Consultant in Anaesthetics

We are looking for consultant anaesthetists to support a new theatre programme designed to maximise use of our theatres and improve theatre productivity. We are transitioning from a very flexible working pattern to a more fixed programme. Working days will be agreed with at least one theatre day being a specialty of the candidate's choosing. Whilst we are looking for generalists, we can accommodate a range of special interests including pre-assessment, peri-operative medicine, and obstetrics.

Our new ENT surgeon would like to develop paediatric services to address the long waits for surgery at Bristol Children's Hospital and an anaesthetist with an interest in DGH paediatric anaesthesia would be a welcome addition to the team. The increasing complexity of obstetric work means that we would also be very interested in advanced obstetric competencies.

Main duties of the job

• Multidisciplinary team working is a key component of the working within the Trust and involves regular MDT discussions with colleagues.
• Providing evidence-based care for patients in a multidisciplinary setting.
• Continuing responsibility for the care of patients in your charge, including all administrative duties associated with patient care (with secretarial support).
• Development of sub-specialty interests that fit in with Division needs and the strategic direction of the Trust.
• Responsibilities for carrying out teaching, examination and accreditation duties are required, and for contributing to undergraduate and post-graduate and continuing medical education activity.
• Provision of cover for Consultant colleagues' periods of leave in accordance with arrangements agreed within Trust policy.
• Participation in clinical audit and in continuing medical education.
• Conducting suitable duties in cases of emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
• The post holder will initially provide anaesthesia for elective surgery and will progress to participation in the out of hours consultant rota, detailed within the job plan section.
• You will be responsible for the care of patients from pre-operative assessment through to discharge from PACU, with additional follow up, as dictated by the needs of the patient.

About us

Our STAR values are at the heart of everything we do. You can expect to see them in the way we act and the way we treat each other. Our values make us who we are. We will expect your values and behaviours to reflect the STAR Values of the organisation:

• Service: We will put our patients first.
• Teamwork: We will work together.
• Ambition: We will aspire to provide the best service.
• Respect: We will act with integrity.

These are posts for retirement and additional staffing within the department of Anaesthetics and Critical Care. They will support a new theatre programme designed to maximise use of our theatres and improve theatre productivity. We are transitioning from a very flexible working pattern to a more fixed programme. Working days will be agreed with at least one theatre day being a specialty of the candidates choosing.

We have good pre-assessment facilities and need to expand and develop the service to support higher theatre throughput. As part of our Acute Hospital Alliance and Integrated Care Board, we are developing the Sulis Hospital south of Bath into an elective surgical hub. We will need increased pre-assessment capacity and there would be the opportunity for regular sessions within job planned activity in high volume orthopaedics in the first instance.

We have over 4500 deliveries a year and obstetric anaesthesia is a big part of our elective and emergency workload. Just under 50% of deliveries are by caesarean section and our epidural rate is around 20%. All new consultants would be expected to deliver daytime obstetric sessions in order to maintain their obstetric skills for on call cover.

We have improved provision of resident on call anaesthetists which has had a significant positive impact on the on-call experience of consultant anaesthetists and intensivists. Our senior resident tier is a combination of anaesthetists in training and experienced SAS anaesthetists.

The successful candidates will join an existing anaesthetic and critical care department with 50 substantive medical staff including Consultants & SAS doctors and two experienced Anaesthesia Associates. You will become part of a well-established, friendly team and will help us to drive forward improvements in the service that we provide to our patients. As a senior member of the team, you will become a key part in the delivery of training and supervision to our junior colleagues.

We are a busy DGH covering general surgery, trauma and orthopaedics, urology, gynaecology, ENT, oral surgery, breast surgery, ophthalmic surgery and obstetrics. There are 15 theatres in the main complex, a separate theatre in the oral surgery department and two theatres in maternity.

We currently anaesthetise children over the age of 2 years for elective procedures, mainly in ENT, oral surgery and urology. Emergency care is provided for younger children.

We have recently acquired a surgical robot for colo-rectal, gynaecology and urology patients. We have an excellent pre-assessment nurse team and experienced specialist pain nurses for support of patients with more complex post-operative pain.

We have a fully recruited administrative support team who are extremely friendly and helpful. The use of regional anaesthesia and TIVA is strongly encouraged. We have virtually eliminated our use of desflurane and have decommissioned our nitrous oxide manifolds as part of our commitment to delivering more sustainable anaesthesia and NHS Net Zero.

We are committed to continuous improvement and are engaged in the RCoA Anaesthesia Clinical Services Accreditation scheme. We hope to secure accreditation very soon.

As a Trust, we place high importance on staff wellbeing. You will be offered a wide variety of support to help you maintain your wellbeing and to help colleagues maintain theirs. The Trust's Health and Wellbeing team has won a National Award during 2020 for the work they have done locally.

We are located in the main hospital building on Level 1. There are excellent travel links (including good onsite parking), with many cities within easy range. The Trust is located on the edge of Swindon with access to a variety of outstanding areas to live which includes both market towns or villages with short commutes to the site.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Essential: Fully GMC or within 6 months of CCT.

Employer details

Employer name: Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address: Great Western Hospital, Swindon, SN3 6BB