Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board wishes to employ a permanent consultant Anaesthetist to be based at Glan Clwyd Hospital. Anaesthetists taking up this role will have the option of undertaking sessions in the health board's new elective orthopaedic hub when it opens in early 2025.

The vacancy is full-time, comprising an average of 37.5 hours per week, equating to 10 sessions (as per the consultant contract for Wales). 7 sessions will be allocated to direct clinical care (DCC), with 3 sessions for supporting professional activities (SPA).

Direct clinical care includes delivering anaesthesia for a range of surgical specialties, according to the experience of the successful applicant and the requirements of the service. This is likely to include travel a short distance away to Abergele hospital where elective ophthalmic services are provided and Llandudno where a new elective orthopaedic hub is due to open in 2025. The agreed clinical work may also be in areas aligned to anaesthesia such as pre-operative assessment clinic, supporting the inpatient pain service or attending multidisciplinary meetings.

Main duties of the job

Daytime clinical activity will include a mix of fixed or flexible sessions at the main Glan Clwyd Hospital site, Abergele hospital, or at Llandudno General Hospital, which is currently being developed as a new elective orthopaedic hub.

The successful applicant will be expected to provide out-of-hours clinical work as a member of the general consultant anaesthetist on-call rota. This is currently a 1 in 12 non-resident rota, accounting for 2.1 DCC sessions, providing consultant cover for emergency theatres and obstetrics during evenings and weekends. Out-of-hours cover for intensive care is provided by a separate non-resident consultant and experience in critical care is not required for this post.

We provide anaesthesia for the following:

Electroconvulsive therapy

Community dental services

Ophthalmology

Magnetic resonance imaging (with facilities for general anaesthesia or sedation)

Interventional radiology and gastroenterology procedures

About us

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is the largest health organisation in Wales, providing a full range of primary, community, mental health and acute hospital services for a population of around 676,000 people, across the six counties of North Wales (Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham). Some areas of Mid-Wales, Cheshire and Shropshire are also covered by the Health Board.

The Health Board employs around 16,500 staff and has a budget of around £1.4 billion. It is responsible for the operation of three district general hospitals (Wrexham Maelor Hospital, in Wrexham, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd near Rhyl, and Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor) as well as 22 other acute and community hospitals and a network of over 90 health centres, clinics, community health team bases and mental health units. The Heath Board also coordinates the work of 121 GP practices and NHS services provided by North Wales' Dentists, Opticians and Pharmacies.

Situated in the Northern most aspect of Wales, the Health Board lies at the edge of the beautiful Snowdonia National Park and spans a huge and diverse geographical area. North Wales also boasts some of the UKs most varied and spectacular coastline, offering unparalleled opportunities to engage with outdoor activities in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Job description
Job responsibilities

Candidates are encouraged to refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further information

Person Specification
Qualifications& Experience
Essential

• FRCA or equivalent
• CCT or equivalent (equivalence must be confirmed by GMC by date of AAC)
• Broad based general experience in anaesthesia

Desirable

• Other post graduate qualifications
• Experience at consultant level
• Specialist skills or experience
• Higher training or Experience in vascular anaesthesia
• Higher training or Experience in obstetric anaesthesia
• Higher training or Experience in paediatric anaesthesia
• Out-of-programme experience in a clinical area relevant to the job
• Evidence of taking consultant-level responsibility

Training
Essential

• Wide training background relevant for the job

Desirable

• Completion of a UK specialist training programme
• ALS, ATLS, APLS or equivalent

Quality Improvement and Audit
Essential

• Evidence of participation in quality improvement or audit projects

Desirable

• Evidence of completed audit or quality improvement projects that have changed practice

Teaching
Essential

• Experience of teaching trainees
• Evidence of a commitment to teaching trainees

Desirable

• Evidence of teaching nursing and paramedical staff and medical students
• Teaching course
• Teaching qualification
• Accredited trainer e.g. for ATLS, FICE
• Experience of using simulation in medical education

Research
Desirable

• Critical appraisal course / skills
• Evidence of participation in research.
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals, e.g. letters, case reports.
• Posters displayed at scientific meetings
• Abstracts presented at scientific meetings
• Research-based publications in peer- reviewed journals

Team working
Essential

• Open and approachable and willing to give and to receive feedback
• A team player that values the individual contributions of a multi-disciplinary team
• Reliable, self- motivated and punctual
• Evidence of the ability to work in stressful situations and/or when under pressure

Desirable

• Able to work flexibly both in time and place
• A willingness to work outside normal working hours at short notice in times of need
• A willingness to explore new ways of working

Management and Leadership
Essential

• Evidence of understanding of NHS management practices
• A willingness to attend and actively participate in departmental management meetings

Desirable

• Management course
• Involvement with a management project
• Experience of departmental administration
• Experience of rostering
• Experience of managing a budget in the workplace
• Experience of organisational change and service re-design

Communication with patients, carers and colleagues
Essential

• Safe and effective oral communication skills
• Willingness to involve patients in their management
• Ability to handle difficult interviews with patients or their carers with tact and sensitivity

Information Technology
Essential

• Basic IT Skills

Desirable

• ECDL
• Advanced IT skills (e.g. App or website design)

Language
Essential

• Excellent command of written and verbal English

Desirable

• Welsh Speaker

050-YGC-ANAES-0724