Consultant Neurosurgeon

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest and largest NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 15,000 staff and an annual budget of £1.6 billion.

We have a long history of providing high quality care, clinical excellence, and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.

We’re in the top five providers of specialised health services in the country, supporting people with a range of rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic orders.

Our staff oversee around 6,500 patient contacts each day, delivering high standards of healthcare.

We welcome all applications irrespective of people’s race, disability, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and in particular those from under- represented groups.

Our strategy includes commitments to being Net Zero by 2030, for our direct carbon footprint, and Net Zero by 2040 for our footprint plus. Delivering these ambitions will not be possible without the help, support and action of every single member of our team.

Job overview

We are delighted to be able to offer an opportunity for a highly motivated, ambitious individual to join the Department of Neurosurgery. There are 14 substantive Consultant Neurosurgeons working within the Department which is part of the wider Directorate of Neurosciences which also houses Neurology, Neurophysiology and the national highly specialised Mitochondrial Medicine Service providing a comprehensive, specialist service to a population of approximately 2.4 million across the North East and Cumbria

Main duties of the job

The Department of Neurosurgery in Newcastle is one of the foremost in the country with a reputation for clinical excellence, a high clinical throughput and an active research programme.

There is a full comprehensive range of clinical neurosciences in the RVI with excellent neurological and diagnostic facilities.

The successful applicant will contribute to the general neurosurgical elective service, the on-call and out-of-hours service and will join the established, specialist team specialising in skull base surgery.

The appointee will be expected to take independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients referred to them at the Regional Neurosciences Centre.

The appointee will be expected to undertake administrative duties in relation to the care of his/her patients and in relation to the running of the Department of Neurosurgery in co-operation with the Head of Department and Clinical Director.

Working for our organisation

Our staff oversee over 6,500 patient contacts every day, delivering high standards of healthcare from the following sites:

• Freeman Hospital
• Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI)
• Health Innovation Neighbourhood (on the former Newcastle General Hospital and Centre for Ageing and Vitality site)
• Newcastle Dental Hospital
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care, North Cumbria
• Northern Genetics Service
• Cramlington Manor Walks

These include a range of flagship services which deliver cutting-edge care (supported by state-of-the-art diagnostic services in both radiology and pathology) and are a catalyst for innovation to support pioneering clinical practice in the NHS.

We also have offices at Regent Point in Gosforth and community sites.

Please see attached information on what Staff Benefits we have to offer at our Trust under ‘Documents to download’ or ‘Supporting documents’.

For further information on The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust please visit: Careers | Newcastle Hospitals | NHS | Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• Providing a regional general neurosurgery service along with consultant colleagues.
• Responsibility for on-call general neurosurgery.
• Contributing to the subspecialist skull base surgery service
• Within a typical job plan with 8 weekday timetabled DCC PAs there are dedicated sessions for outpatients (1.5 sessions per week), operating sessions (average of 3 per week - one full elective day every week and all day attending list alternate weeks), pre-operative assessment (0.5 session per week) and ward rounds / ward review
• 1.5 SPA session is provided for administration, audit, research, and teaching. Additional allowance can be given with agreement for additional duties, including clinical/educational supervision, management, governance or teaching roles
• Participating in internal CME, and consultant meetings (rolling annual schedule)
• Participating in audit and to contributing to the smooth running of the neurosurgery service with the Head of Department.
• Participating in all aspects of Clinical Governance, making a significant contribution to multidisciplinary audit and risk management activities.
• Providing a contribution to the work necessary for NHSLA assessments.
• Assisting the Directorate Manager and Clinical Director in the timely investigation of complaints – working to provide reports within the timeframe set out by Trust policy.

Person specification

Education & Qualification

• MBBS or other recognised equivalent medical qualification.
• Entry onto the GMC Specialist Register, (or for UK trainees entry expected within 6 months from the date of the AAC)

• Intercollegiate Fellowship in Neurosurgery or equivalent
• MD, PhD or equivalent in a relevant area.

Clinical Experience

• Evidence of training in clinical neurosurgery and achieving independent practice.
• Ability to offer an expert clinical opinion within neurosurgery.
• Minimum of 1 year's fellowship with subspecialty interest in skull base surgery - experience in anterior and lateral open surgery and in endoscopic surgery

• Ability to offer expert clinical opinion within MDT setting on complex skull base pathology
• Portfolio evidence of independent competence in advanced skull base surgery including endoscopy

Management and Administration

• Involvement with management and project leadership within the specialty.
• Evidence of involvement in authoring or reviewing clinical guidelines.
• An understanding of Clinical Governance.

• Proven management and administrative experience and understanding of management goals.
• Evidence of leadership / project management.
• Evidence of having implemented change.
• Experience in developing and implementing new technologies.

Teaching

• Experience of supervising junior medical staff.
• Experience of participation in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
• Ability to teach clinical / technical / practical skills..

• Attendance at courses to develop teaching skills.
• Postgraduate qualification in medical education.

Research

• Evidence of involvement in and understanding of research methodology and publication of findings.
• Research/critical review of literature.
• Publications in the last five years.

• Higher degree.
• Evidence of success in attracting and managing managing research grants
• Evidence of participation as investigator in clinical trials

Important note on completion of reference section of Application Form

Failure to complete this section may result in your application not being processed.

Please note it is a requirement of The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust that all successful candidates who require a DBS for the post they have been offered pay for their DBS certificate. The method of payment is a salary deduction from your first month’s pay.

Candidates who are shortlisted for interview will be contacted by e-mail. You should check your SPAM folders as well as your inbox. If you have not been contacted within 4 weeks of the closing date you should assume your application has been unsuccessful.