This post is for a Consultant in Gastroenterology with a speciality interest & expertise in Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) disease. This is a whole time post offering an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated doctor to join a dynamic, rapidly expanding team delivering multidisciplinary acute care in St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals.

Applicants must hold full GMC registration and be on the Specialist Register or within six months of receipt of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) at time of interview and are required to hold Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (UK or equivalent qualifications).

CESR candidates must have written GMC confirmation of successful application.

The interview will take place on Thursday 30th March, 2023.

From 1st April 2023, Southport & Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust will be joining together with St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as part of a TUPE process to form a new collaborative NHS Trust. We are currently awaiting confirmation of the name of the new Trust.

Any applicants who secure an offer of employment and/ or are due to commence their new role from 1st April 2023 onwards are advised that their conditional offer and contract of employment will be issued as per our normal recruitment process but will be under the new name of the organisation. All the details of the offers of employment and contracts of employment will remain as advertised and these changes will not affect your employment with us.

Main duties of the job

There are currently 10 Gastroenterologists offering comprehensive gastrointestinal (GI) services including advanced therapeutic endoscopy, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), hepatology and management of malignant disease and nutrition disorders. All Gastroenterologists also see patients with General Internal Medicine (GIM) problems. This Consultant is expected to work with the existing workforce to cope with increased general demand in gastroenterology and endoscopy services. The appointed candidate will be encouraged to develop their special interest in Hepatopancreatobiliary (HPB) medicine to complement the existing services. The appointee will contribute to an OOH Gastroenterology/GI Bleed rota.

The team provides cover for in-patients on a 33 bed ward on the Whiston site. There is a modern, well equipped 2 room, JAG accredited, Endoscopy Unit with facilities for screening on the Whiston site and a further 4 room Endoscopy Unit on the St Helens site for outpatient cases only. The procedure rooms are used by both Physicians and Surgeons.

Job plan to be discussed & agreed with CD on appointment. The job attracts 10 programmed activity sessions (DCC 7.5 including 0.5 PA for weekend working; 1.5 core SPA+1 additional SPA depending on individual job plan) with 3% uplift on call supplement for undertaking gastroenterology on call commitments.

About us

St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the only acute Trust in Cheshire and Merseyside, and one of the few in the entire country, to achieve the title of OUTSTANDING, rated by the Care Quality Commission.

We provide a full range of acute adult services to our local population of circa 360,000 and provide tertiary services across a much wider area in the North West, North Wales, and Isle of Man. We are a Major Trauma Unit and the Mersey Regional Burns Unit.

Our '5 Star Patient Care' strategy is at the heart of all that we do; supporting our vision to provide world class services for all our patients by getting it right for every patient, every time.

Our latest achievements include:

• Acute Trust of the Year - HSJ Awards November 2019
• Trust rates Outstanding by CQC - Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• Best acute Trust in the North West for quality of care (NHS Staff Survey 2021)
• Best place to work in the North West (NHS Staff Survey 2021)

In the NHS Staff Survey 2021 the Trust scored the highest marks in the North West for the following areas.

• Standard of care
• Best place to work
• Care of patients being the Trust's priority
• Staff engagement
• Staff morale
• Compassionate and inclusive
• Providing a safe environment for staff

Benefits of working for us

We provide many benefits for staff. Please see attached Staff Wellbeing & Benefits booklet for more information. Accessible version available upon request.

Job description
Job responsibilities

For more information regarding the main responsibilities and requirements essential for this role please refer to the supporting documents heading and review the job description and person specification which will outline the duties of the role including a proposed job plan.

St Helens & Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

A 338 million (PFI) investment has re-built and modernised both Whiston and St Helens Hospitals, resulting in modern state of the art health care facilities for the treatment and care of patients. St Helens Hospital was completed in 2008 and Whiston Hospital in 2010. The hospitals include 887 inpatient beds with state-of-the-art CT and MRI facilities existing on both hospital sites. CT and MRI scanners at St Helens have also recently been upgraded including installation of a high field 3 Tesla MRI scanner. The DEXA scanner is also located at St Helens Hospital.

The Trust provides a full range of acute inpatient, outpatient, day case and emergency services to local communities of St Helens, Knowsley, parts of Halton and Liverpool. The Regional Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit also extends its services to the whole of Cheshire, Merseyside, North Wales, and the Isle of Man.As a Trust, our aim is to provide a high-quality service to all patients. We strive to meet the best standards for professional care whilst being sensitive and responsive to the needs of individual patients. Our valued workforce is recognised for their unique skills and talents with our teams of experts winning national awards on a regular basis.

