HealthJobsUK

Job overview

This post is based at Royal Stoke University Hospital (RSUH) which is part of the University Hospital of North Midlands (UHNM). This post is for a Locum Consultant Neonatologist to complete a team of 9 consultants to deliver neonatal care in the tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and in the Maternity Unit. 

This is an exciting post and an opportunity to join a highly regarded team within an expanding neonatal intensive care service. The post holder will be required to provide the full range of neonatology skills working in collaboration with consultants and multidisciplinary teams in both the Obstetric and Child Health Directorates.

The neonatal unit is designated a Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the West Midlands Perinatal Operational Delivery Network. The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit currently has 26 cots, 6 intensive care (IC), 6 high dependency (HD) and 14 special care (SC), although there is flexibility within this configuration. We opened our 6 cot Transitional Care Unit in January 2016 and this was expanded to 10 cots in 2018.  We would anticipate expanding to 7 IC and & 7 HD cots with improved nurse staffing and consultant numbers.

Main duties of the job

The post holder (along with the 8 other consultant neonatologists) will share in the provision of neonatal care at UHNM. Responsibility for day-to-day management of the NICU and all associated work will be shared by the neonatal consultants. Consultant cover is required on a 24-hour 7-day week basis. The consultants are also available to provide 24/7 liaison and advice to local neonatal units via the regional specialist neonatal transport team (KIDS and NTS) as needed. This post will take an equal share of consultant of the week.  This would be 1:9 for out of hours cover and on call.    

The consultant of the week (1) is the consultant covering the intensive care room on the neonatal unit. They are available to supervise medical care on the intensive care room, liaise with nursing staff and to act as a contact with obstetric staff from 8.45am – 16:45pm each weekday. All consultants contribute to the 1:9 on call rota (Resident 16:45-21:30) and on-call 21:30–09:15am – 7 days per week. There is a second consultant of the week (2) to support and cover the lower dependency areas. 

Outside the neonatal service weeks, the consultant will be free to attend other outpatient, scanning and other non-service obligations. Responsibilities for administration and development of the service, training of medical and nursing staff, audit, clinical governance and risk management will be shared between all consultant staff and is included in SPA activity.  

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust is one of the largest and most modern in the country. Based across two sites, Royal Stoke in Stoke-on-Trent and County Hospital in Stafford, we are proud to serve around three million people and we're highly regarded for our facilities, teaching and research. We are the specialist centre for major trauma for the North Midlands and North Wales.

All of our employees make a valuable contribution regardless of role here at UHNM and we are proud of our wide range of development packages aimed at ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their true potential. 

UHNM create and encourage a culture of inclusion, providing equal opportunities for career development that are fair and transparent. We are committed to being a diverse and inclusive employer and foster a culture in which all staff feel valued and respected. In return we ask all of our employees to make a commitment to the values, co-created by or staff, patients and carers, and that unite us as a Trust.

At University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust we know that investing in, supporting and developing our staff has a direct impact on the quality of care that we deliver. Our employees are as important as our patients and the population that we serve.