Consultant in Neonatal Medicine

Job summary

Liverpool Women's Hospital is seeking a consultant in Neonates to join its team at Liverpool Women's and Alder Hey Children's Hospital partnership. Fixed clinical sessions providing neonatal intensive care, neonatal high dependency care and neonatal special care with resident nights on call at Liverpool Women's Hospital, as well as neonatal high dependency care at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. The postholder will be expected to undertake follow-up of babies in outpatients, and joint antenatal counselling in the fetal medicine unit. These shifts are distributed in an annualised job plan.

Liverpool Women's Hospital provide acute care for intensive care and high dependency babies in mixed acuity rooms. There are two consultants on for acute care between 0830 and 1700 on weekdays and 1430 on weekend days. Thereafter there is one resident consultant until 21.00 with handover to the resident night consultant 2030-0900.

There is a consultant present on the Alder Hey unit from 0830 until 20.30 on weekdays, and 0830 until 1730 on weekend days with non-resident cover overnight. Alder Hey sessions involve morning ward rounds on the Neonatal Surgical Unit and review of surgical neonatal patients on the Paediatric Intensive Care and High Dependency units, as well as ad-hoc review of referred babies on other wards.

Main duties of the job

Fixed clinical sessions providing neonatal intensive care, neonatal high dependency care and neonatal special care with resident nights on call at Liverpool Women's Hospital, as well as neonatal high dependency care at Alder Hey Children's Hospital. The postholder will be expected to undertake follow-up of babies in outpatients, and joint antenatal counselling in the fetal medicine unit. These shifts are distributed in an annualised job plan. We are in the process of establishing a clinical commitment for consultant time to Connect Northwest, the transport service which operates across the North West ODN, and there may be opportunities for the successful applicant to contribute to this service.

In line with the Trust's Job Planning Policy, all Consultants will be allocated 1.5 core SPA sessions per week. This time will be used for participation in undergraduate and post graduate teaching, continuing professional development, mandatory training, non-patient administration, participating in clinical audit and preparation for annual appraisal and revalidation. The additional 1 SPA will be used for activities in defined roles such as the educational supervision of trainees and lead roles in service development. Neonatal research is actively encouraged and for suitable candidates 1 PA may be available to develop research activity. Any proposed research activity must be in keeping with the wider research strategy. There is a diverse consultant workforce.

About us

The regional neonatal unit at Liverpool Women's Hospital has 44 cots: 12 intensive care cots, 12 high dependency cots and a 20-cot low dependency area. The unit provides a state-of-the-art facility to provide world class neonatal care and is a tertiary referral centre for the Cheshire and Mersey Neonatal Network. The unit regularly accepts referrals from beyond the network with an average admission rate of more than 1200 babies per year.

As the lead NICU for the Cheshire and Mersey Neonatal Network, areas of special responsibility include the management of babies with surgical conditions, initial care of all babies with cardiac malformations requiring neonatal intervention, and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. The unit is one of only 2 units within the network providing intensive care for extreme preterm babies (

At Liverpool Women's Hospital there is a state-of-the-art monitoring system, electronic patient record and computerised patient data management system in place. Other equipment includes colour flow doppler, inhaled nitric oxide therapy and high frequency oscillation. Regular on-unit screening for retinopathy and hearing is carried out by visiting consultants. The unit provides a regional service for retinopathy screening and laser therapy for advanced retinopathy.

Job responsibilities

For full details regarding job plan, role and responsibilities, please refer to the attached job description

Person specification

Qualification

Essential

• Primary medical degree of a recognised University
• Full registration and Licence to Practice with the GMC
• Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health or equivalent
• Inclusion in the specialist register in Paediatrics (neonatal medicine) or equivalent, or within 6 months of CCT for Paediatrics (neonatal medicine)at time of interview

Desirable

• Higher degree e.g., MD or PhD

Clinical Experience

Essential

• A minimum of seven years postgraduate experience. Of this three must have been spent in appropriate training posts during higher specialist training.
• Evidence of advanced clinical skills in neonatal medicine
• Current certificate in NLS

Desirable

• Evidence of skills in neonatal transport

Management and administrative experience

Essential

• Ability to organise and manage the work of a neonatal unit, including outpatients
• Understanding of the principles of clinical governance
• Ability to organise advise on efficient and smooth running of specialist service

Desirable

• Experience in the development of clinical guidelines
• Experience of audit
• Management training
• Experience of risk management

Teaching experience

Essential

• Experience of teaching undergraduates
• Experience of teaching and supervising SHOs
• Experience of supervising SpRs
• Enthusiasm for teaching at all levels

Desirable

• Current certificate as NLS, APLS, PALS, ARNI instructor

Research experience

Essential

• Ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems
• Evidence of original work as demonstrated by publications in peer reviewed journals

Desirable

• Research activity leading to a higher degree [MD (UK) PhD or MPhil]
• Evidence of experience in research supervision
• Experience in Leading research