Whiston Hospital

Whiston Hospital a busy teaching hospital which provides a comprehensive range of acute Medical and Surgical Services, Emergency Services, Maternity Services, Paediatrics and Medicine for Older People. The Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Units are also based on this site. There is a Critical Care Unit consisting of ICU, HDU, CCU and an onsite Cardiac Catheter Laboratory. The stroke consultants deliver 24/7 thrombolysis to eligible patients presenting with acute stroke. There is a 30-bed Stroke Unit which accommodates both acute stroke patients and those with rehabilitation needs.

St Helens Hospital

St Helens Hospital is an Ambulatory Care Centre providing Intermediate Care and Day Surgery. Rheumatology, Dermatology and Diabetes services are based on this site and within easy reach of other acute specialties at Whiston Hospital.

Life in Merseyside

Merseyside, which includes the great city of Liverpool, is within easy reach of North Wales, the Lake District and the Peak District and provides an interesting mix of rural and urban life.

Liverpool is a vibrant, music city which has undergone a renaissance in recent years and has recently been named European City of Culture.

High quality schools are available in Liverpool, Wirral and Rainhill areas. The area has many sports facilities including championship golf courses, several sailing clubs and one of the finest windsurfing venues in Britain. Merseysiders are renowned for their friendliness and quick-witted humour and the region sports two of the finest football teams in the Premier League.

The town of St Helens is renowned for its glassworks and rugby. The district has a population of around 340,000 and is of mixed residential, industrial, and rural character. It is situated on the edge of Merseyside, between the open countryside of Cheshire to the south and Lancashire to the north.

Manchester City Centre is a short 23 miles from Whiston Hospital; accesses to motorway networks are a short 5-minute drive (including M62 and M6).

Both Whiston and St Helens Hospitals are within easy reach of the City of Liverpool (20 minutes by car), and access to motorway networks (including M62, M6, M57 and M58) is also convenient.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Full GMC registration and on Specialist Register or within six months of receipt of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) at time of interview CESR candidates must have written GMC confirmation of successful application
• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
• MRCP or equivalent medical qualification
• European Specialty Examination in Gastroenterology and Hepatology (ESEGH)
• CCT in Gastroenterology and General (Internal) Medicine (or within 6 months)

Desirable

• MD/PhD or equivalent medical qualification

Knowledge and Experience
Essential

• Appropriate knowledge base and ability to apply sound clinical judgement to Gastroenterology/GIM problems.
• Specialist knowledge and experience in order to manage, supervise and/or offer expert clinical opinion on the management of a range of gastroenterology problems both emergency and elective and within speciality including diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy.
• Demonstrates the necessary range, depth and breadth of competencies specified in the Acute Medicine curriculum and applying to this post.
• Research Experience with NIHR PI training

Desirable

• Advanced training in hepatobiliary medicine

Skills
Essential

• JAG accreditation in diagnostic upper & lower GI endoscopy.
• Demonstrates ability to undertake robust audit /QIP within the last 3 years.
• Research/publication/presentation in General Medicine/ Gastroenterology in a peer reviewed journals/national meeting, in the last 3 years.
• Experience of management & leadership
• Evidence of appropriate teaching experience in the last 3 years. Experience of providing and organising education sessions for doctors in training/healthcare learners
• Have the skills necessary to be a clinical supervisor & have GMC educational supervisor recognition or be prepared to work towards this
• Experience of formally supervising medical students, Foundation Programme Trainees and Higher Specialist Trainees
• Endoscopy Training the Trainers

Desirable

• ALS Provider

Other
Essential

• Demonstrates clarity in written/spoken communication & capacity to adapt language as appropriate to the situation.
• Able to build rapport, listen, persuade & negotiate
• Able to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, GPs nurses and other agencies in relation to the role.
• Capacity to use logical/lateral thinking to solve problems/make decisions
• Demonstrates capacity to work effectively with others.
• Capacity to manage/prioritise time and information effectively.
• Has basic IT skills
• Capacity to operate under pressure. Demonstrates initiative & resilience to cope with changing circumstances
• Capacity to take responsibility for own actions

BMJRef: BMJ-114435/409-5056831