Locum Consultant Haematologist in Luton

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an enthusiastic and committed Locum Consultant Haematologist to join the Haematology Service at Luton & Dunstable Hospital for a 12‑month fixed‑term maternity cover agreement. The post offers 10 Programmed Activities, comprising outpatient clinics, inpatient reviews, laboratory oversight, MDT participation and clinical governance duties. The role includes responsibility for delivering approximately 15 new patient slots and 35 follow‑up clinic slots per week, supporting safe service delivery during a period of sustained demand and workforce pressure.

The postholder will work closely with a team of five substantive consultants, specialty doctors, advanced nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists and a part‑time specialist pharmacist. This temporary post is essential to maintaining patient safety, reducing waiting list backlogs, supporting cancer pathway performance and ensuring continuity of care across the Trust’s haematology service. The service is currently reviewing pathways, expanding nurse‑led activity, introducing PIFU models, integrating cross‑site outpatient capacity and redesigning the on‑call rota as part of service‑wide transformation. The locum postholder will have opportunities to be part of these developments while ensuring high‑quality day‑to‑day clinical care.

Main duties of the job

• The postholder will provide senior clinical care across malignant and non‑malignant haematology, delivering approximately 15 new and 35 follow‑up clinic slots per week to support essential capacity during maternity leave.
• Duties include assessing new referrals, reviewing high‑risk patients, managing complex haematology conditions and contributing to backlog recovery.
• The role includes inpatient reviews, support for the Day Unit and SACT pathways, and providing specialist advice to ward teams.
• The consultant will participate in the on‑call rota, offering urgent clinical guidance, transfusion support and laboratory liaison.
• They will take part in MDT meetings, contribute to cancer pathways and ensure timely diagnostic and treatment decisions.
• The postholder will support service improvement initiatives, including remote review pilots, expansion of nurse‑led clinics and PIFU implementation.
• Responsibilities also include teaching junior staff, contributing to governance, undertaking audit and supporting safe, high‑quality care across the service, including cross‑site working where required.

About us

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics‑led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high‑performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology. We recruit based on qualifications and experience, and we also look for individuals who demonstrate the behaviours underpinning our Trust’s core values. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible and are committed to promoting equality and diversity, creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when a sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering the first six months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarise yourself with all requirements of the job.

Job responsibilities

• Deliver approximately 15 new patient and 35 follow‑up outpatient appointments per week across malignant and non‑malignant haematology.
• Provide timely review of high‑priority patients, including those on chemotherapy pathways, myeloma, lymphoma, thrombosis, haemoglobinopathy, and complex general haematology cases.
• Support backlog recovery by participating in targeted follow‑up and routine capacity clinics.
• Contribute to cross‑site outpatient capacity, including review of selected patients at Bedford as required.
• Provide consultant‑level oversight for inpatients with haematological conditions, including ward reviews and clinical advice to other specialties.
• Offer senior clinical input to the Day Treatment Unit and SACT pathways, ensuring safe delivery of chemotherapy and supportive treatments.
• Collaborate with nursing and pharmacy teams to ensure continuity of care and timely clinical decision‑making.

Laboratory & Diagnostic Duties

• Provide clinical oversight for haematology laboratory results, transfusion issues and urgent diagnostic queries.
• Liaise with biomedical scientists, laboratory managers, transfusion practitioners and wider pathology colleagues to ensure safe interpretation of results and prompt escalation where required.

Multidisciplinary Team & Cancer Pathways

• Actively participate in MDT meetings for haematological malignancies.
• Support improved cancer performance indicators, including 2WW, FDS and 62‑day pathways.
• Provide senior input into diagnostic planning, treatment decisions and ongoing cancer pathway governance.

On‑Call Responsibilities

• Participate in the consultant haematology on‑call rota (1:5 moving toward 1:8 as part of ongoing cross‑site integration).
• Provide out‑of‑hours advice for inpatients, transfusion issues and urgent laboratory queries.
• Ensure appropriate senior input for emergency cases, urgent diagnostic concerns and time‑critical treatment decisions.

Governance, Safety & Service Improvement

• Contribute to clinical governance, incident review, morbidity and mortality meetings and quality improvement initiatives.
• Support implementation of service transformation projects, including expansion of nurse‑led clinics, remote follow‑up pilot and virtual review pathways, implementation of Patient Initiated Follow‑Up (PIFU) and cross‑site outpatient and on‑call service redesign.
• Help address capacity‑related patient safety risks and support actions to reduce follow‑up backlog and prevent avoidable delays.

Teaching, Audit & Professional Development

• Participate in teaching and supervision of junior doctors, MTI doctors, specialist nurses and other multidisciplinary staff.
• Undertake regular audit, support research activity where appropriate and contribute to Trust‑wide clinical training.
• Maintain professional development in line with GMC standards and participate in annual appraisal.

Other Duties

• Provide cross‑cover for consultant colleagues during periods of leave.
• Support Trust initiatives to improve patient experience, reduce harm and maintain 18‑week performance.
• Work flexibly, including an element of remote working where appropriate, to support clinic delivery and team‑based activity.

Person Specification

• Registration: Full GMC Registration (GMC Licence to Practice is mandatory before employment commences). Entry onto the GMC Specialist Register: CCT (or within 6 months of receipt of CCT at time of interview) CESR – portfolio pathway (must be on Specialist Register at time of applying).
• Qualifications: Medical Degree MD or equivalent Higher Degree or evidence of relevant research in Haematology.
• Clinical Experience: Excellent all round experience of DGH work. Evidence of thorough and broad training and experience in Haematology. Able to take full and independent responsibility for clinical work and delivering service without direct supervision.
• Clinical Effectiveness: Understanding of clinical governance and ability to demonstrate ongoing CPD. Experience of guideline appraisal. Participation in relevant local audits. Ability to interpret and apply clinical research. Participation in relevant national audits.
• Teaching: Knowledge and ability to teach all grades of trainees and medical students. Has attended Teaching the Teachers or similar course.
• Personal Circumstances: Residence within 10 miles by road or up to thirty minutes travelling time of the hospital for purposes of on‑call emergencies. Fit to undertake the role with satisfactory Occupational Health clearance. Satisfactory DBS clearance.
• Personal Skills: Ability to co‑operate in a democratic team environment. Flexible attitude, team player with good management skills. Leadership Skills.
• Clinical Governance: Able to demonstrate a broad understanding of the principles and elements of clinical governance.
• 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.

Address: Luton Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, The L&D Hospital, Lewsey Rd, Luton.