Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care in Bishop Auckland

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

The closing date is 05 November 2026

This is a full time post for a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine based at Darlington Memorial Hospital (DMH), County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust. A fantastic opportunity to continue your career in Anaesthetics and Intensive Care in a supportive and enthusiastic district general hospital with a focus on multidisciplinary continuity of care and a team based approach.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the role are to provide consultant led care in anaesthetics and intensive care medicine within a District General Hospital with a variety of elective and emergent specialities.

In hours anaesthetic job planned sessions have the opportunity to work within a variety of specialties and the intensive care rota includes fixed 1 in 8 continuity week comprising of morning sessions with additional long day job planned sessions.

On call commitment will cover intensive care medicine and paediatric stabilisations. This is a frequency of 1:12 and are based on weekday out of hours cover from 18:00 to 08:00 and split day weekend 12 hour sessions from 08:00 to 20:00 plus additional weekend morning cover to allow support the unit ward round.

Paediatric stabilisations are covered by both theatre and intensive care consultants to provide robust support, with the first responder responsibility being shared on alternative weekly rota.

Progress to non clinical department development including teaching, governance, research and management.

About us

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

Job responsibilities

Intensive care medicine and anaesthesia fall within the surgical care group specifically within the anaesthetic department at Darlington Memorial Hospital. Complementary anaesthesia sub-specialities including Chronic Pain, Acute Pain, Pre-assessment, Day Surgery and obstetrics. The care group director for Anaesthetics, Theatres and Intensive Care Medicine is Dr James Limb (trust wide). The lead clinician for the anaesthetic department at Darlington Memorial Hospital is Dr Jothika Thimappa and the lead clinician for the Intensive Care department is Dr Simone Carbert.

The successful applicant will primarily work at DMH but we do provide anaesthetic cover for elective surgical lists at the elective surgical hub based at Bishop Auckland Hospital. The anaesthetic department’s culture is one of mutual respect with collective responsibility for the workload within the hospital.

At DMH site surgery is provided within 11 operating theatres covering Community Dental, ENT (Day case), General Surgery (including major colorectal surgery, breast surgery and bariatric surgery), Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Obstetric and Gynaecological Surgery, Ophthalmology and Urology (Day case). Plastic surgery team is based at University Hospital North Durham. Regional Anaesthesia is well established and supported by a regional fellow post.

Emergency lists are provided in routine hours for Orthopaedic trauma, General surgery and Gynaecology, as well as an out of hours emergency theatre. There is a Consultant-led pre-assessment service with weekly clinics including CPEX testing. Anaesthesia for CT scanning and MRI services is available. Monday to Thursday we have a PACU to provide Level 1 care of elective patients under the support of the surgical and anaesthetic teams.

There is an obstetric department, located on the 6th floor has its own theatre with dedicated elective lists in the main theatre suite. An anaesthetic nurse provides assistance for all theatre cases.

The medical department consists of in house acute internal medicine, cardiology (including a 4 bedded monitored CCU), respiratory (including 6 bedded ARU), haematology, endocrinology, gastroenterology and care of the elderly. Outpatient dermatology, rheumatology and psychiatry will provide virtual and face to face consultations. Palliative care provide face to face support with a team of consultant and specialist nurses.

DMH intensive care unit admits approximately 580 patients per year with a mix of emergency surgical and medical take. We have 11 funded bed spaces combining level 3 and level 2 care in a unit located near the theatre suite. The consultant rota provides a supportive and continuous approach to patient management. The unit is in the process of becoming fully electronic with its documentation.

Consultant led RACI plus nurse led IV, renal outreach and Acute Intervention Teams (critical care in reach) support our work. Weekend work is completed as part of the out of hours commitment with 12 hour shifts. The majority of specialist support is provided via in house referrals with otherwise good relations with our tertiary referral hospitals. Renal and neurology specialities based at James Cook University Hospital provide in house reviews. Our consultant group form a supportive team and recent appointments include a job share with James Cook Hospital and with Acute Internal Medicine. Trust wide collaboration between the intensive care units and specialist support within the trust occurs with regular Critical Care Delivery Group meetings involving the multidisciplinary team from both Durham and Darlington sites. Trust wide ICM specific a teaching programme is in place with availability of on site simulation equipment.

