Senior Clinical Fellow in Cardiac Surgery

Job summary
To assist the consultant staff in the preoperative assessment, operative and postoperative management of patients under their care. In addition, clinical Trust fellows have a responsibility for administrative issues including staffing clinics, arranging operation lists, the organisation and staffing of lists and overseeing preoperative and postoperative care. This should include regular ward rounds and providing in and out of hours clinical cover when on-call.

This post may close early if a sufficient number of applications have been received.

Main duties of the job
To co-ordinate and supervise the admission and discharge of patients from the unit. Responsible for maintaining accurate notes, up-to-date cardiac monthly audit and for recording patient details in the database. To take charge of all patients in the unit under the direction of the consultant surgeon to which you are attached. Co-ordinate and supervise the work of all the junior medical staff. Operating duties are directly or indirectly supervised and specific targets in operative experience as prospectively set out should be achieved.

The senior post holders will principally be assigned to one consultant but occasionally may be required to provide support to other firms. The junior post holders will rotate between the consultant firms and be fully involved in a range of cardiothoracic work. In addition to providing immediate cover to patients in cardiac recovery and on the general cardiothoracic ward, the postholder will provide cover for intensive care emergencies. Consultant cover will be available at all times

About us
Guy's and St Thomas' is amongst the UK's busiest and most successful NHS foundation trusts. We provide specialist care for patients from across the world in cardiovascular, respiratory, cancer, renal and orthopaedic services as well as a full range of hospital and community services for people in south east London.

Our Trust includes St Thomas' Hospital, Guy's Hospital, Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, Evelina London Children's Hospital, and community services in Lambeth and Southwark.

Our Trust has a reputation for clinical excellence and high-quality teaching and research. We are part of King's Health Partners, one of eight accredited UK academic health sciences centres. Together with King's College London we have dedicated clinical research facilities and a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre.

Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals (RB&HH) became part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust in February 2021 and is the largest specialist heart and lung centre in the UK and amongst the largest in Europe. We provide treatment for people with heart and lung disease, including rare and complex heart and lung conditions, carrying out some of the most complicated surgery and offering some of the most sophisticated treatment that is available anywhere in the world.

Job responsibilities

• Attend and assist in the out-patient clinics, taking responsibility to ensure adequate staffing for the clinic and to facilitate its efficient running in any other way. Clinic letters must be dictated promptly.
• Attend consultant ward rounds.
• Make formal ward rounds daily including at weekends and holidays as part of the on-call responsibilities. These rounds should be considered a teaching opportunity for more junior staff.
• Participation in the relevant rota will depend on clinical experience of the successful candidate. Out of hours responsibilities include:
• Night-time supervision of care of surgical patients including those in the Intensive Care Unit/Recovery Unit and communicate appropriately with the responsible consultant regarding major problems arising with that consultants patients.
• Weekend on-call responsibilities include ward rounds as well as participation in emergency operations and assessment of in-patients or outside referrals.
• Advise on the discharge of patients under the care of the cardiothoracic surgical consultants.
• Ensure that the theatre cases are appropriately staffed.
• Ensuring that junior staff are involved at an appropriate level wherever possible. Junior staff must be assigned to cases whenever ward responsibilities permits.
• Ensuring that adequate junior level assistants are available to help open and close cases performed under the direction of, or with the assistance of, a consultant.
• Ensuring that all cases are sent for promptly and facilitating the efficient transfer of patients if required.
• Ensuring that communication is maintained with the relatives of patients.
• Ensure that either the operating surgeon or senior level assistant involved in the operation complete all appropriate data entry tasks at the conclusion of the operation. In addition, the principal operator should be responsible for creating a suitable operation note, which accurately records the events of the procedure. If operations are delayed or cancelled, the post holders are responsible for communicating with the wards appropriately and explaining the situation to the patients.
• Communicate with the consultant staff regarding their respective theatre schedules individually and co-ordinate hospital admission in an integrated and coherent manner such that hospital beds are utilised most efficiently. This may require suggesting modifications to the planned admissions schedule to individual consultants on the basis of in-patient referrals, emergency cases or theatre cancellations. Participation in weekly planning meetings is required.
• Maintain knowledge of the active waiting list for your consultant and participate in their selection for admission and surgery in a manner that is equitable for patients as much as possible.
• Be involved in the evaluation of patients referred to the service, particularly in-patient referrals.
• Respond to queries from the patients and their GPs (both by telephone and letter) regarding their position on the waiting list and anticipated time of operation.

Person Specification
Research and Audit
Essential

• Demonstration of an understanding of the principles of audit and its application to clinical practice

Desirable

• Research or other publications in peer review journals

Management:
Essential

• Good written and verbal communication skills The ability to use information technology An awareness of and positive attitude to equal opportunities issues within healthcare and education

Good Medical Practice:
Essential

• Evidence of understanding of and adherence to the principles of Good Medical Practice set out by the General Medical Council

Qualifications and Training:
Essential

• Full GMC Registration MRCS or equivalent

Desirable

• Higher degree

Clinical Experience:
Essential

• Equivalent to two years full time clinical experience in cardiothoracic surgery including pre and post-operative care

Desirable

• Demonstrate independent operating within adult cardiac surgery

Knowledge and Skills:
Essential

• Ability to work as an effective member of a multidisciplinary team. Good communication skills

Desirable

• Training in health services management

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 (Opens in a new tab).

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 (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).