Consultant Cardiologist with an interest in Community Cardiology

Job summary

This post is for an enthusiastic, dynamic clinician who wants to be involved in a novel and innovative approach to delivering cardiovascular services. The post will be based at Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (LHCH) and will be centred on the development and delivery of a community-based cardiovascular diagnostic & assessment services to the population of Knowsley, Merseyside. Ideally the applicant will contribute to the hospital's imaging service.

Main duties of the job

Knowsley CCVS: 4 direct clinical sessions (community clinics) - 3 of these sessions will be fixed and the fourth will be "flexible" providing cross-cover for annual leave/study leave.

Admin work: 2 sessions per week

CT: 1 fixed and 0.5 flexible

SPA: 1.5 sessions per week

Triage: 1 session per week

About us

As the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, we, at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, have a clear vision 'to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation'.

We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine both in the hospital and out in the community.

We serve a catchment area of 2.8 million people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and increasingly we receive referrals from outside these areas for highly specialised services such as aortics.

Our reputation for strong performance is important in delivering the best care for our patients and high quality clinical services. This is underpinned by a culture of research and innovation, delivered in modern estate and our encouragement of flexible working in a variety of forms.

Job description

Job responsibilities

BACKGROUND:

LHCH provides medical and surgical adult cardiothoracic services to the people of Merseyside, North Wales, Isle of Man, parts of Lancashire and Cheshire. This catchment area has a population of 2.8 million people. It also provides a community-based cardiology, CVD rehabilitation and heart failure service to the population of Knowsley. This service commenced in 2010 and has been recognised nationally for clinical excellence & innovation. Approximately 6000 community-based appointments can be delivered with 12-lead ECG, transthoracic echocardiography, prolonged ECG monitoring and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring all available at the various CCVS sites across Knowsley.

The hospital provides a full range of invasive and non-invasive diagnostic cardiopulmonary facilities. There are seven cardiac catheterisation laboratories for diagnostic procedures, angioplasty and electrophysiological work and a pacing theatre.

During the last year, over 1000 pacing procedures, 1700 catheters, 2900 PCI procedures (800 PPCIs) and 1000 EPS procedures were performed and more than 400 complex pacing/device procedures.

The centre is an NHS Trust, which has seen a great deal of development in the last few years. As a result of major capital investment the centre is able to provide:

- 180 medical and surgical beds
- 40 medical beds; 26 day case beds;
- 12 bed cystic fibrosis ward
- 69 surgical beds (including 4 HDU step-down)
- 34 bedded critical care unit (potential to expand to 40)
- 10 CCU beds; 24 surgical ITU beds (potential to expand to 30)
- 8 dedicated cardiothoracic surgical operating theatres
- Endoscopy suite
- Recovery room
- X-ray department with a multi-channel spiral CT Scanner and MRI scanner
- Pulmonary function and oesophageal laboratory
- 7 cardiac catheterisation laboratories
- One dedicated pacing theatre and a shared pacing/aneurysm theatre
- Research laboratories
- Electronics workshop
- A 14-roomed private wing also forms an important part of the centre. There are major building projects and on-going developments. There is a new build for the day ward associated with integration into the catheter laboratories with a day lounge model. There is a major upgrade to a surgical ward and the development of a dedicated research unit as part of the new links with the Brompton Hospital and Imperial College London.

CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The post is flexible in its nature and structure and full-time, part-time and job-share applications will be considered. The successful applicant(s) will be based at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital and will work alongside Dr Clare Hammond, Consultant Cardiologist and Clinical Lead for Community Cardiology, in order to organise, develop and deliver a CCVS to the population of Knowsley.

Community-based clinics commenced in early April 2010 and are established in the three main zones of the borough of Knowsley (Kirkby, Huyton and Whiston). Eight clinical, consultant-led sessions are delivered per week. These are required to provide sufficient assessment and diagnostic capacity to meet pre-specified key performance indicators, each clinic being supported by an ECG technician, a highly specialised physiologist providing echocardiography and a heart failure specialist nurse practitioner. The successful applicant will be responsible for delivering high-quality patient care in the community setting, requesting appropriate non-invasive investigations and providing concise clinical diagnosis and management plans to the referring healthcare professionals. They will have the full support of colleagues at LHCH and access to diagnostic services (non-invasive and invasive) at LHCH if required. Administrative support and technician-led reporting of non-invasive tests are already in place at LHCH and can be expanded if necessary.

The successful candidate will have full secretarial support, a personal computer (training available if required) and office accommodation.

The Trust supports the requirements for continuing professional development as laid down by the Royal College of Physicians and is committed to providing time and financial support for these activities.

The Trust has the required arrangements in place, as laid down by the Royal College of Physicians, to ensure that all doctors have an annual appraisal with a trained appraiser and supports doctors going through the revalidation process.

The Trust supports the provision of a mentor for newly-appointed consultants.

Specific Responsibilities:

Knowsley CCVS: 4 direct clinical sessions (community clinics) 3 of these sessions will be fixed and the fourth will be flexible providing cross-cover for annual leave/study leave.

