Specialty Doctor in Stroke Medicine Blackburn, England
Job description
We are looking to recruit a dedicated and enthusiastic doctor to join our team which prides itself on delivering Safe, Personal and Effective Care.
This is a full time post, on a permanent basis.
Royal Blackburn Hospital is a busy acute site with an active Stroke Unit with an out of hours specialist service that supports 24/7 thrombolysis.
The department plays a very active role in the local provision of Intermediate Care, with wards based on other hospital sites within the community, which also includes a specialist stroke rehabilitation unit. We also work closely with the Primary Care providers and adult care services for out of hospital care.
You will provide support for the care of medical patients throughout their stroke pathway within the Directorate, and there will also be opportunities to gain experience in speciality outpatient clinics. There are also plans in place to open a Hyper Acute Stroke Unit (HASU) this year, for which the successful applicant will be supportive in helping establish within the Trust.
The post holder will work in partnership with a well-established and dedicated team of Consultant colleagues, matrons, ward managers, nursing and therapy teams as part of a multi-professional team. This is an excellent opportunity to be a part of a valued team, and is a great choice for those who wish to develop their career in an ambitious and dynamic environment and be a part of striving for continuous improvement, enhancing skills and making a difference.
Applications are invited for a Specialty Doctors to work within the stroke team at East Lancashire Healthcare Trust (ELHT).You would be joining an enthusiastic and experienced stroke specialist multidisciplinary team which includes Stroke Nurse Practitioners, Specialist Nurse, 4 Stroke Nurse Consultants, 3 stroke physicians alongside 2 geriatricians who provide TIA/weekend and thrombolysis support to the stroke service. The stroke team has a strong multidisciplinary team working to strive to improve patient care. This is reflected in our Stroke Sentinel National Audit programme (SSNAP) results which have improved from and E to A score over the last 4 years, this is due to both investment from the trust and the teams passion to improve patient care. This puts us in the top quarter of Trusts nationally and our ambition is to sustain an A rating, with the help and commitment of new colleagues and to look to further improve the service for our patients. We also aim to develop a 7 day ambulatory model of stroke care, reducing admissions to hospital with the support of an Early Supported Discharge team, improving the patient stroke journey.
Medicine for Older People services are throughout all 4 sites of the Trust with the acute stroke unit and four acute MfOP wards on the Blackburn site and
step down and rehabilitation wards on all other four sites. The directorate is currently in the process of developing and strengthening its stroke pathway
and frailty pathway, ensuring patients are provided with the correct standard of care in the right environment. The directorate also provides ortho-geriatric
support for the fractured neck of femur pathway
The postholder is expected to work on the middle grade tier within the Medicine For Older People wards, and provide the relevant expertise and experience necessary to ensure the efficient day-to-day clinical care of stroke patients throughout their pathway from admission to the Emergency Department to the rehabilitation stage of treatment, working in partnership with other members of the multi-disciplinary team, and under Consultant supervision and guidance. He/She will also be
expected to provide supervision to the junior members of the team.
The postholder will be expected to undertake full clinical duties including the daily clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and care planning of medical patients, providing immediate care to deteriorating patients including initial resuscitation where appropriate, appropriate referrals to
other relevant specialist teams where indicated, and ensuring safe discharge and follow up in due course.
He/She will be expected to follow the various guidelines and protocols in place in the Division, and contribute to these. The post-holder will be expected to attend and manage patients in the TIA Clinics under
Consultant supervision and guidance.
The post-holder will be expected to participate in the Division of Medicine Grand Rounds and audit meetings and will be welcome to participate in any available relevant further training and study opportunities.
Post-holders would be expected to gain and maintain certification in ALS, or recognised equivalents. In the case of cardiac arrests and critically ill patients, the post holder will be expected to act in a team leadership role, following appropriate life support guidelines.
In the light of changing work practices, the work programme may need to be varied in the future. This will be done only after consultation with the incumbent of the post. As duty hours require the incumbent being present in the department, no on-call or residential accommodation is offered with
this post.
In exceptional circumstances, additional duties outside normal rostered hours may be required to ensure the continuation of essential patient care. So far as is consistent with the proper discharge of the above duties, the post holder will be required to deputise for absent colleagues within the
Medicine for Older People Directorate.
A mentoring process will be in place to make sure that the professional and personal development of the postholder are maintained. The Consultants will act as mentors and will meet with the postholder on a regular basis.
Teaching, Audit and Research:
The postholder will be expected to participate in teaching and training of junior doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, participate in the educational programmes of the division and attend relevant postgraduate courses in accordance with the local and national CPD requirements.
The postholder will also be expected to participate in clinical audit and clinical effectiveness programmes. Clinical research will be encouraged.
Emergencies and Unforeseen Circumstances.
The postholder accepts that he/she will also perform duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances, without additional remuneration, at the request of the Clinical Director or the on-call Consultant. It is stressed that additional commitments arising under this heading are exceptional, and the postholder should not be required to undertake work of this kind for prolonged periods or on a regular basis.
It is the responsibility of the Clinical Director or Consultant on Call to determine whether a particular situation can be described as an emergency.
Study and Training:
Postgraduate study is encouraged. In-service training is available and clinical meetings are held in the Division. There is an excellent postgraduate medical centre at Royal Blackburn Hospital, which provides excellent library facilities and an active teaching programme, including guest speakers, clinical conferences and departmental tutorials. Study leave is awarded at the discretion of the Clinical Lead.
