Consultant Anaesthetists

The Department provides anaesthetic services for elective surgery in: General Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Burns Surgery, Urology, ENT, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Surgery and Gynaecology. The Trust has taken delivery of a surgical robot. The first robot assisted operation took place at the end of April 2022. Currently Colorectal, Gynaecological and urological robotic surgery is well established. The Trust is the only Trust in Merseyside undertaking emergency and elective Bariatric surgery.
The department also provides emergency anaesthetic cover for these services on a 24 - hour basis.
There are presently more than 14 orthopaedic trauma lists, 10 daytime plastic surgery trauma lists, and 15 daytime general emergency sessions provided per week on the Whiston site.
The Department also provides a 24-hour epidural service for analgesia during labour, and a 24-hour anaesthetic service for obstetric emergencies including caesarean sections.
Surgery in the Trust is undertaken on both the Whiston Hospital and St Helens Hospital sites. These are approximately 15 minutes drive apart., As a Disability Confident Leader, we commit to offering an interview to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
If you are having difficulty completing an online application, or require any disability reasonable adjustments, to the application process, please contact [email protected]
We also commit to offering an interview to all armed forces veterans who meet the minimum criteria for the job (the essential criteria) listed in the personal specification. If you wish to apply under this Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please indicate this on the online application form.
The Trust operates anonymous shortlisting where no personal information about you, including your name or personal details are shared with the recruiting manager. No equality information is shared at any time during the recruitment process with the recruiting manager or other people involved in the decision making process.
The equality monitoring information you provide is used in the following situations: to review our recruitment practices; where a job is limited to a specific person to verify their eligibility to apply; and to offer disability reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process.
Changes have been made to the NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook which mean that:
+ All employees have the right to request flexible working from day one of employment.
+ There is no limit on the number of requests they can make.
+ Employees have the right to make requests, have them considered, regardless of the reason.
At Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, we will consider requests for flexible working.
Please be advised that the use of Artificial Intelligence on applications is monitored and if you choose to use this, you must declare this on your application form.

Applicants are required to hold Membership of the Royal College of Anaesthetists (UK or equivalent qualifications), to be fully registered with the General Medical Council, and to be on the Specialist Register or due to obtain their CCT within six months of the date of interview. CESR candidates must have written GMC confirmation of successful application.

There are 3 posts available, all are newly funded posts to support the recent opening of 2 new theatres . They are available on a whole time / less than full time / job share basis as appropriate (10 PAs). These posts offer exciting opportunities for highly motivated anaesthetists to join a dynamic, expanding team delivering multidisciplinary acute care in Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust based at Whiston and St Helens Hospitals., Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 9000 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.
We strongly believe that the communities we serve should all have access to Five Star Patient Care.
Our Services:
Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.
Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.
Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation, freeing up space for more unwell patients. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.
Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.
Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018


• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)


• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme, Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