Admin work: 2 sessions per week

CT: 1 fixed and 0.5 flexible

SPA: 1.5 sessions per week

Triage: 1 session per week

RESEARCH & AUDIT:

Equivalent to one half-day per month. LHCH has a strong pedigree in the field of clinical research and audit and had a highly productive clinical quality and audit department. The successful applicant will, ideally, have some research experience and will be encouraged to contribute to the Centre's research profile. The nature of the CCVS and the detailed data collection that will accompany it, lends itself perfectly to epidemiological studies and other clinical research as well as detailed audit projects. The success of the CCVS will be dependent on the quality of the data collected and subsequently audited and a number of key performance indicators will be based on clinical quality. It will be essential that the successful applicant(s) engages fully with this process and can disseminate all relevant findings to the cardiology directorate via monthly-held audit meetings.

TEACHING & TRAINING:

The successful applicant(s) will be required to continue the process of CCVS awareness amongst the community-based clinical staff working for the Knowsley population. Practice CVD leads could be invited to attend the CCVS (as observers) and those with a particular interest could receive more regularly training sessions. There is opportunity, in conjunction with the ICB to establish a more formal training programme for GPs interested in cardiovascular medicine. This could involve sessions in the community and at LHCH and ultimately improve the standard of cardiovascular medicine delivered in the community as a whole. LHCH is committed to the concept of specialist-nurse delivered services and the post-holder will be expected to actively contribute to their education and training.

ANNUAL LEAVE AND STUDY LEAVE:

The post-holder will have full entitlement to annual and study leave.

GENERAL PROVISION AND SUMMARY OF MAIN CONDITIONS OF SERVICES:

1. General Provisions:

1.1 The appointee will be expected to work with local managers and professional colleagues in the efficient running of services and will share with consultant colleagues in the medical contribution to management. Subject to the provisions of the trusts Terms and Conditions of Service, he/she is expected to observe the trusts agreed policies and procedures, drawn up in the consultation with the profession on clinical matters and to follow the standing orders and financial instructions of Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. The appointee will be expected to follow the local and national employment and personnel policies and procedures. He/she will be expected to make sure there are adequate arrangements for hospital staff involved in the care of their patients to be able to contact a consultant cardiologist when necessary.

1.2 All medical and dental staff employed by the centre are expected to comply with the trusts agreed health and safety policies.

1.3 The appointee will have responsibility for the training and supervision of junior medical staff who work with him/her and will devote time to this on a regular basis. If appropriate he/she will be named in the contracts of junior doctors in training grades as the person responsible for overseeing their training and as a main source of advice to such doctors on their careers. Educational supervisors must have level 2 accreditation as set out by the Dean of Medicine for Health Education North West.

2. Main Conditions of Service:

2.1 The successful candidate(s) will normally be required to live within 30 minutes drive of the trust.

2.2 Where, however the successful candidate already resides within 45 minutes drive of the trust, he/she will not be required to remove his/her home nearer.

2.3 Where the successful candidates present residence is more than 45 minutes drive from the trust, he/she will be required to move his/her home to meet the residential clauses of his/her contract, unless he/she has the written consent of the trust to the contrary.

2.4 The Terms and Conditions of Service state that the removal expenses shall be reimbursed and grants paid only when the employing authority is satisfied that the removal of the practitioners home is required and the arrangements proposed are reasonable. Therefore, successful candidates are advised not to enter into contractual arrangements for the removal of their home until such a time as the formal approval of the trust is confirmed in writing.

2.5 If the appointment is on a part-time basis (9 PAs or less) the successful candidate will not be eligible under the Terms and Conditions of Services for the reimbursement of removal and associated expenses.

The timetable is flexible and establishing the nature and location of the community & hospital-based sessions will be the responsibility of the successful applicant(s) but will need to reflect emerging demand and commissioning arrangements.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential:

• MRCP (UK) or equivalent CCT (or within 6 months) in cardiology or general medicine

Desirable:

• Higher degree eg MD, DM, DPhil, PhD
• Level 2 accreditation as an educational supervisor

Cardiology Experience

Essential:

• Registrar or consultant-level experience in the outpatient assessment of patients with cardiovascular disease, including interpretation of non-invasive cardiac investigation results
• Evidence of teaching experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrates a desire to improve teaching skills. Evidence of presentations / lectures given (with any feedback).
• Evidence of published or presented research on cardiovascular medicine (abstract form or full peer-reviewed publication).
• Evidence of audit activity

Desirable:

• British society of echocardiography accreditation. HRUK accreditation (devices/EP) Current ALS provider or instructor
• Evidence of audit activity in cardiovascular medicine
• Has published research on cardiovascular epidemiology /primary or secondary prevention. Award of research degree. Successful research grant application(s).

Skills

Essential:

• Demonstrates appropriate leadership skills but understands importance of breaking down hierarchical barriers to effective team-working. Contributed to service structure / delivery
• Evidence of teaching experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrates a desire to improve teaching skills. Evidence of presentations / lectures given (with any feedback).
• Demonstrates effective skills in a team environment

Desirable:

• Evidence of exceptional communication skills eg 360 or other forms of independent feedback

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the .

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. .
UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see

Employer details

Employer name:

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital
Address:

Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital

Thomas Drive

Liverpool

L14 3PE

Employer's website: