Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Job Summary

Cellular therapies are exciting and innovative therapies emerging in oncology, but their delivery is complex and requires significant expertise to deliver safely. The post will be based in the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Facility (CRF) at Guy’s, a state of the art space for the conduct of experimental medicine, which includes a GMP Cell Therapy suite. While the majority of the working week will be spent supporting trial patients and the administration of Phase 1 trials, focussing on the growing portfolio of early phase cell therapy and complex immunotherapy clinical trials, if desired there will be an opportunity for the postholder to engage in outpatient activities relating to medical oncology clinics. Participation is expected in clinical and other service activities with the object of ensuring a high standard of patient care. Translational research is a key component of this post. Opportunities exist for the successful candidate to establish translational research collaborations with KHP laboratories. While this post does not attract a training number it provides an excellent opportunity to gain experience in clinical drug development in oncology, and would be suitable for a candidate who either already has a specialist training number in oncology, or who has completed oncology training. Clinical supervision will be provided by the 4 Phase 1 Medical Oncology Consultants and a Senior Phase 1 Fellow. The post holder is required to follow Trust policies and procedures, which are regularly updated.

Duties and responsibilities:

Clinical:

The postholder will, together with colleagues, be responsible for the provision of Oncology services to the Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust to include:

(a)       Diagnosis and treatment of patients of the Trust.

(b)          Continuing clinical responsibility for the patients in your charge, allowing for all proper delegation to, and training of, your staff.

(c)          The bulk of the role will be in the Clinical Research Facility and Outpatient Clinics.

Training of junior staff:

The postholders will take responsibility for the training and direction of junior staff allocated to him/her under aegis of the training plan that postholders have agreed with their supervising consultant. Additional educational opportunities and responsibilities in the Cancer Centre are provided by the Guy’s Cancer Academy.

Teaching:

The postholder may contribute as appropriate in the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Clinical Governance:

All medical and dental staff are expected to take part in clinical governance activity, including clinical audit, clinical guideline and protocol development and clinical risk management.  They will be expected to produce evidence of their contribution in these areas and their audit of their own clinical work as part of their appraisal. 

Mutual Obligation to Monitor Hours:

There is a contractual obligation on employers to monitor working hours through robust local monitoring arrangements supported by national guidance, and on individual doctors to co-operate with those monitoring arrangements.

Educational Programme:

Neither the London Deanery not the Royal College of Physicians accredits this post for postgraduate training. However, the postholder will be expected to attend and contribute to educational activities e.g. departmental meetings, imaging meetings, pathology meetings, multidisciplinary meetings, journal clubs etc.

 Appraisal:

All medical and dental staff are required to undertake appraisal. 

Confidentiality / Data Protection / Freedom of Information:

Postholders must maintain the confidentiality of information about patients, staff and other health service business in accordance with the Data Protection Act of 1998. Post holders must not, without prior permission, disclose any information regarding patients or staff. If any member of staff has communicated any such information to an unauthorised person those staff will be liable to dismissal.   Moreover, the Data Protection Act 1998 also renders an individual liable for prosecution in the event of unauthorised disclosure of information.

 Following the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2005, post holders must apply the Trust’s FOI procedure if they receive a written request for information. 

Information Governance

All staff must comply with information governance requirements. These includes statutory responsibilities (such as compliance with the Data Protection Act), following national guidance (such as the NHS Confidentiality Code of Practice) and compliance with local policies and procedures (such as the Trust's Confidentiality policy). Staff are responsible for any personal information (belonging to staff or patients) that they access and must ensure it is stored, processed and forwarded in a secure and appropriate manner.

Equal Opportunities:

Post holders must at all times fulfil their responsibilities with regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy and equality laws.

Health and Safety:

All post holders have a responsibility, under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) and subsequently published regulations, to ensure that the Trust’s health and safety policies and procedures are complied with to maintain a safe working environment for patients, visitors and employees.

Infection Control:

All post holders have a personal obligation to act to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). They must attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures required by the Trust to reduce HCAIs.  All post holders must comply with Trust infection screening and immunisation policies as well as be familiar with the Trust’s Infection Control Policies, including those that apply to their duties, such as Hand Decontamination Policy, Personal Protective Equipment Policy, safe procedures for using aseptic techniques and safe disposal of sharps. 

Risk Management:

All post holders have a responsibility to report risks such as clinical and non-clinical accidents or incidents promptly. They are expected to be familiar with the Trust’s use of risk assessments to predict and control risk, as well as the incident reporting system for learning from mistakes and near misses in order to improve services. Post holders must also attend training identified by their manager, or stated by the Trust to be mandatory.

Flexible Working:

As an organisation we are committed to developing our services in ways that best suit the needs of our patients.  We are constantly considering New Ways of Working and wish to offer our patients choice where we can. This will mean that some staff groups will increasingly be asked to work a more flexible shift pattern so that we can offer services in the evenings or weekends if this was required.  

 Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults:

Post holders have a general responsibility for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the course of their daily duties and for ensuring that they are aware of the specific duties relating to their role.

Sustainability:

It is the responsibility of all staff to minimise the Trust’s environmental impact by recycling wherever possible, switching off lights, computers monitors and equipment when not in use, minimising water usage and reporting faults promptly.

Smoking Policy:

It is the Trust’s policy to promote health.  Smoking, therefore, is actively discouraged. It is illegal within Trust buildings and vehicles.

 Study Leave:

Study Leave will be granted at the discretion of the Clinical Lead. Funding for CPD will be equivalent to that of the appropriate Training post.

Please see JD and PS for full details.