At the weekend there are 3 dedicated consultants who separately cover critical care, emergency theatres and orthopaedic trauma lists

Consultants and Specialty Doctors are actively encouraged to support the weekly DMH teaching programme and attend our regular M&M and clinical governance sessions.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The post holder will undertake clinical work in conjunction with their clinical colleagues (24 Consultants, 9 specialty / specialist doctors and an average of 13 trainees) and other professional staff in order to maintain and develop both the intensive care and anaesthetic service and be encourage to develop specialist skills in accordance with the needs of the department and progress to hold departmental non clinical roles.

The postholder will have a continuing responsibility for the care of patients in his/her charge and will contribute to the proper functioning of the department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine. Furthermore, the post holder will be required to undertake administrative duties directly associated with the care of patients. The post holder will supervise junior medical staff and have responsibility to ensure continuing patient care at all times. For management purposes, the post holder will be accountable to the Lead Clinician for ensuring the effective and efficient use of resources allocated.

The postholder will have scheduled activity with regular sessions, fixed continuity weeks and some flexible sessions. SPA activity will be timetabled within the weekly job plan but can be completed flexibly and diarised for review. During some working weeks, flexibility in the ratio of DCC:SPA may be required although SPA time will always be paid back. As additional responsibilities are acquired, the number of SPAs may alter with remuneration agreed through the job planning process.

The postholder must possess a UK driving license and be able to present for scheduled list start times as required by the Trust.

The postholder will be expected to participate in teaching.

Research and clinical audit activities, which are considered to be an integral part of normal duties, will be encouraged. Research funding may be available following successful application to local committees.

The postholder will be encouraged and supported to develop services, courses and to undertake innovation.

The postholder will be expected to deputise in the absence of colleagues.

The post-holder will be expected to perform additional duties in emergency and unforeseen circumstances as are essential for continuity of patient care.

The postholder will be responsible for the professional management and supervision of junior medical staff. The post holder will be expected to receive training and participate in educational and clinical supervision.

The postholder will be expected to participate in clinical governance arrangements inline with national and local guidelines.

If you are involved in the care of a patient who subsequently initiates a claim against the Trust you will be expected to provide, free of charge, an opinion and statement of facts about the case.

PROPOSED TIMETABLE AND JOB PLAN

This is an indicative job plan, the final job plan/on-call arrangements will be agreed in partnership prior to appointment.

Each session is 5.25 hours. Remuneration is 1.313 PAs per working session (which includes pre and post ward round care).

Person Specification

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Clinical skills appropriate for a Consultant in Anaesthesia with an Interest in Intensive Care Medicine
• Ability to train at the bedside and in classroom settings
• Experience of supervising trainees
• Ability to organise and prioritise own work. Ability to delegate appropriately to trainee / non-consultant career grade anaesthetists
• An understanding of the importance of research
• A recognised qualification in post-graduate teaching
• Feedback from delivered teaching demonstrating high quality delivery
• Formal training in management and demonstrable administrative skills
• Evidence of completion of management projects

Special Requirements

• Ability to innovate and develop services
• Willingness to undertake additional professional duties to develop the division and the Trust
• A commitment to developing Intensive Care Medicine within the Trust

Statutory Registration

• Full registration with GMC.
• Specialist Registration with the GMC in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine.
• Applicants should have attained or be within 6 months of CCT date
• Evidence of adherence to appraisal and GMC revalidation processes
• Applicants are required fully registered with a licence to practise with the GMC and either on, or within 6 months of entry onto the Specialist Register on the date of interview
• If applying for Full GMC Registration & Licence to Practice simultaneously with a CESR application, supporting documentary evidence must be provided at interview, to confirm an application has been submitted & is under consideration by the GMC

Experience

• Experience in providing intenisve care medicine in the patient population and specialities supported at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
• Experience of a significant quality improvement project and a good knowledge of the principles of clinical governance.
• Evidence demonstrating commitment to clinical audit with implemented outcomes benefiting patients.
• Publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and academic awards.

Qualifications

• MBBS, MBChB or equivalent
• FRCA
• FCICM / EDIC
• ALS, ATLS, APLS/EPLS or other complimentary qualification

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

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.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

£113,565 to £150,569 a yearYC72 Pay Scale per annum pro rata

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