Consultant Gastroenterologist interest in Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Knowsley

We want talented and enthusiastic people from all backgrounds to join #TeamMWL, with us you can learn, grow and develop yourself and your career, realising your true ambitions and aspirations. Whatever you’re looking for in your career, you’ll find it here at MWL.

This post is for a Consultant in Gastroenterology. This is a whole‑time post offering an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated Medic to join a dynamic, rapidly expanding team delivering multidisciplinary acute care in Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals.

Applicants are required to hold Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (UK or equivalent qualifications), to be fully registered with the General Medical Council, and to be on the Specialist Register for General and Thoracic Medicine, completed CCT or due to obtain their CCT within six months of the date of interview, or Certificate of Eligibility to specialist register CESR, or European Community Rights.

Main duties of the job:

• The post holder will join the current 11 Gastroenterologists based in Whiston Hospital offering comprehensive gastrointestinal (GI) services including advanced therapeutic endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hepatology and management of malignant disease and nutrition disorders.
• All Gastroenterologists also see patients with General Internal Medicine (GIM) problems.
• The new Consultant is expected to work with the existing workforce to cope with increased general demand in gastroenterology and endoscopy services.
• The appointee will be encouraged to develop their special interest in IBD medicine to complement the existing services.
• The appointee will contribute to an OOH Gastroenterology/GI Bleed rota.

The team provides cover for in‑patients on a 33‑bed ward on the Whiston site. There is a modern, well‑equipped 2 room, JAG accredited, Endoscopy Unit with facilities for screening on the Whiston site and a further 4 room Endoscopy Unit on the St Helens site for outpatient cases only. The procedure rooms are used by both Physicians and Surgeons. There is a close liaison between the Gastroenterologists and GI surgeons. There are five specialist upper GI Surgeons and six colorectal Surgeons. All GI surgeons have subspecialty interests, including laparoscopic and robotic surgery. There is a monthly joint medical/surgical IBD clinic.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

Job plan to be discussed & agreed with CD on appointment. The job attracts 10 programmed activity sessions (DCC 7.5 including 0.5 PA for weekend working; 1.5 core SPA + 1 additional SPA depending on individual job plan) with 3% uplift on call supplement for undertaking gastroenterology on call commitments. Job plans within the department are flexible.

When all the appointments are in post, there will be a rotational system (1 in 8) with time on and off the wards. During the time on the ward (2 weeks with weekend working in the middle), all outpatient and endoscopy activity will be cancelled to concentrate in managing the wards with daily ward rounds (3 ward rounds & 2 board rounds (4 DCC), covering emergencies & ward referrals (2 DCC).

The typical weekly job plan while off the wards would consist of a mix of OPD sessions and endoscopy sessions (max 6 DCC). Four of these sessions will be regular fixed sessions with 1-2 flexible sessions to ensure we are able to backfill & prevent loss of direct clinical care due to colleagues’ absence. The schedule is published six or more weeks in advance. The rest of the DCC is dedicated to patient related admin and specialty interest.

Person specification:

• Applicants must hold full registration with the GMC at the time of application.
• MBBS or equivalent medical qualifications.
• MRCP (UK) or equivalent medical qualification.
• Entry on the General Medical Council (GMC) Specialist Register via one of the following routes: Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) (the proposed CCT date must be within 6 months of the interview), Certificate of Eligibility for Specialist Registration (CESR), European Community Rights, European Specialty Examination in Gastroenterology and Hepatology (ESEGH).
• MSc, MD, PhD, or equivalent.
• Advanced Life Support (ALS) Provider.
• Membership of appropriate societies.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Appropriate knowledge base and ability to apply sound clinical judgement to Gastroenterology/GIM problems.
• Specialist knowledge and experience in order to manage, supervise and/or offer expert clinical opinion on the management of a range of gastroenterology problems both emergency and elective and within speciality including diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy.
• Advanced training in IBD medicine at a tertiary centre.
• Demonstrates the necessary range, depth and breadth of competencies specified in the Acute Medicine curriculum and applying to this post.
• Research Experience with NIHR AI or PI training.

