a continuing responsibility for the care of patients in his/her charge and the proper functioning of his/her department.