Consultant Medical Oncology in Gastrointestinal Cancer
Job Description
Job summary
The post is for a locum, less than full time (8.5 PA) Consultant Medical Oncologist with specialist interest in in gastrointestinal cancer with a focus on colorectal, oesophageal and gastric cancer within the Department of Oncology at St George's Hospital. Within the Oncology department, the post-holder will work alongside the Upper Gastrointestinal oncology consultants (Dr Jason Chow and Dr Anna-Mary Young) and work alongside the Lower Gastrointestinal oncology consultants (Dr Fiona Loft and Dr Dimitra Repana). The post-holder's mentor for this new post will be Dr Fiona Lofts to help integrate the post-holder into St George's Healthcare - potentially a new trust - particularly important if he/she is a new consultant transitioning from Specialist Trainee status. Mentorship meetings will be formalised protected time and will occur weekly for six weeks then monthly and will be shared with Dr Jason Chow, Care Group Lead.
Main duties of the job
Please see attached JD for further details regarding the post. Break down of PA, other programme activities, regular meetings and proposed time table.
About us
With over 9,000 dedicated staff caring for patients around the clock, we are the largest healthcare provider in southwest London. Our main site, St George's Hospital in Tooting - one of the country's principal teaching hospitals - is shared with St George's, University of London, which trains medical students and carries out advanced medical research. St George's Hospital also hosts the St George's, University of London and Kingston University Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences, which is responsible for training a wide range of healthcare professionals from across the region. In addition to acute hospital services, we provide a wide variety of specialist care and a full range of community services to patients of all ages following integration with Community Services Wandsworth in 2010.
St George's Healthcare serves a population of 1.3 million across southwest London. A large number of services, such as cardiothoracic medicine and surgery, neurosciences and renal transplantation, also cover significant populations from Surrey and Sussex, totalling around 3.5 million people. The trust also provides care for patients from a larger catchment area in southeast England, for specialties such as complex pelvic trauma. Other services treat patients from all over the country, such as family HIV care and bone marrow transplantation for non-cancer diseases. The trust also provides a nationwide state-of-the-art endoscopy training centre.
Job responsibilities
- To provide and co-ordinate the medical oncology management of patients with gastrointestinal cancer to ensure best practice is maintained, working closely with the Medical Oncology Consultant Colleagues and with Surgeons, Pathologists, Radiologists and Clinical Oncologists.
- To support and, with their Medical Oncology Consultant Colleague, oversee the care of the inpatients under the care of the Oncology team.
- To support the Ambulatory Unit with consultant availability and review for nurse-led service.
- To advise on medical oncology aspects of treatment and care for colleagues in other specialities within the department, St Georges Healthcare and General Practitioners.
- To participate in and support the multidisciplinary oncology team, which includes Clinical Oncologists, Surgeons, the relevant junior team, Specialist Nursing Staff, Therapists, Dieticians, Social workers, Palliative Care, and Counselling for patients and families.
- To contribute to ongoing research projects using the clinical and / or laboratory facilities available.
- To participate in each multidisciplinary meetings to review all relevant histology and radiology.
- As a senior medical team member, the post-holder will provide leadership and support for the effective development of the service discussed within operational policy meetings.
- The post-holder will contribute to developing the departmental objectives and business plan and manage resources within the approved plan. The consultant will be part of the Division of Medicine and accountable to the Clinical Director for Specialist Medicine.
- To actively participate in the management and administration of the clinical service.
- To support Core Medical Trainees (and trust grade SHOs) assigned to Oncology and to act as the coordinator of their teaching within oncology. To be responsible for the induction of these doctors and ensuring that all junior staff complete assessments and are appraised at regular intervals. Also, to link with the relevant colleagues who oversee Core Medical Training at SGH and to attend relevant meetings and committees on behalf of the Oncology department.
- To coordinate a local teaching programme for junior clinicians attached to oncology.
- To act as clinical supervisor to Specialist Registrars and/or Core Medical Trainees in your team.
- To participate in the teaching of Specialist Registrars in Medical Oncology.
- To work within the department to seek ways of improving the efficiency of the service without sacrificing quality.
- To contribute to the departments risk management and the development and maintenance of best clinical practices through Clinical Governance.
To fulfil all timetable commitments (see below)
- The post-holder is expected to liaise with his/her consultant colleagues to provide internal cover for annual and sick leave, and under exceptional circumstances, this may require some flexibility in the post-holders hours.
- To participate in medical audits, both procedural and clinical as appropriate.
- To remain committed to developing his or her professional knowledge and fulfilling their Continuing Medical Education and GMC revalidation requirements.
- To partake in the consultant rota, which ensures 24-hour medical cover to the Oncology Department and the AOS service. The Trust runs a Hospital at Night system, with Oncology patients being cared for by the cold medical SHO out of hours under the current arrangements. A firm arrangement is agreed upon for time off in lieu for each weekend ward round delivered by oncology consultants.
- To participate in teaching medicine to medical students of St Georges Hospital Medical School at regular clinical sessions. To provide postgraduate teaching and educational sessions as required by healthcare professionals within the Joint Faculty and Trust.
- To fulfil all the general conditions applying to employees of St Georges Healthcare Trust
Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Medical degree (A)
- Full registration and license to practice with General Medical Council or eligible if currently working overseas (A)
- Has CC(S)T and on the Special Register for Medical Oncology or eligible for CCT and inclusion on the Specialist Register within 3 months of the interview date (A)
- Higher professional qualification (eg. MRCP) (A)
Desirable
- Completion of a relevant management course or programme (A)
- Completion of a teaching course (A)
- MD or PhD (A)
Experience
Essential
- Comprehensive training on a recognised SpR programme or equivalent in Medical Oncology (I/A)
- Demonstrable experience in all aspects of Clinical Governance including leading clinical audits and implementing change (I/A)
- Ability to take full and independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients (I/A)
- A track record in teaching medical and other clinical staff and students (I/A)
- Experience of giving clinical presentations (A)
- Published research as papers or presentations (A)
Desirable
- Management experience (I/A)
- Experience of an Acute Oncology Service (I/A) and Melanoma
- Experience of conducting clinical research (I/A)
- Involvement with national/international bodies
Skills
Essential
- Ability to develop, motivate, work productively in and lead multidisciplinary teams (I/A)
- High level of verbal and written communication skills (I/A)
- Ability to develop rapport with and discuss treatment options with patients in a way they can understand (I/A)
- Strong leadership skills and performance driven (I/A)
- Ability to advise on the efficient and smooth running of a specialist service (I)
- Ability to initiate and implement change (I)
- Good interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence (I)
- Negotiating skills in order to influence others in a positive manner with the aim of resolving conflict where it may occur (I/A)
- IT skills (A)
- Ability to critically appraise scientific literature (I/A)
Desirable
- Research skills (I/A)
- Writing successful grant application(s) (A)
- Publications in peer reviewed journals (A)
