Clinical Fellowship in Stroke

Overview

At University Hospitals Plymouth we have a Comprehensive Stroke Centre and provide the Mechanical Thrombectomy Service for the Southwest Peninsula. This currently runs 7 days a week but not overnight. We are expanding the service to 24/7 service to the South West Peninsula over the coming months and seeking to expand our workforce to be part of this development.

The Senior Clinical Fellow post in Stroke is based at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. This is a new post which, whilst not a training post, will work with the SpRs in the Peninsula Training Programme and your duties will be similar. Whatever your career aims, this job will enable you to gain specialist experience in Hyper Acute, Acute and Rehab services for stroke.

Main duties

• Assessing and initiating treatment, including IV thrombolysis for patients presenting with suspected acute stroke (under consultant supervision).
• Providing medical input for patients requiring treatment with mechanical thrombectomy (including receiving referrals from other hospitals).
• Involvement on HASU and ASU, directly working with the stroke consultant in the running of the ward.
• There will also be non-stroke clinical work, comprising approximately 20% of clinical work. This will vary based on the applicant\’s medical background and the needs of the hospital. This will involve a proportion of the clinical work being within other departments, including Geriatrics, Neurology, Acute Medicine and Rehabilitation medicine.

About us

We are a people business – where every member of staff matters and can make a difference. Patients are at the heart of everything we do. Joining University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust means becoming part of a team of dedicated staff, who are committed to leading the way through innovation, clinical excellence and great customer care. The Trust has great opportunities for career development in a highly progressive working environment. We offer all of this in a vibrant, modern city with a historic reputation for adventure.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL COMMUNICATION WILL BE ELECTRONIC, PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ACCOUNT REGULARLY. If you have any issues with applying online and need additional support including reasonable adjustments with the application process please contact the recruitment manager for this post who will put you in touch with the recruitment team. We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.

Job description & responsibilities

We are offering an exciting opportunity to enhance your personal portfolio. We are offering time within your contract which you may use to gain experience in aspects of the stroke medicine curriculum, which could go towards a stroke CESR or CCT application. Examples of special interest activities could include:

• Supervised research
• Education- including simulation training and departmental teaching
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Audit and Quality Improvement
• Management and Leadership: includes stroke governance, rota design, stroke board attendance, guideline/ protocol development

You will receive educational supervision from a consultant. This is predominantly a clinical post, but you will be given a half day per week to pursue special interest activity. There is also separate time to undertake patient-related administration. The non-clinical time will be converted from day shift hours, with the clinical time consisting of the remaining in hours and the out-of-hours component of the rota.

When you are working your normal working days, you will work a rolling weekly programme consisting of Stroke ward Reg stroke bleep holder and TIA clinics specialty work/special interest sessions. The area of Specialist interest will be discussed at interview and an agreement will be made to include the time allocated to this area as well as some structured and achievable objectives. This may take the form of a project, further qualification etc.

Person specification

Education, qualifications & special training

Essential

• oMBBS or equivalent medical qualification. Eligible for full registration with the GMC at time of appointment and hold a current licence to practice
• oEvidence of achievement of Foundation competences from a UKFPO affiliated Foundation Programme or equivalent by time of appointment in line with GMC standards/ Good Medical Practice
• Evidence of achievement of IMT3 level competencies CT/ST1 competences by the commencement date supported by evidence from work-based assessments of clinical performance (DOPS, Mini-CEX, CBD, ACAT) and Multi-Source Feedback or equivalent, ARCP or Equivalent
• Eligibility to work in the UK

Desirable

• MRCP full diploma OR Certification of Completion of training (CCT) in Neurology/ Stroke equivalent from non-UK country

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

• At least 5 years of experience working as a doctor after graduation: this is a post for doctors of ST4 level and above
• Evidence of experience in a range of medical specialties, with at least 3 years spent working in medical specialties
• Previous experience delivering intravenous thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke

Desirable

• Ability to interpret neuroimaging in the context of acute stroke, including CT angiography, CT perfusion and MRI

APTITUDE & ABILITIES

Essential

• Demonstrates clarity in written / spoken communication & capacity to adapt language as appropriate to the situation
• Able to build rapport, listen, persuade & negotiate
• Capacity to use logical / lateral thinking to solve problems / make decisions, indicating an analytical / scientific approach
• Capacity to take in others\’ perspectives and treat others with understanding sees patients as people oDemonstrates respect for all

Desirable

• Evidence of involvement in management commensurate with experience
• Demonstrates an understanding of NHS management and resources.
• Evidence of effective multidisciplinary team working and leadership supported by multi-source feedback or other workplace-based assessments

Disposition / Attitude / Motivation

Essential

• Ability to provide complete details of employment history
• Evidence that career progression is consistent with personal circumstances
• Evidence that present achievement and performance is commensurate with totality of period of training
• At least 24 months experience in medicine or an ACCS program or equivalent (not including Foundation modules) by the time of commencement.

We recognise that work life balance is important for our colleagues and so we invite requests from applicants around less than full time/flexible working for our advertised roles. Please contact the recruiting manager to discuss this prior to your application submission. We commit to giving this full consideration in each case. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles, as diversity strengthens our teams. It is sometimes necessary to close vacancies before the closing date. If you have not heard from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that you have not been shortlisted.