We invite applications for a maternity leave cover post based at the St Bartholomew's Hospital to commence at the earliest opportunity. We employ a growing group of PAs at Barts Health, the largest acute care trust in the UK. The Haemato-Oncology department is based at St Bartholomew's Hospital and receives in-patients transferred from the Royal London Hospital, Whipps Cross University Hospital, Homerton Hospital, Newham University Hospital, Queens Hospital, King George Hospital and Colchester Hospital.

The post represents an excellent opportunity to obtain experience in Haemato-Oncology and bone marrow transplantation in a busy tertiary referral centre and transplant unit.

The post holder will be based at St Bartholomew's Hospital. You will provide cover for 42 in-patient beds, and the 25 chair Haemato-Oncology Chemotherapy day unit. Research and Audit is actively encouraged. There is an active departmental teaching program.

In the last two years, we have integrated the PA role to a central position within our team, & taken on a second Physicians' associate. More broadly, our trust PA working group is developing the role across the Trust as the number of PAs grows. We would be keen to work with the successful candidates to continue the role within our service, and contribute to developing the PA role across the trust. There is an potential for autonomous working and practice development.

Main duties of the job

Appointee to the post of Physician Associate will join the existing Haemato-oncology multidisciplinary team. They will work under the supervision of Haemato-oncology Consultants to deliver high quality inpatient and outpatient care as well as participate in teaching, research and audit and quality improvement.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the Haemato-oncology Team at Barts Health, the largest acute care trust in the country. We are a large unit delivering a comprehensive range of tertiary adult Haemato-oncology services. We provide inpatient and outpatient chemotherapy to more than 2500 patients/year. We perform around 120 autologous and 50 allogeneic stem cell transplants annually. We have a large portfolio of clinic trials in which many patients are enrolled. The successful candidates will gain broad experience in all areas of Haemato-oncology and transplant practice. The Haemato-oncology Unit is an ideal environment for the generalist skills of the PA to be put into practice, and to develop speciality skills.

We value our Physician Associate extremely highly. We consider the role integral to the working of our team in caring for patients with blood cancer. The ideal candidate may already have sub-speciality experience, or seek to develop subspecialisation and greater degrees of autonomous working within the role.

About us

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation. Having lifted ourselves out of special measures, we now have the impetus and breathing space to chart a fresh course in which we are continually striving to improve all our services for patients.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which ourWeCarevalues and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by ourWeCarevalues and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Job description
Job responsibilities

The department is looking for trained Physician Associates (PAs) able to function flexibly, in the first instance, to deliver high quality inpatient care. The main responsibilities, but not exclusively of the post are:

Ward

We operate in 2 teams to provide inpatient care:

The Lymphoma Firm A Consultant Haemato-Oncologist, two registrars, and 1-3 junior doctors. Looks after Lymphoma and Myeloma patients (and those undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation.

The Myeloid Firm Consultant Haemato-Oncologist, two haematology registrars and 1-3 junior doctors. Looks after patients with acute leukaemias and those undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

The PA will rotate between both inpatient teams and the day unit. The inpatient team portion of the role involves ward rounds alongside the on call consultants, registrars and senior house officers (SHOs), to see all inpatients on a daily basis. He/she will assist the SHOs with routine ward work and in the management patients admitted under the care of the haemato-oncology team. The keeping of accurate medical records is essential; as is communication within the multidisciplinary team and between specialties The driving necessity in this area is to optimise the flow of patients through the unit to discharge and ensure appropriate follow-up arrangements.

Haemato-Oncology Day Unit

The day unit delivers outpatient chemotherapy and blood product support and also provides a point of access for those requiring elective admission or unplanned admission with sepsis or complications of chemotherapy. It is also fulfils an ambulatory care function where patients staying in the patient hostel can be reviewed. The successful applicant will assist with the acute admission process of Haemato-oncology patients. Our current PA is highly skilled at performing bone marrow biopsies, and the successful candidate may be able to undertake training in this, if appropriate for their level of experience.

Administrative

The posts are primarily practical, but include some administrative work such as the preparing of discharge summaries and ensuring appropriate follow-up arrangements etc.

Teaching, Audit and Research

The department has an active post-graduate teaching programme, currently comprising one session per week, including morbidity and mortality meetings along with MDTs. There will be opportunities for post-holders to participate actively in these sessions. The successful appointees will be expected to participate in the departments dynamic research and audit programme as well as contribute to quality improvement projects.

Professional Issues

Post-holders are expected to maintain confidentiality at all times, to comply with The Trusts PA Governance Frame Work and to maintain strict ethical standards as advised by the General Medical Council and other relevant bodies (e.g. Faculty of Physician Associates, Royal College of Physicians). Excellent communication skills with patients, relatives and staff is expected. They will take responsibility for their own professional development but will receive the support of the Department and Trust.

BMJRef: BMJ-101916/259-4813994SBH