Skills:

• JAG accreditation in diagnostic/therapeutic upper & lower GI endoscopy.
• Demonstrates ability to undertake robust audit /QIP within the last 3 years.
• Research/publication/presentation in General Medicine/ Gastroenterology in peer reviewed journals/regional or national meeting, within the last 3 years.
• Experience of management & leadership.
• Evidence of appropriate teaching experience in the last 3 years.
• Experience of providing and organising education sessions for doctors in training/healthcare learners.
• Have the skills necessary to be a clinical supervisor & have GMC educational supervisor recognition or be prepared to work towards this.
• Experience of formally supervising medical students, Foundation Programme Trainees and Higher Specialist Trainees.
• Endoscopy Training the Trainers.

Other:

• Demonstrates clarity in written/spoken communication & capacity to adapt language as appropriate to the situation.
• Meets professional health requirements (in line with GMC standards/Good Medical Practice).
• Able to build rapport, listen, persuade & negotiate.
• Able to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, GPs, nurses and other agencies in relation to the role.
• Capacity to use logical/lateral thinking to solve problems/make decisions.
• Demonstrates capacity to work effectively with others.
• Able to work in multi‑professional teams.
• Capacity to manage/prioritise time and information effectively.
• Has basic IT skills.
• Capacity to operate under pressure.
• Demonstrates initiative & resilience to cope with changing circumstances.
• Capacity to take responsibility for own actions.

Thank you for considering an application to work for Mersey West Lancashire NHS Trust. MWL is an exciting and forward‑thinking NHS Trust who are one of the best places to work for in England.

Given that we sometimes receive a high volume of applications to work for us, please be aware that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed. Therefore, you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience.

The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience. We always aim for continuous improvement in our practice.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion:

We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective, and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce. We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity and in particular those from under‑represented groups.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments to the application process, please contact Recruitment@merseywestlancs.nhs.uk.

We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.

The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details, are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision‑making process.

The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify the eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.

Certificate of Sponsorship:

Following the recent update on UK immigration policy for those on a Health and Care Visa or Skilled Worker Visa, please check your eligibility before applying for this post as we may be unable to provide sponsorship.

eVisa Update:

For successful candidates on selected work and study visa routes, who have completed and paid for their applications will no longer receive a visa vignette in passport as evidence of their permission to enter the UK. Instead, you will be issued with an eVisa only, which is accessed by creating a UKVI account. Before travelling to the UK, we advise applicants to understand how to generate an eVisa share code.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check:

If this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 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. Please note if applicable, applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs are deducted from salary following appointment. We encourage you to enrol for the DBS Update Service to which a small annual fee of £13 per year applies.

Flexible Working:

We actively support flexible working patterns throughout MWL. Changes made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook mean that all employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment. There is no limit on the number of requests they can make. Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason. At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working. We would also encourage you to discuss flexible working options at interview stage.

Working for Team MWL:

Staff recognition is especially important to us; as well as performance reviews and appraisals, we recognise staff through Employee of the month. Along with supporting you to achieve your career goals we offer a generous pension scheme, unsocial hours payments (where applicable), 27 days annual leave on commencement (pro rata) and access to a range of NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offer a variety of services.

The Trust is a non‑smoking across all our sites. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action. For more information, see the Smoke Free NHS website.

You will be expected to undertake the Trust's commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

It is essential that your application, including personal statements and behaviour examples, are truthful and factually accurate. Plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. The Trust will not accept applications which are found to be AI generated and will check all applications against AI detection software.

Before applying, we encourage you to review the Trust's Values and Behaviours which are We are KIND, We are OPEN, We are INCLUSIVE.

An applicant guide to help and support you with your application and what to expect during your recruitment journey can be accessed in the supporting documents.

Good luck with your application. We hope to welcome you to Team MWL very soon.