Locum Consultant in GastroenterologyNHS

Job summary

This is a 6-month Locum post pending substantive recruitment based at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage and comprises 10 programmed activities (PAs) including an on-call commitment to the emergency endoscopy rota. The successful applicant will work closely with the existing 12 Gastroenterologists and 4 Hepatologists to provide a high standard Gastroenterology service to the Trust. This post is based at the Lister Hospital in Stevenage; however, clinics can be at any of three sites, Lister Hospital, the New QEII Hospital in Welwyn Garden City or Hertford County Hospital, Hertford.We enjoy a reputation for our commitment to the highest standards of care, but also for our friendly and supportive approach.We have a high quality endoscopic service. There is a 4 roomed state of the art endoscopy unit at the Lister Hospital site and a two roomed endoscopy unit within the New QEII Hospital at Welwyn Garden City. Both units are JAG accredited and are fully kitted with state-of-the-art equipment. The National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme was implemented in 2008. There is endoscopic sub-specialisation with ERCP, video capsule endoscopy and upper GI cancer services including provision of a regional GI Laser service based at the Lister Hospital. We have recently implemented an endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) service. We have a leading upper GI service and are one of the largest cytosponge services in the UK.

Main duties of the job

The Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department has a strong and expanding research portfolio, actively participating in multiple clinical and commercial studies, including IBD BioResource, IBD Response, Prospero and Best4. The department also leads its own commercially funded studies, such as COSIE, investigating the use of Cytosponge in the diagnosis and management of eosinophilic oesophagitis, and IBD Movement, an observational study examining activity levels and fatigue in patients with IBD in remission. Strong academic links exist with the University of Hertfordshire, where two consultants hold honorary positions. The department has also secured significant funding from the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation for the multi-site VECTOR trial, exploring the role of vibrational exercise in Crohn's disease. Research consultants regularly present at national and international meetings, supported by a dedicated Research Fellow. Registrars are actively encouraged to engage in research, with many serving as Associate Principal Investigators.

The department has recently achieved Level II Hepatology Training Accreditation, becoming only the third trust in the region to receive this status. The Hepatology team includes four consultants, specialist nurses, a dedicated registrar and a Fibroscan Technician, with established links to the Royal Free Liver Unit.

Job description

It is expected that the applicant will complement an existing department offering gastroenterology and liver services, please see job plan. Across the Trust the care of GI and liver inpatients is centralised at the Lister site with consultants involved in a 1 in 10 GI bleeding rota which incorporates a 24/7 bleed service and some routine endoscopy at weekends whilst on-call. The post does not include a commitment to the general medical on call rota.

• Maintenance of high-quality patient centered care.
• Shared responsibility for the day-to-day management of the service and participation in strategic planning
• Teaching and training within the multidisciplinary service
• Active involvement in multidisciplinary team meetings and directorate clinical governance activity
• Active participation in continuing medical educatio

Gastroenterologists work across both sites alongside an expanded gastrointestinal surgical team, specialist nurses, GP and nurse endoscopists. The post includes participation in a 1 in 12 GI bleeding rota, supporting a 24/7 bleed service and weekend ward cover while on call.

About us

At East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.

We run the following hospitals:

• The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
• New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
• Hertford County, Hertford
• Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood

We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.

We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.