Locum Consultant Geriatrician

Job content

An exciting opportunity has arisen for 12 month fixed term/ locum Consultant Geriatrician positions to join our exciting and rapidly expanding Geriatrics and Frailty Team. The post holder’s primary duty will be to enhance the integrated frailty service and be involved in providing reactive and proactive care across the acute and community areas.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and innovative professional to join a growing team of Geriatricians with varying interests and skills to enhance and develop our current service provision. The Department currently provides specialist services for acute frailty, falls, dementia, orthogeriatrics and has introduced 2 frailty units across both sites. The Trust is keen to develop an outstanding geriatric service and is looking for a highly motivated and innovative physician to supplement the present team.

As a Consultant joining BHRUT you will play a crucial role in ensuring the success of the department which consists of the 2 frailty units and 8 Acute Elderly Wards

Teaching and development of medical students and trainees is an integral part of the role as well as participation in research and audit activities in the department. Duties may also include teaching, lectures or workshops for other departments, nurses, GPs and others.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have a base ward in one of the Acute Elderly Units and be responsible in looking after half an Elderly ward i.e. 15 medical patients, whilst an additional Consultant is responsible for the other half of the ward. During busier winter months the post holder may also be responsible for some medical outliers.

In addition to acute elderly ward the successful post holder will also participate in the Acute Frailty Unit to deliver early comprehensive geriatric assessments and management of our elderly care admissions to ED. The Acute Frailty Unit functions as a medical assessment unit specific for older patients. There is a full dedicated MDT and junior medical support including trainees. There is a morning and afternoon MDT board round handover followed by medical review of frailty unit patients (approx. 10 patients per session). All patients on the frailty unit have their care led by the geriatricians on duty and specialist referrals are well serviced by visiting specialties including cardiology, haematology, etc as needed. On call duties are also predominantly performed on the frailty unit.

The post holder will contribute to the development of the Frailty Service establishing an effective multi-disciplinary team to provide early comprehensive geriatric assessment and management to meet the needs of frail older patients at BHRUT.

About Us

The Geriatrics Division has undergone major transformation over the last few years. Service transformation and innovation works are continuing, and we are striving to give the best care available nationally to our expanding, and increasingly elderly, population

There is an over-arching senior leadership team comprising of the Divisional Director, Divisional Manager and Director of Nursing for the division. Each Division has its own leadership team including a Specialty Lead, Speciality Manager, Matrons and Service Managers

The Divisional Director, who is a Consultant Geriatrician takes the responsibility as a member of the Trust’s Senior Management Team for the provision of a safe and effective delivery of Geriatrics and Frailty services.

The Geriatrics and Frailty Division currently manage approximately 240 beds across Queens and King George Hospital and the Trust discharges approximately 1,600 patients from our Elderly Care Wards per year across both sites.

The Division is constantly innovating and developing new services which include :-

• Front Door Frailty Units across both sites
• Elders Ambulatory Care Unit (EACU)
• Ortho-geriatric Service
• Community treatment team (CTT)
• Redbridge (CCT) March 2022
• Integrated Case Management (ICM)
• Dementia Service
• Inpatient rehabilitation
• Acute elderly wards
• General and specialist outpatient clinics including dementia, delirium and falls.
• Frail and Older Peoples Advisory & Liaison Service (FOPALS)
  

Job Description

Job responsibilities

The key duties and responsibilities of the post will be:

• Professional supervision of junior medical staff including to provide clinical and educational supervision and training
• Provision with Consultant colleagues of a service to the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, with responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, and the proper functioning of the department.
• An active part in the educational programmes for junior medical staff, including formal teaching sessions and clinical audits/QIP relevant to the needs of the service and Acute Elderly Units.
• Issuing clinical advice to GPs including advice on admission to hospital or specialist referrals to outpatients or ambulatory care.
• Participate in relevant audit and quality assurance processes, including reviews of staffing requirements
• Out-of-hours responsibilities, including participation in the Care of the Elderly and General Medical Consultant rota
• Cover for colleagues annual leave and other authorised absences.
• Teaching responsibilities including to undergraduates.
• Participating in medical audit, QIP, Clinical Governance processes, and in Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
• Involvement in research (where applicable).
• A willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional or national levels.
• The post-holder must at all times carry out their duties with due regard to the Trusts Equal Opportunities Policy. A responsibility to ensure that all colleagues and patients receive the same treatment, care and attention, regardless of race, religion, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, age, sexuality or disability.
• A responsibility to work co-operatively with colleagues and to respect and value their contribution to patient care.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors and staff. The post-holder is required to comply with the appropriate Health and Safety Policies as may be in force.
• It is the responsibility of the post-holder to ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard and in accordance with the current quality initiatives within the area of work.
• All staff that have access to, or transfer data, are responsible for that data and must respect confidentiality and comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998, in line with the Trusts policies. Such information should not be released without the consent of the patient, client, or staff member concerned unless required by a court order.
• The post-holder is responsible for data quality and complying with the policies, procedures and accountability arrangements throughout the Trust for maintaining accuracy and probity in the recording of the Trusts activities.
• The post-holder will be required to comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 in line with Trust policy.
• The post-holder is required to comply with Trust policy on the implementation of Working Time Regulations (1998, 2009 amendment) including declaration of hours worked and breaks taken by undertaking monitoring exercises when required, and reporting any instances where the pattern of working hours may constitute a health and safety risk to the post-holder, patients, public and other Trust employees. The post-holder will not be subjected to any unlawful detriment by reporting any concerns under the Regulations.
• The post-holder will be responsible for undertaking the administrative duties associated with the care of patients and the administration of the department.
• The post-holder will be required to participate in the annual appraisal process.
  

March 2022

• The post-holder will be required to complete annual updates in mandatory training.
• Travel as necessary between hospitals/clinics will be required but a planned and cost effective approach will be expected
• Any other duties that may be required from time to time.
• The post-holder must comply with all aspects of confidentiality, professional codes of conduct, Trusts Staff Charter and the NHS Managers Code of Conduct.
• The successful candidate will have continuing responsibility, at all times for the care of his/her patients and where necessary be in charge of patients of Consultant colleagues and to supervise their Junior Medical Staff to ensure the proper functioning of the departments.
• Provide medical leadership and professional accountability for the patients on under his/her care.
• Work within the multidisciplinary team to ensure effective team working on the Elderly wards in the provision of acute medical care to patients on the unit and other specialty areas.
  

These duties are subject to review from time to time in light of the changing requirements of the service. If alterations to the described duties are required, these will be mutually agreed between the post holder, Clinical Lead and Divisional Director.

Upon appointment you will also become a member of our Senior Medical Staff Committee.

Person Specification

Essential

Qualifications

• Inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register for Geriatrics or within six months of expected date of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in both Geriatrics and General Internal Medicine
• appropriate equivalent evidence of Certificate confirming Eligibility for Specialist Registration
• equivalent evidence of competency through European Community Rights
  

Experience

Desirable

• Shows ability to work with and lead others across professions
• Presentations or papers in Geriatric Medicine
• Adult Life Support or equivalent
• Understanding of current issues within Geriatric Medicine and future direction of specialty
• Career progression consistent with personal circumstances
  

Essential

Skills and Abilities

• Teaching and training
  

Desirable

• Critical appraisal skills
• Ability to develop evidence-based protocols
• Development of evaluations / audit protocols / clinical improvement initiatives
• IT literacy
  

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Excellent networking abilities
  

Desirable

• Good communication skills
• Understands self (strengths and weaknesses) and impact of behaviour on others
• Evidence of continual personal learning and development
  

BMJRef: BMJ-82363/162-0138-AO-AAR