Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Location

The principal places of work for this post are Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital. Other work locations, including off site working at Cirencester, Stroud, and Tewksbury may be agreed in the post-holder’s Job Plan where appropriate. The post-holder will generally be expected to undertake their Programmed Activities at the principal place of work or other locations agreed in the Job Plan. Exceptions will include travelling between work sites and attending official meetings away from the workplace. On-call provision will require the post-holder to work at Gloucester Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals. You may be required to work at any site within the Trust, including new sites.

Clinical responsibilities

The post holder will provide:

• 6 clinical Anaesthetic sessions a week and share responsibility for the delivery of high quality care to patients presenting for surgery.
• Undertake consultant cover for weekday nights and weekends for theatres/maternity as part of the 1 in 12 rota. Ultimately as a trust employee elective and/or on call duties may have to be undertaken on either or both the Gloucester or Cheltenham sites.
• Support for the clinical decision making of junior medical and nursing staff.

Teaching and training

• To provide conditions for improved training opportunities in line with national and local recommendations.
• To participate in the undergraduate teaching programme. The Department is involved in teaching medical students from Bristol, as the Trust achieved Academy status in 2004. Fourth year students are placed in the Department and participate in a structured teaching program.
• The anaesthetic department has a close relationship with the Paramedic Training School and the local ambulance service and paramedics regularly undertake attachments.
• To assist and participate with the development of postgraduate training for all grades of trainee and other staff as appropriate. Specialist registrars have a full-day teaching session regionally once a month and sub-regional (Cheltenham or Gloucester) teaching on one afternoon a week. The trainees are encouraged during their attachment to contribute to tutorials and presentations for the Department.
• Where agreed, to act as Educational Supervisor to junior and SAS medical staff, being responsible for their appraisal and personal development planning.

Continuing professional development

We recognise the importance of continuing medical education and actively encourage our consultant team to prioritise professional development.  You will undertake CME / CPD as per College recommendations.  A mentoring scheme for new consultant staff is well established and each new appointee will be appointed a mentor shortly after appointment. 

You will be encouraged to be active in clinical research. We are part of a network of hospitals that have been collaborating with Cranfield University to form the Cranfield Postgraduate Medical School (based at Redwood House in Gloucester).  Consultants at Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals currently hold professional honorary academic appointments.  You may be afforded the opportunity to join this multi-disciplinary postgraduate medical school as a faculty member depending on interests and research activity.

We have a well-established framework for clinical governance that incorporates the clinical audit program.   A wide variety of audits are undertaken within the Department.  The Department is supported by a dedicated audit assistant, a dedicated member of the Information department and a dedicated risk manager.  Clinical Governance meetings are regular. The post-holder will be expected to take part in developing clinical audit activities within the department and achieving clinical governance objectives in accordance with the agreed Divisional and Trust clinical governance programs. 

The Gloucestershire health community supports the development of the Gloucestershire Academy. The Academy is hosted by the Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Initially led by the University of Bristol Medical School and now involving the University of the West of England Faculty of Health and Social Care, it will continue to grow to embrace the ambitions of the NHS, the University and other organisations that may be relevant to our county’s Trusts and employees.  Meanwhile its implementation currently involves providing an academic infrastructure for students in medicine, nursing and the allied health professions to pursue the curriculum with relevant high education institution, in the health service, clinical setting of the secondary care Trusts of Gloucestershire. 

Clinical Governance

Our Trust has a well-established framework for clinical governance that incorporates our clinical audit program.   We are all expected to take part in developing clinical audit activities within the department to achieve clinical governance objectives in our agreed Divisional and Trust clinical governance programs. 

• to undertake all work in accordance with GHNHSFT policies and procedures
• to maintain CPD requirements for appraisal and revalidation
• to participate in our annual Job Planning review process
• to participate in annual appraisal including 5 yearly multi-source feedback
• to adhere to our Adverse Clinical Incident policy

Leadership and management

• There is an expectation that consultants will rotate through directorate clinical management roles and this work will be part of Supporting Professional Activities (up 1 additional PA).
• To provide medical information for the development of systems appropriate for Trust needs.
• To participate in departmental consultant and senior staff meetings whilst remaining within the framework of the agreed strategy of the Trust and the Department.
• To attend other departmental, Divisional and Trust meetings as necessary.
• To attend regional and national meetings as necessary.
• To undertake all work in accordance with Trust procedures and operating policies.

Accountability

• The post holder will be immediately accountable to the Specialty Director.
• The post holder will be expected to undertake appraisal and to respond to any identified development needs.
• The post-holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and well-being and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital. This statutory duty is in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with the post.

Finally, the post-holder is expected to:

• Observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• Observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• Be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.