Clinical Fellow in Epilepsy and Sleep Medicine

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

 a)      Clinical:

 The Fellow will be expected to see new and follow-up patients at two OUHFT outpatient clinics per week at the Department of Neurology, John Radcliffe Hospital West Wing. One clinic will alternate between a weekly complex epilepsy clinic and a sleep neurology clinic. On one week per month, the Fellow will attend the Autoimmune Neurology clinic.

The complex epilepsy clinics will specifically train the Fellow in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy syndromes, offer experience in management of drug resistant epilepsy and enable the Fellow to take patients from clinic appointment through the entire epilepsy surgery programme. 

All clinics will be discussed in advance and agreed between the successful applicant and their supervisors, to best match their sub-specialist experience.  

The Fellow will be expected to attend the Epilepsy Surgery MDT and present their own cases for discussion.

 Training will be provided in EEG and analysis of sleep recordings.  

 The Fellow will also be expected to work effectively with the Epilepsy Nurse Specialist Team (4 OUHFT trust-based) and provide advice on inpatient/outpatient management where appropriate.

b) Teaching and Research: 

We will expect the Epilepsy and Sleep Fellow to actively contribute to clinical epileptology research. They will work closely with the Neurosciences research team to deliver on the breadth of studies encompassed by the Oxford epilepsy portfolio. These studies include device trials, trials of novel medications and qualitative analysis. The Fellow will be encouraged to deliver an independent research project and secure at least one first author publication during the Fellowship.

Contribution to the teaching of medical students and junior doctors will be encouraged. The Epilepsy and Sleep Fellow will be given opportunity to attend relevant meetings across OUHFT and University of Oxford throughout the Fellowship.

It is envisaged that on completion of the Epilepsy and Sleep Fellowship, the Fellow will have gained the necessary skills to set up a consultant-led Complex epilepsy service, in addition to acting as a research capable clinician at local PI level.

(c)        Weekly Timetable; to be confirmed with supervising consultants

 To include 2 to 3 clinics per week comprising 1 weekly complex epilepsy clinic, and once weekly sleep/epilepsy surgery clinic. One Autoimmune epilepsy clinic per month. Epilepsy MDT meetings – epilepsy surgery once per month; epilepsy and neuropsychiatry once per month. During the Fellowship additional attendance at aligned clinics in neuropsychology, cognitive neurology, neuropsychiatry and paediatric epilepsy will be supported. 

(d)       Facilities for Study and Training:

Excellent library facilities are available at The John Radcliffe and at other libraries in the Central Oxford Hospitals.

(e)        Additional Teaching, Audit and Research:

 The Fellow may be expected to participate in teaching of the specialist registrars and occasionally other medical and non-medical personnel.

The post holder will be expected to demonstrate professional development within the post by attending relevant meetings and producing at least one peer reviewed publication during their tenure.

Participation in audit is required.