Clinical Fellow - Neuro-Oncology

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

ORGANISATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS

This post is for 40 hours per week to support specialised neurooncology disease-related treatment and research across The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust. It will provide the appointee with an excellent opportunity to gain specialist training in advanced radiotherapy and in the clinical management of oncological patients.

Role Purpose

Accountable to: Dr. Gerben Borst, Honorary Consultant Clinical Oncologist, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust. Senior Lecturer, Division of Cancer Sciences, School of Medical Science, faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester.

Key interactions: The neuro cancer team consisting of patients, clinical oncology consultants, surgeons, pathologists, research nurses, therapists, registrars, radiologists, radiographers, and trial managers.

This position is suitable for an enthusiastic and research-motivated applicant with a medical degree, who is pursuing a career in Clinical Oncology and has an interest in gaining research and clinical trial experience to further pre-operative treatment experiences for brain cancer patients.

Candidates must hold full General Medical Council (GMC) registration and have passed the International Academic English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam (if appropriate) at the time of post commencement. This is a 12 month post with the possibility for extension to 24 months to support clinical research and to provide specialist experience and training for the successful applicant.

The fellow will gain clinical experience in neuro cancer clinics and will have the opportunity to develop clinical research projects, with a particular focus on the use of preoperative treatment strategies for brain cancer patients, including Tumour Treating Fields. The fellow will work within the neuro cancer team consisting of clinical oncology consultants, surgeons, pathologists, research nurses, therapists, registrars, radiologists, radiographers, and a trial manager. The post involves patient clinics with a focus on patients with primary brain tumours. There are opportunities to develop and lead clinical research projects with the aim of presenting and publishing outcomes.

The main clinical supervisor for the post will be Dr Gerben Borst (Consultant in Clinical Oncology). The post would be for an initial 24-month period with the possibility of extension dependent upon performance. Dependent on the candidate and the duration of the post, an extension to obtain an MD can be discussed.

The role will be responsible for:

1. Active role in setup, recruitment and day-to-day oversight of patients in the clinical study delivering TTFields in brain cancer patients.
2. Participation in the care of patients with primary brain tumours referred to The Christie for their oncological treatment.
3. Attendance at MDT and outpatient clinics as required by the supervising consultant.

Successful applicants will need to divide their time between research and a moderate clinical commitment; this may involve clinical research and audit activities, including protocol writing.

The post will be based within the Department of Clinical Oncology under the supervision of the consultant clinician.

The post-holder will work closely with other members of the respective multidisciplinary teams and will support the consultants, clinical fellows, specialist registrars, and clinical research nurses in managing the respective disease group clinical trial portfolio. This will facilitate more rapid clinical decision-making, an increase in the number of trials opened, together with increased recruitment of patients into new and existing research protocols.

The Fellow will attend appropriate clinics per week and multidisciplinary meetings. In addition, they will participate in clinical research meetings and any other relevant trial planning or trial set-up meetings. The Fellow will also spend time reviewing clinical data, writing abstracts/manuscripts, planning new studies, and attending educational meetings.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Clinical Research fellow will have the following opportunities within the Department of Clinical Oncology:

1. Audit: Fellows play a key role in Clinical Audit as a member of The Christie Medical staff.
2. Clinics: Research fellows in Clinical Oncology usually attend a number of patient clinics per week (seeing new referrals, follow-ups and patients on clinical trials) and are expected to undertake the administrative duties associated with the care of these patients. They will be involved in the clinical management of brain tumour cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.
3. Clinical Governance: Fellows are expected to participate in all relevant aspects of clinical governance, including maintaining up-to-date protocols, guidelines and clinical audit, under the supervision of the Consultants in the team.
4. Education: There are numerous courses organised annually by the School of Oncology at The Christie.
5. Professional Development: Fellows should maintain a level of continuing professional development consistent with the recommendations of the Royal College of Physicians. Appropriate arrangements for study leave will be made in conjunction with colleagues. There is the potential to attend international meetings to present research work and fellows are expected to be involved in writing papers and reviews, and will also be required to undergo an annual appraisal.
6. Protocol Development: Fellows may also assist with the revision and development of evidence based clinical trial protocols for patients.
7. Research: There are excellent opportunities for research within the Department. Fellows will be expected to contribute to current research projects within the Department and/or set up new projects.

The post holder is committed to delivering at least four of the following:

1. Actively participate in at least one national or international meeting (abstract presentation).
2. Successfully publish at least two first-author peer-reviewed manuscripts.
3. Aid income generation through assistance in development and writing of investigator-led studies/grant applications for research projects.
4. Increase the international profile of the Disease Group and disseminate research findings through presentations at seminars and conferences.
5. Representation from The Christie on international professional committees.

Continuing Professional Development

The Trust supports the requirements for continuing professional development (CPD) as laid down by the GMC and surgical colleges and is committed to providing time and financial support for these activities.

Role Planning

The post entails a maximum of five clinic sessions per week focused on primary brain tumours. The clinics will give wide exposure to the holistic treatment for patients with brain cancers. The clinic exposure will also include reviewing of patients participating in clinical trials and study-related procedures. The position will provide opportunities for clinical research within the neurooncology team.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• Medical Degree
• GMC registration
• International Academic English Language Testing System (IELTS)

Desirable criteria

• Membership of The Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) or equivalent
• Have been awarded MRCP (or equivalent) status. Understanding of technical radiotherapy and functional imaging

Research / Publications

Essential criteria

• Track record of collaborating in multi-disciplinary environments

Desirable criteria

• Track record of significant contribution towards peer-reviewed journal articles
• Track record of successful grant proposals

Experience

Essential criteria

• Experience in Clinical Oncology
• Experience of working in an academic environment

Desirable criteria

• Have demonstrated commitment to Neuro Cancers, including brain cancer

Management / Audit

Desirable criteria

• Be able to use databases
• Experience of statistical packages for data analysis

Teaching

Essential criteria

• Interest in postgraduate and undergraduate teaching

Desirable criteria

• Interest in postgraduate and undergraduate teaching

Personal Skills

Essential criteria

• Patient friendly with a professional demeanour
• Have the ability to communicate effectively, confidently and independently with physicians, scientists, administrators at all levels
• Experience of working independently and within a team environment to achieve timely and valued objectives
• Have a proactive and flexible approach to work, and be willing to undergo training and to learn new skills, as required
• Have excellent organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and organise own workload and that of others, and be able to work to strict deadlines, using own initiative
• Resilient, hardworking and ambitious
• Pay meticulous attention to detail
• Be computer literate

Domicile

Essential criteria

• Within 30-60 minutes travel time to the hospital

The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.

We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels. In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.

We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system. Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.

If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.

The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.

Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.

You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.