This is a new 10 PA Specialist post, to complement 5 WTE Consultants within the AMU.

The AMU assesses around approximately 1,000 medical patients per month.There is provision for single-sex accommodation. The AMU comprises of AAU and a Short Stay Ward. AAU includes a dedicated assessment area and Ambulatory Emergency Care. Within the AAU there is 5 monitored trollies where we provide level 2 care. Recently, we have established a Cardiology Clinic within our Ambulatory Care where the Cardiologist provides a review clinic for AMU patients. Short stay ward is currently located in F7 which admits patients whose length of stay is less than 72 hours. There is a regular monthly AMU operational meeting, attended by all members of the multidisciplinary team.The operational policy has been agreed by the Trust.

The AMU is working with other members of the trust to increase the number of ambulatory care pathways. This will be supported by the assimilation of community services under the umbrella of the acute trust. The unit works closely with the existing community services, including the Early Intervention Team, rapid response team and Suffolk COPD services to avoid unnecessary admissions wherever possible.
Main duties of the job

Responsibilities include ward rounds on the short stay ward, and review of patients within the Acute Assessment Unit, Ambulatory Emergency Care(SDEC) and DVT services.

At weekends, the morning Post Take Ward Round will be covered by two of the Adult Medicine/Care of the Elderly Consultants from 8.30 AM.AMU Specialists start at 1PM till 9 PM and will be responsible for all the new admissions on that day.

The AMU has a team of junior doctors including a Specialist Registrar, Clinical Fellow, one FY1 a CMT/FY2 trainee and 3 Advanced Clinical Practitioners and 2 Physician Associates. The AMU Consultants/Specialists will be responsible for the supervision, training and assessment of assigned AMU junior medical staff, and for ensuring that patients move through the unit effectively.

The Trust delivers services to patients seven days a week and aims to provide equality of treatment and outcome regardless of the day of the week.To meet these aims and changing service requirements, the Trust may need you either to work temporarily outside of your core hours or to permanently change your core working days and hours.The Trust will give you reasonable notice, where possible, of temporary changes to your days or hours of work and will consult with you and your staff representatives about substantial permanent changes, ultimately, these are changes which may be required.
About us

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

Were a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and childrens ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Job description
Job responsibilities

The AMU assesses around approximately 1,000 medical patients per month.There is provision for single-sex accommodation. The AMU comprises of AAU and a Short Stay Ward. AAU includes a dedicated assessment area and Ambulatory Emergency Care. Within the AAU there is 5 monitored trollies where we provide level 2 care. Recently, we have established a Cardiology Clinic within our Ambulatory Care where the Cardiologist provides a review clinic for AMU patients. Short stay ward is currently located in F7 which admits patients whose length of stay is less than 72 hours. There is a regular monthly AMU operational meeting, attended by all members of the multidisciplinary team.The operational policy has been agreed by the Trust.

The AMU is working with other members of the trust to increase the number of ambulatory care pathways. This will be supported by the assimilation of community services under the umbrella of the acute trust. The unit works closely with the existing community services, including the Early Intervention Team, rapid response team and Suffolk COPD services to avoid unnecessary admissions wherever possible. The team have also worked with the local practice-based commissioning group to redesign the pathway for patients with suspected DVT, which was launched in early July 2010. The new pathway means that the GP performs the initial clinical assessment and gives the first dose of anticoagulation, so that the patient has to attend DVT clinic the following day for a booked assessment and ultrasound scan. This is currently under review with an intention to run the service with a specialist nurse.

The AMU team are currently developing care plans to reduce the number of attendances of some patients who are admitted too frequently. They are also looking at developing the range and quality of patient information to reduce the number of subsequent readmissions.

There is a well-equipped and active Post-Graduate Medical Centre which provides a varied programme of lectures and regular weekly meetings organised in a wide variety of specialities. There is an excellent multi-disciplinary library which is well-stocked with textbooks, standard journals, CD ROM journals, and there is a computer room with access to Medline, the Internet and e-mail. There are two lecture theatres, skills and training rooms, and up to ten seminar rooms.

The appointee will be expected to take part in teaching the doctors in training in the Department of Medicine as well as medical students. The medical directorate operates a system of ward-based audits including three-monthly audits of DVT prophylaxis, fluid balance and note-keeping. The new appointees will be expected to support the junior medical staff in ensuring these audits are completed on AMU. Regular clinical governance meetings are held, and all consultants are expected to attend. The hospital is a popular training placement for medical students and doctors in training.

The applicant is expected to participate in professional continuing medical education. Thirty study leave days over a three year cycle are available, attending approved courses agreed with the clinical director

please see Job Description attached for full details

Person Specification
Management and Audit Experience
Essential

• Ability to advise on efficient and smooth running of the Emergency Medicine service
• Ability to manage and lead a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to contribute to the development of services
• Experience of clinical governance and audit management
• Ability and willingness to work within the Trust and NHS performance framework and targets

Research Experience
Essential

• Ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems

Desirable

• Experience of conducting research projects
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals

Language and Communication Skills
Essential

• Ability to work flexibly within a multidisciplinary team
• Good inter-personal skills
• Enquiring, critical and reflective approach to work
• Caring attitude to patients
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, GPs, Nurses and other agencies
• Commitment to Continuing Medical Education and the requirements of Clinical Governance and Audit
• All applicants to have demonstrable skills in written and spoken English that are adequate to enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues which could be demonstrated by one of the following:
• that applicants have undertaken undergraduate medical training in English or
• Have the following scores in the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS)-Overall 7. Speaking 7, Listening 6, Reading 6, Writing 6.
• If applicants believe that they have adequate communication skills, but do not fit into one of the examples they need to provide evidence

Desirable

• Have access to car/current UK driving licence.

Teaching Experience
Essential

• Experience of supervising FY1s, FY2s, ST1s, ST2s, ST3+s and SpRs
• Experience of workplace-based assessment
• Ability to teach clinical skills to students and trainees

Desirable

• Experience of teaching basic clinical skills to undergraduates
• Experience of teaching other professional groups

Qualifications
Essential

• Full GMC registration with a licence to practise
• MRCP or equivalent

Desirable

• MD or PhD

Experience
Essential

• Clinical training and experience equivalent to that required for gaining UK CCT
• Ability to offer expert clinical opinion on a range of problems in adult general/ emergency medicine
• Ability to take full and independent responsibility for clinical care of patients
• At least 10 years Acute Medicine experience, minimum of 6 years in the Speciality Doctor grade (equivalent years experience in a relevant speciality from other medical grades including from overseas will also be accepted).
• Foundation and AM experience will equal a minimum of 12 years medical work since obtaining a primary medical qualification.

Desirable

• Five years supervised training in an appropriate SpR training programme or equivalent

Employer details
Employer name

West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Address

Harwick Lane

Bury St Edmunds

Suffolk

IP33 2QZ

Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.

C9179-MSJ19-23