Consultant in Histopathology

This is a replacement post following retirement of consultants. The appointee, together with 8 consultant colleagues and one specialist grade colleague, will be responsible for the provision of a comprehensive, efficient and cost-effective cellular pathology service. The appointee will be expected to spend up to 8½ PAs (9½ PAs if an additional PA is taken up) in cellular pathology and multi-disciplinary team meetings. The additional supporting 1½ PAs cover CPD, EQA/audit, attendance at mandatory training, general administration relating to audit / clinical governance activity, job planning & appraisal - including time for preparation and meetings relating to this activity. Further SPA time is available for specific duties by negotiation. These duties will be worked flexibly in order to maintain a mutually agreed work plan and day-to-day rota. There is a possibility to work from home on some days (subject to separate agreement with the Clinical Lead). The work will include
teaching and clinical audit within the department and as part of other departmental audits. The base Hospital for this appointment is the Somerset Foundation Trust on the Musgrove Park Hospital site. The successful candidate might be offered to provide some cross-county service for Yeovil District Hospital)., § Deliver a range of histological and/or cytological diagnostics, to the highest possible standard, in line with the programme agreed with the Clinical Lead.
§ Assume responsibility for the organisation and management of histological and/or cytological diagnostics to patients in the hospital, in conjunction with colleagues across the hospital
§ Fully comply with all the requirements set out in the Trusts policies
§ Supervise the education of Junior Doctors, through effective scheduling of their teaching and training activities in support of professional and personal development
§ Mentor/Coach histopathology trainees and provide assessments and appraisals - ensuring any appropriate remedial action is taken where appropriate
§ Participate in the departmental teaching of medical students
§ Initiate and supervise audit projects in order to actively contribute to the development and reporting of Clinical Quality Standards
§ Maintain a satisfactory level of professional expertise through a recognised programme of Continuing Professional Development
§ Participate in a general histology QA scheme and in schemes specific to their subspeciality area
§ Ensure all activities undertaken are within the required level of competence expected by the Trust and the professional organisation relating to the specialty
§ Work with colleagues to develop service in line with key stakeholders (patients, commissioners, etc)
§ Research activities as agreed with the Clinical Lead
§ Responsible for undertaking administrative and budgetary duties associated with the care of patients and the efficient running of the department
§ Provide cover for colleagues in their absence and deal with emergencies as occasions demand
§ Complete all Mandatory Trust training.
§ Actively participate in the annual appraisal and job planning process
Equity, diversity, and inclusion is a priority for us. As a trust we welcome and encourage applications irrespective of age, disability, sex, gender identity and gender expression, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation, or personal circumstances. We do our best to ensure our recruitment process is accessible and inclusive. If you have a disability and require an adjustment at any point during the recruitment process, please let us know.

Our award winning trusts recognise that our colleagues are our most valuable resource, we are proud of the excellent levels of service our Trust provides to our service users and the dedication and conscientiousness of our colleagues. With over 10,000 colleagues working for our trusts in a very wide range of services, we aim to provide a supportive, inclusive environment in which our colleagues can thrive., The department handles material from the local Trust hospital, local treatment centres and many of the GP practices in Somerset. There is partial subspecialisation of the workload with most large specimens and some biopsy work allocated to individual consultants who also run the associated MDT. A flexible rota is organized on rotating basis. All remaining aspects of work are shared between the Consultants. Some Consultants have opted out of post-mortem work and/or non-gynae cytology. Any excess work building up in a backlog is covered by additional activities done outside the standard contracted hours and paid as overtime. It has been agreed that the expected reporting output of pathologists will be calculated using the points system set out in "Staffing and Workload for Cellular Pathology Departments - January 2024 , Ref: G107" published by the Royal College of Pathologists. Work in excess of the expected output can be claimed as extra work.

As an organisation, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust offers employees a wide range of benefits including flexible working, NHS pension scheme, generous annual leave allowance and a commitment to career development.
You will be eligible for our Blue Light Card and a wide range of NHS exclusive shopping & leisure discounts.
We are proud of our skilled, diverse workforce and as an inclusive employer we welcome applications from all backgrounds.
Working in Somerset enables you to enjoy the idyllic countryside, areas of outstanding beauty and stunning coastlines whilst still only being a stone's throw away from bustling city centres like Bristol, Bath and Exeter and only two hours away from London.
There are excellent educational facilities in the area and, when compared to other regions, house prices are reasonable.
Somerset offers the countryside and the cosmopolitan - there is truly something for everyone!