Consultant Physician in Geriatric Medicine

Job overview

We are looking for a dynamic, forward-thinking consultant physician in geriatric medicine to join a team including medical and nurse consultants covering North Cumbria. The Directorate would equally welcome applications from existing and newly trained Consultants.

This post is based in the Elderly Care Department the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle (CIC).

The successful candidate will be encouraged to work as part of an established multidisciplinary team inputting and helping to develop new models of care within an acute frailty pathway. This is an opportunity to join an organisation in which clinicians are at the forefront of management and service development.

It is expected that the appointee will contribute equally to the out-of-hours-work and on-call rota (1:12)

The post holder will be responsible for the delivery of care in a 32 bedded elderly care ward, which forms part of the Trust’s frailty pathway, as well as seeing patients in rapid access frailty clinics offering Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment.

The post holder will contribute to a rota to provide information and advice to community GPs, together with access to early access Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in ‘Hot’ clinics to reduce unplanned admissions from A & E.

Main duties of the job

The appointee will, together with existing consultant colleagues be responsible for the provision of a comprehensive, efficient, and cost-effective clinical frailty service to the Trust and other users of the service.

The successful candidate will be expected to:

• Work with colleagues to develop an acute frailty pathway and further develop frailty services
• Provide teaching for Junior Doctors, Medical Students and other members of the multidisciplinary team
• Take responsibility for work on the Care of the Elderly wards at CIC
• Share with Consultant colleagues the role of educational or clinical supervisor to Junior doctors in training
• Undertake personal development and mandatory training
• Participate in clinical meetings and post graduate activities in the Trust.
• Participate in Clinical trials
• Work closely with other specialist teams
• Work with managers and professional colleagues to ensure the efficient running of services
• Undertake administrative duties associated with the care of their patients and the running of clinical areas
• Assist in the preparation of business plans.
• Support and participate in the Booked Appointment Systems
• Take an interest in research/teaching with participation in projects and courses
• Participate in Consultant Appraisal and Job Plan Review on an annual basis and the revalidating process when necessary.

Working for our organisation

Elderly care in West and North East Cumbria has been designed to dovetail with the overall Trust vision (see earlier) and consists of three main strategic aims:

1. Provide early Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for frail elderly people (7 days a week) as per the `Silver Book’ and RCP standards by developing `interface geriatrics’ and a short stay frail elderly assessment unit.
2. Ensure specialist geriatric input to surgical patients as recommended by the British Orthopaedic Association and NCEPOD reports.
3. Provide a high quality specialist service to primary care through the delivery of rapid access clinics and the provision of information and advice by a Geriatric ‘physician of the week’.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Our job description has been approved by the Royal College of Physicians.

Relocation assistance of up to £8,000 may be available for successful applicants moving to the region. The post currently attracts a discretionary recruitment premium of up to 10% (based on basic salary) per annum. This is payable for up to 4 years and is reviewed by the Trust on an annual basis.

Please see full job description and personal specification for details.

Please note: You must be on the Specialist Register in order to be eligible for appointment to this level of post.

Person specification

Education and Qualifications

• Full Registration with the General Medical Council.
• Specialist Registration for Geriatrics and GIM. MRCP
• Entry on the GMC specialist register via relevant CCT (proposed CCT date must be within 6 months of interview), relevant CESR or European Community Rights

• Postgraduate higher qualification

Experience and Knowledge

• High level of clinical experience and competence in Geriatrics and GIM
• Completed Higher Specialist Training (CCT) in Geriatrics or evidence of equivalent competency.
• Excellent communication skills with patients, colleagues, managers and other staff
• Ability to take full and independent responsibility for clinical care of patients

• A commitment to, and experience of teaching
• An interest in developing links with Acute Medicine or Primary Care

Teaching

• Experience of and commitment to teaching undergraduate and postgraduate medical staff.

• Experience of teaching basic clinical skills to undergraduates
• Teaching of non-medical health professionals.
• Educational Qualification

Research, Audit and Clinical Governance

• Experience of, and commitment to, medical audit
• Experience of research and Clinical Governance

Management & Administrative

• Ability to advise on efficient and smooth running of the service.
• Ability to organise and manage own workload efficiently

• Experience of audit management

Communication Skills and Abilities

• Empathetic and sensitive approach to patient needs
• Approachable and effective Multi-disciplinary team member with excellent interpersonal skills
• Team loyalty
• Positive approach to lessons learnt

• IT Skills
• Presentation skills