Trust Fellow in Congenital Cardiology in Leicester

This is one of two Clinical Fellow posts providing day-to-day care to patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) at the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre (EMCHC) based at Glenfield Hospital. It is suitable for those who:

• are interested in gaining experience in ACHD cardiology with a view to future structured training in the specialty
• wish to advance their knowledge in ACHD cardiology as an interest in another subspecialty e.g. cardiac imaging, electrophysiology, devices
• have completed their training in ACHD and wish to gain additional experience before taking up a consultant job in the specialty

This post is for a period of 12 months in the first instance but may be extended by mutual agreement to a maximum of two years. The post does not include any out of hours (on-call) commitment. The post holder will join a permanent team of four ACHD cardiology consultants, three congenital cardiac surgeons, three congenital interventional cardiologists, four specialist ACHD nurses, two clinical psychologists and a large group of specialist cardiac physiologists. The wider team also includes colleagues from cardiac radiology, electrophysiology, clinical genetics and pacing. There is a second clinical fellow and an FY1 on fixed team contracts and often a UK ACHD subspecialty ACHD trainee. The ACHD service sits within the East Midlands Congenital Heart Centre, which includes paediatric and fetal cardiology.

Main duties of the job

You will participate in managing the care of ACHD patients at registrar level and be expected to perform clinical and non-invasive assessments including ECG interpretation and transthoracic echocardiography. The post will include responsibility for day-to-day running and planning of the ACHD inpatients and implementing management plans under the supervision of the consultant staff. The applicant will present cases at departmental MDT meetings where the management of patients with complex congenital disease are discussed. ACHD patients may also be discussed at MDT meetings covering anomalous coronary problems, revascularisation, mitral valves, thoracic aorta, vascular surgery, clinical genetics, TAVI, PFO and imaging. The post holder is expected to develop skills and expertise in all aspects of congenital cardiology. Specifically, these include clinical assessment and management of suspected / newly diagnosed patients with congenital heart disease. You will develop outpatient management experience (two clinics per week), learn to present patients for multidisciplinary team discussion, and begin to participate in more complex decision-making roles, developing skills in triage, communication and prioritisation. You will be expected to learn and be involved with the process of audit, the development of clinical guidelines and clinical governance.

About us

Our new strategy, developed with the support and feedback of colleagues, patients, and partners, is our compass for the next seven years (2023-2030). We have four primary goals:

• high-quality care for all
• being a great place to work
• partnerships for impact
• research and education excellence

And we will embed health equality in all we do - taking active steps to reduce the avoidable differences in healthcare that some people face, working in partnership with communities. Our strategy is underpinned by new values and we will work to ensure they are an everyday reality for all:

• we are compassionate
• we are proud
• we are inclusive
• we are one team

This is an exciting moment as we look to the future with clarity on what we already do well and where we need to focus our energies to make an even bigger difference for the people we serve.

Job responsibilities

You will be expected to acquire the advanced echocardiography skills needed for the assessment of congenital heart disease during your tenure. Other subspecialty areas for learning include maternal cardiology, cardiac MRI, structural intervention and TOE. Your timetable will be developed to reflect your particular interests balanced against the training requirements of the other middle grade staff. The successful candidate will also have an excellent opportunity to gain valuable experience in inherited cardiac conditions with our ICC experts. This includes working closely with the ICC team and the clinical genetics team, and being involved in the administration of novel treatments and follow-up care for HOCM and other inherited cardiac conditions.

Person Specification

Training & Qualifications

• Any basic medical qualification eligible for registration with the GMC.
• Full Postgraduate MRCP or equivalent.

Experience

• Evidence of Cardiology experience at ST3+ level.
• Evidence of Higher Specialist Training in Congenital Cardiology.

Communication and relationship skills

• Ability to function as a member of a multi-disciplinary clinical team.
• Empathic approach when talking to patients and their families.

Analytical and Judgement skills

• An understanding of and commitment to research and evidence based practice in all aspects of medical care.
• Commitment to an understanding of the principles of audit.
• Practical experience of participation in clinical audit projects.
• Previous Research Experience.
• Practical experience of participation in research project.

Planning and organisation skills

• Ability to manage applicants own time and work effectively, understanding of role and importance of management in the NHS.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

• Able to demonstrate a commitment to and understanding of the importance of treating all individuals with dignity and respect appropriate to their individual needs.

Skills

• Previous clinical experience in performing echocardiography and interventional procedures.
• Advance Life Support.

Commitment to Trust Values and Behaviours

Must be able to demonstrate behaviours consistent with the Trust's Values and Behaviours.

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.