CONSULTANT IN EPILEPSY, BEHAVIOURAL NEUROLOGY AND VNS NEUROMODULATION

This is a substantive part-time appointment (4 PAs) in a well-established and highly regarded neurosciences unit in Norfolk.

We welcome all applications irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race or religion. Additionally, people with disabilities will be offered an interview providing they meet the minimum criteria for the post. The Trust operates job share and flexible working.

Main duties of the job

The job plan includes 2 clinics per week. The postholder will have clinical consultant responsibility for and lead the tertiary regionally commissioned Dual Diagnosis Epilepsy and Autism Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Implantation Centre clinic; the clinic has been regionally commissioned for over 12 years.

The clinic's referral pathways include local, regional and increasingly extra-regional patients with epilepsy and co-existing neurodevelopmental disorder(s), brain injury, and / or complex neuropsychiatric conditions. Referrals typically arise from consultant neurology, - psychiatry-, - developmental psychiatry and are age limited to 18y +, under exceptional circumstances 16y+.

The successful applicant will work as part of a team of consultants and out-patient clinic nurses, as well as the Norfolk-wide community Specialist Epilepsy Nurse Team (SEN-Norfolk Team). The post does not have any in-patient responsible clinician status duties. However, occasional diagnostic, therapeutic, and consultative roles and duties across the Neuroscience Division (Neurology, Neurophysiology, Stroke Service) - both in-patients and out-patients - may arise (see Job Plan, pp 7-8).

About us

The Neuroscience Unit comprises Stroke and Neurology (which includes Neurophysiology). In line with the thrust for neuroscience excellence, the post holder will have opportunities to participate in research.

Neurology and Neurophysiology consultant offices, consulting rooms and secretarial services are co-located in the east block of the NNUH. The Neuroscience Directorate provides neurological, neurophysiology and stroke services to the eastern half of East Anglia and has an out-patient presence in Cromer Hospital and James Paget University Hospital (JPUH), near Great Yarmouth. The total catchment population for neurology is in the order of 750,000. Last year, the Neurology Department saw almost 5,500 new patients and 11,000 follow-up patients.

The acute Neurology service was judged to be an exemplar acute neurology service during the Neurology GIRFT deep dive assessment in October 2019, with shorter than national average lengths of stay and lower than national average readmission rates for headache patients. In-patients are managed on a dedicated neuroscience ward shared with the hyper acute stroke unit (HASU).

Job description
Job responsibilities

For a detailed job description with main duties for this substantive post please read the attached job description

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential 

• Accreditation in Neurology and on specialist register at or within 6 months of the AAC

Experience
Essential 

• Training in safeguarding children

Desirable 

• Experience in research or published papers in area of special interest

Skills
Essential 

• Good communicator
• Enthusiasm for service development and teaching.
• Ability to communicate effectively with clinical colleagues, colleagues in pathology and support staff 

BMJ Ref: BMJ-108627/234-MS1830B