A £338 million (PFI) investment has re-built and modernised both Whiston and St Helens Hospitals, resulting in modern state of the art health care facilities for the treatment and care of patients. St Helens Hospital was completed in 2008 and Whiston Hospital in 2010. The hospitals include 887 inpatient beds with state-of-the-art CT and MRI facilities existing on both hospital sites. CT and MRI scanners at St Helens have also recently been upgraded including installation of a high field 3 Tesla MRI scanner. The DEXA scanner is also located at St Helens Hospital.
The Trust delivers acute hospital care, intermediate care, community, and primary care services to a population of over 600,000 people with a combined workforce of around 9000 dedicated and skilled staff from 17 locations including Whiston, Southport & Formby, St Helens, Ormskirk, and Newton hospitals.
The Trust provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery, and spinal injuries to more than 4 million people across Mersey and West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales.
As a Trust, our aim is to provide a high-quality service to all patients. We strive to meet the best standards for professional care whilst being sensitive and responsive to the needs of individual patients. Our valued workforce is recognised for their unique skills and talents with our teams of experts winning national awards on a regular basis.
Whiston Hospital
Whiston Hospital a busy teaching hospital which provides a comprehensive range of acute Medical and Surgical Services, Emergency Services, Maternity Services, Paediatrics and Medicine for Older People. The Regional Burns and Plastic Surgery Units are also based on this site. There is a Critical Care Unit consisting of ICU, HDU, CCU and an onsite Cardiac Catheter Laboratory. The stroke consultants deliver 24/7 thrombolysis to eligible patients presenting with acute stroke. There is a 30-bed Stroke Unit which accommodates both acute stroke patients and those with rehabilitation needs.
St Helens Hospital
St Helens Hospital is an Ambulatory Care Centre providing Intermediate Care and Day Surgery. Rheumatology, Dermatology and Diabetes services are based on this site and within easy reach of other acute specialties at Whiston Hospital.
Southport Hospital
Southport Hospital is a General Hospital that includes adults' accident and emergency services, intensive care, and a range of medical and surgical specialities. There is also an outpatients' service. The North West Regional Spinal Injuries Centre at Southport hospital provides specialist care for spinal patients from across the North West, North Wales, and the Isle of Man.
The hospital, which replaced the Southport General Infirmary and the Southport Promenade Hospital, opened in September 1988.
Ormskirk Hospital
Ormskirk Hospital is a General Hospital and provides women's and children's services, including accident and emergency services, surgery, and maternity care.
The hospital provides these services for patients living across West Lancashire, Southport, and Formby.
Life in Merseyside and West Lancashire
Merseyside, which includes the great city of Liverpool, is within easy reach of North Wales, the Lake District and the Peak District and provides an interesting mix of rural and urban life.
Liverpool is a vibrant, music city which has undergone a renaissance in recent years and has recently been named European City of Culture.
High quality schools are available in and around Merseyside and West Lancashire. The area has many sports facilities including championship golf courses, several sailing clubs and one of the finest windsurfing venues in Britain.
People from Merseyside and West Lancashire are renowned for their friendliness and quick-witted humour and the region sports two of the finest football teams in the Premier League.
The town of St Helens is renowned for its glassworks and rugby. The district has a population of around 340,000 and is of mixed residential, industrial, and rural character. It is situated on the edge of Merseyside, between the open countryside of Cheshire to the south and Lancashire to the north.
Southport is a seaside town and has a population of around 90,000. Southport lies on the Irish Sea Coast and is fringed to the north by the Ribble estuary. Town attractions include Southport Pier, the second longest seaside pleasure pier in the British Isles and Lord Street, an elegant tree-lined shopping street. Southport today is still one of the most popular seaside resorts in the UK and hosts various events including an annual air show on and over the beach, the largest independent flower show in the UK and the British Musical Fireworks Championship.
Ormskirk is an historic Market town surrounded by beautiful countryside, reserves, and wildlife. Ormskirk has quaint village streets, winning restaurants and farm shops and is also home to the award-winning Edgehill University.
Distance to Liverpool City Centre:
From Whiston Hospital - 13.3 miles
From St Helens Hospital - 15 miles
From Southport Hospital - 19.9 miles
From Ormskirk Hospital - 18.1 miles
Distance to Manchester City Centre:
From Whiston Hospital - 26.6 miles
From St Helens Hospital - 27.7 miles
From Southport Hospital - 42.4 miles
From Ormskirk Hospital - 35.4 miles
Transitional arrangements are in place for EU,EEA and Swiss Citizens following the UK's withdrawal from the EU. Should this apply to you, you are advised to familiarise yourself with these arrangements to ensure you continue to have right to work in the UK and how to evidence that right in the future. Please see the document attached to this vacancy. This requirement does not apply to Irish citizens, who can continue to freely enter, live and work in the UK.
The Trust is a non-smoking site. Failure to follow this rule could lead to disciplinary action.
Please be aware, that we may close a vacancy earlier than stated, should a sufficient number of applications be received from which a shortlist can be confirmed therefore you are advised to apply at your earliest convenience. The Trust may contact you during the recruitment process for your feedback on your experience.
We actively cultivate a professional environment of fairness, equality, dignity, and respect for all individuals. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and value the unique skills, perspective and experience you bring. We are grounded in the belief that diversity enhances our collective strength, fostering innovation and excellence within our workforce.