Locum Consultant Cardiologist - In-Reach Team | Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

There is an exciting locum opportunity to join the diverse Cardiology team at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust,

Applications are invited for the above locum post to join our current team of 11 Cardiology Consultants with varying specialist interests including Interventional Cardiology, Cardiac Imaging, CMRI, Heart Failure and Cardiology In-Reach Service based at the Luton & Dunstable Hospital. We are a friendly, dynamic, innovative and future focussed department; and, are seeking like-minded individual that will complement and enhance our existing Cardiology In-Reach team.

Locum Consultant Cardiologist - In-Reach Team - Key Tasks

Maintenance of the highest clinical standards in the management of all patients presenting to the Hospital.

To share, with colleagues in the Cardiology Department the management of all adult patients with Cardiology disorders referred to the Trust.

To participate in a cardiology on-call rota and in-reach rota as required providing specialist, timely advice in line with the seven day service national agenda and trust service need.

To actively participate in both departmental and Trust matters concerning quality and safety governance.

To have responsibility for and actively participate in continuing professional development (CPD).

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust provides hospital services to a growing population of around 700,000 people living across Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas across two busy hospital sites in Bedford and Luton. Both hospital sites offer key services such as A&E, Obstetrics-led Maternity and Paediatrics. You will be joining a friendly, high performing Trust committed to ensuring the health and wellbeing of staff. As one of the largest NHS Trusts in our region you will have access to a programme of high quality training and development to help you grow your career. The Trust continues to be committed to delivering the best patient care using the best clinical knowledge and technology.

Our Values

We not only recruit based on qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our Trusts core values. We achieve this by using values based recruitment. We are dedicated to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone, we are committed to promoting equality and diversity, and creating a culture that values differences.

Please note that vacancies may close prior to the advertised closing date when sufficient number of applications have been received. All new staff will be subject to a probationary period covering first 6 months in post. Travel between hospital sites may be required. Please review all documents attached to ensure you familiarize yourself with all requirements of the job.

The appointee will join the Cardiology department in the delivery of clinical excellence within the practice of general Cardiology in an acute setting in offering in-reach work.

The successful candidate will complement the consultant capacity to enable an effective and seamless service for cardiology in both in-patient and elective settings through a dedicated in-reach service supporting acute care of cardiology patients in the emergency department, acute medical wards, and SDEC (Same day emergency care) areas. This will also include ward rounds, Consultant to Consultant referrals, GP Advice and Guidance, MDT meetings and general Cardiology outpatient clinics and hot clinics.

The appointee will participate in the provision of seven day cover in the form of separate weekday and weekend rotas to review patients outside of the Cardiology bed base (Emergency Department and Acute wards) and provide cardiology on-call. This will support senior specialist decision making at the front door.

The post-holder and other consultant colleagues will be expected to cover each other's absences on annual or study leave within the In-reach team and may be asked to cover other mandatory areas to support service provision.

A Needs Based Care (NBC) model is embedded across the Medicine Clinical Service Lines (CSLs) where timely allocation is predicated on a patient's clinical need and not on age. Early allocation of patients to a speciality team according to their clinical need, improved continuity of care across seven days, with minimal handovers and an identified single responsible consultant is associated with safer practice, improved clinical outcomes and higher levels of patient and workforce satisfaction.

Weekly work commitments are usually within the European directives on working hours and influenced by the Royal College of Physicians recommendations, the new consultant contract and specified in the Job Plan. The senior cardiologists in the department will act as mentors for new consultants, along with the other consultants in their absence. All clinical issues are openly discussed at formal and informal meetings.

The allocation of programmed activities will be based on 8.5 PAs for direct clinical care and 1.5 PAs for supporting professional activities. The detailed job plans will be agreed in consultation with the Clinical Director and the Consultants in the Department, with the approval of the Medical Director and Chief Executive or his/ her representative.

The job plans will be a prospective agreement that sets out a consultant's duties, responsibilities and objectives for the coming year. It will cover all aspects of a consultant's professional practice including clinical work, teaching, research, educational and managerial responsibilities. It will provide a clear schedule of commitments, both internal and external. In addition, it will provide personal objectives, including details of links to wider service objectives, and details of the support required by the consultant to fulfil the job plan and the objectives.

The pattern of work may change in the future to meet local changing needs and annual review meetings will take place in line with the new Consultant Contract, job planning and appraisal arrangements.