Consultant Haematologist DMH

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest integrated care providers in England, serving a population of around 600,000 people. We are a high‑performing organisation with a track record of success. We are an enthusiastic and motivated unit that offers opportunities to develop the Haematology services in County Durham and Darlington. The post is a whole‑time position with the department willing to explore flexibility in job plans to attract the right candidate. This appointment will facilitate and contribute to the development of Haematology services within the Trust and clinical networks, with scope to develop a specialist interest.

Main duties of the job:

• The post holder will be expected to undertake clinical work in conjunction with their colleagues and other professional staff to maintain and develop haematology services and develop specialist skills in accordance with the needs of the department.
• They will be responsible, together with colleagues, for planning future development of these services and working with appropriate stakeholders in primary care and tertiary centres to continue to develop integrated services.
• The post holder will have continuing responsibility for the care of patients in their charge and will provide a comprehensive clinical service to consultant colleagues in other clinical disciplines in the hospital and to general practitioners within the locality.
• The post holder will participate in a weekday and weekend on‑call rota for haematology services, covering colleagues in their absence and ensuring continuous patient care.
• They will also deputise in the absence of colleagues in cases of annual leave, study leave and sickness as far as practicable.

Job responsibilities:

• Inpatients are admitted under the care of physicians on ward 42 in Darlington Memorial Hospital or other medical wards. Inpatient management of haematological aspects of patient care is undertaken by the haematologists in a joint liaison role with the physicians.
• The bulk of the haematology caseload is outpatient and day cases, with regular busy clinical sessions at Darlington, Bishop Auckland, Durham and Shotley Bridge Hospitals.
• Day units provide facilities for bone‑marrow biopsy, intravenous chemotherapy, venesections, etc. Chemotherapy‑trained nurses assist on the day units at all sites, which share facilities with visiting oncologists.
• The Trust works in partnership with the Northern Cancer Alliance and delivers Level 2a care. Level 2b care (approximately 15 cases per year) is delivered by neighbouring trusts. Level 3 and 4 care is provided at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle, where the clinical team attends the weekly lymphoma and leukaemia/myeloma MDTs via Teams or in person.
• We use the Chemocare chemotherapy prescribing system in line with most other haematology services in the region.
• Paediatric haematology and haemophilia services are organised regionally via RVI Newcastle, with the post holder involved in new cases when required.
• The anticoagulant service is managed by nurse‑led clinics via near‑patient testing in four sites (UHND, DMH, Richardson Hospital and BAH). Clinic nurses also carry out face‑to‑face consultations in various GP practices across County Durham, and almost 500 patients self‑test, submit results and receive dosing instructions digitally.
• This clinical care group contains the pathology specialties of haematology and blood transfusion, microbiology, cellular pathology, biochemistry and immunology.
• Consultant haematologists provide liaison and advisory services for other clinical services within the Trust and Primary Care, including non‑haematological bone marrow examinations, outpatient transfusion and support for antenatal services.
• CDDFT has a lead for haemostasis and thrombosis and for Blood Transfusion, supported by a full‑time Transfusion Practitioner and two Associate Transfusion Practitioners.
• All new diagnoses of malignant haematology conditions are reviewed through NEHODS, where bone marrow biopsies and material for cell markers and molecular biology studies are sent, aligning with the weekly MDT.

Person Specification:

• Evidence of thorough and broad training and experience in haematology.
• Ability to take independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients.
• Ability to offer an expert clinical opinion within the specialty.
• Specialist interest that will complement the current service.
• Experience of participation in research and clinical studies.

Statutory Registration:

• GMC registration.

Special Skills & Knowledge:

• Ability to work in a team with medical and nursing colleagues, managers, biomedical scientists and patients.
• Broad range of IT skills.
• Understanding of clinical governance.
• Evidence of participation in audit.
• Good knowledge of and ability to use spoken and written English.
• Experience of participation in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
• Management and administrative experience.
• Evidence of having implemented change.
• Evidence of having changed practice as a result of audit.
• Evidence of attending courses to develop teaching skills.

Special Requirements:

• ALS.
• Interest in promoting and/or performing research in the Trust.

Qualifications:

• Full registration with the General Medical Council.
• Membership of the Royal College of Physicians or equivalent.
• Membership of the Royal College of Pathologists or equivalent.
• MBBS or other recognised equivalent medical degree.
• Holder of certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in Haematology, or within 6 months of award.
• MRCP Part 1.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check:

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and will require a submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions. We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under‑represented.

£109,725 to £145,478 a year, YC72 Pay Scale per annum pro rata.