Consultant Anaesthetist with Interest in Major General and Research

We’re excited to invite a Consultant Anaesthetist to join our dynamic, forward-thinking department! This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with experience or interest in major general surgery to make a real impact in a supportive and innovative environment. We are also seeking expertise in research and peri-operative care, as we continue to grow our peri-operative service and promote our excellence in research. This role offers exciting opportunities to contribute to service development and innovation in patient care.

Our department has proudly held ACSA Accreditation since 2015 and is known for its clinical excellence, strong research culture, and positive feedback from rotating trainees. We are a warm, collaborative team that values professional development, education, and teamwork. We are committed to being an inclusive employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. We support a range of flexible working options to help you achieve a healthy work‑life balance. You’ll also enjoy a vibrant social programme and our dedicated anaesthetic coffee room — fondly known as the Back Bar. Located on the beautiful Devon/Cornwall border, Plymouth offers the perfect mix of city living and access to the moors and coast, with excellent transport links nearby.

Main duties of the job: We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Consultant Anaesthetist to join our team, providing high-quality anaesthesia services across a broad range of specialties, including general surgery, major trauma, obstetrics, and neurosurgery. At the heart of our service is a commitment to delivering compassionate, person‑centred care of the highest standard. In addition to clinical duties, you will contribute to teaching and training through our partnership with the University of Plymouth. This includes mentoring junior doctors, delivering lectures, and supporting both undergraduate and postgraduate clinical learning.

As our department evolves, your job plan will adapt to support both service needs and your professional interests. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the future of peri-operative care in a collaborative, supportive, and forward‑thinking environment. We are proud to be an inclusive, welcoming team and are committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across our workforce. We value flexible working and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and working patterns.

Working for our organisation: 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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities: We have included an indicative 10‑PA job plan within the candidate pack; however, we strongly believe that a job plan should work for both the individual and the service. The successful applicant will therefore have the opportunity to meet with the Service Line Director prior to starting in post to agree a personalised job plan that reflects their skills, interests, and preferred working patterns. Job plans typically include 1.5 PA of generic Supporting Professional Activities (SPA) time, though this can be tailored depending on roles in education, management, research, or quality improvement.

We run a first‑on call rota for anaesthesia (excluding cardiac, ICU, and paediatrics), which is supported by a second‑on call consultant. When on first‑on call, you must be within 30 minutes of the hospital, and for second‑on call, within 45 minutes. Resident trainees are available overnight in obstetrics, the emergency theatre, ICU, and cardiac ICU, ensuring senior support is well integrated into our system. As part of our commitment to sustainability and work‑life balance, we have a clear and supportive process for taking colleagues off the on‑call rota in the latter stages of their career, if desired.

Person specification: CCT in anaesthesia (or expected within 6 months), FRCA (or equivalent), Broad, current clinical experience of adult anaesthesia, SIA/fellowship/experience in major general surgery, SIA/fellowship/experience in research, Possession of other related postgraduate qualification such as BSc, MSC or PhD, Advanced training or fellowship in an area of anaesthesia, Experience of managing complex cases, Experience and commitment to peri‑operative anaesthesia service.