Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The post holder will be accountable to the Clinical Lead in Cellular Pathology.

Key duties and responsibilities

Specialist Interest

The Department operates a system of specialist reporting, each consultant having one or more special interests, which facilitates dealing with difficult cases and enhances patient care in accordance with Calman-Hine recommendations.

The specialist interests of this post are cytopathology & general histopathology. Cytopathology will form the main workload (6PAs) and general pathology (2PAs).

Diagnostic Cytopathology:

The department has an established FNA service (approx. 3000 cases annually) including EBUS & EUS FNA with onsite provisional reporting by consultant cytopathologists. A palpable FNA service is also provided by the cytopathologists in clinics, wards and theatres, which is requested through the cytology office and Epic. The cytology team provides an FNA service with Rapid Onsite Evaluation (ROSE) every working day at Guy’s & St Thomas’ sites to cover Navigational bronchoscopy, head & neck, melanoma, haematology and other rapid access clinics including Interventional Radiology.

At some clinics including Thyroid & other ultrasound guided FNA lists, where a pathologist is not in attendance, cytology Biomedical Scientists (BMS) assist radiologists in the assessment of sample adequacy by ROSE.

Other types of exfoliative cytology specimens (fluids, urine, washings and brushings) are also received in the department.

The Andrology service receives approx. 3600 specimens annually and is signed off by trained BMS staff with clinical oversight by the lead cytopathologist.

Cervical cytology and colposcopy MDMs are delivered by consultant pathologists and BMS at the London hub and is not a requirement for this post.

Cytology input is provided into the H&N, thyroid, lung, breast, haemato-oncology, gynaecological & gastro-intestinal MDMs. There is a consultant led multi-header teaching session every Monday 1-2pm for trainees and cytology BMS. The consultants are actively involved in teaching and presenting at national and international conferences, and support trainees and new consultants in their career development in Cytopathology.

General histopathology:

The successful candidate will be joining an existing team of 2 consultants who share the workload & are available to mentor a new colleague. The specimen types include the following -

Lumps and bumps: ganglion cysts, Morton neuromas, giant cell tumour tendon sheath, schwannomas/neurofibromas, lumps around eyelid e.g. chalazion/cysts.

Vascular specimens: mostly ascending aortas for dissection or dilatation, temporal artery biopsies, heart valve ?endocarditis, heart valve – other pathologies, atrial myxomas, occasional endomyocardial biopsies.

Bone and joints: femoral heads (one or two a week), joint replacement tissue ?infection, osteochondromas, other benign bone lesions e.g. osteophytes, enchondromas etc. Synovial biopsies, PVNS etc.

Eye: sometimes cornea and other eye specimens e.g. phthisis bulbi.

We are committed to teaching postgraduate students as well as being involved in the university teaching of undergraduate students.

Provide High Quality Care to Patients

·         The post holder must be medically qualified and maintain GMC specialist registration and hold a licence to practice

·         To develop and maintain the competencies required to carry out the duties required of the post.

·         To ensure prompt attendance at agreed direct clinical care Programmed Activities.

·         To provide expert histopathology and cytopathology services with the object of ensuring a high standard of patient care

·         To participate in the provision of the gastro-intestinal pathology service

·         To participate in clinical and other service activities with the object of ensuring a high standard of patient care 

Research, Teaching and Training

·         Where possible to collaborate with academic and clinical colleagues to enhance the Trust’s translational research portfolio, at all times meeting the full requirements of Research Governance.

·         To provide high quality teaching to medical undergraduates and members of other health care professions as required by the Clinical Director.

·         To act as educational supervisor and appraiser as delegated by the Clinical Director to ensure external accreditation of training post.

Performance Management

·         To work with medical, nursing and managerial colleagues to ensure high performance in the following areas:

·         Clinical efficiency e.g. LOS reductions, reducing cancelled operations and DNA rates.

·         Quality of outcomes e.g. infection control targets, reducing re-admission rates.

·         Financial management e.g. identification, implementation and achievement of cost improvement programmes and participating in efforts to ensure services are provided cost effectively e.g. managing locum agency spend, monitoring and managing the drug budget to target, ensuring accuracy of clinical data for the team.

·         Operational efficiency e.g. day-case rates, waiting list activity and demand management.

Medical Staff Management

·         To work with colleagues to ensure junior doctors’ hours are compliant in line with EWTD and New Deal.

·         To ensure that adequate systems and procedures are in place to control and monitor leave for junior medical staff and to ensure that there is appropriate cover within the clinical areas, including on-call commitments

·         To participate in the recruitment of junior medical staff as and when required.

·         To participate in team objective setting as part of the annual job planning cycle.

·         To be responsible for the annual appraisal of all doctors in training, Trust doctors, Clinical Fellows and non-consultant grades as delegated by the Clinical Director/General Manager.

Governance

·         To review clinical outcomes in designated area using external benchmarking data where appropriate, to identify and advise variances to the Clinical Director.

·         Participate in clinical audit, incident reporting and analysis and to ensure resulting actions are implemented.

·         To work closely with the Directorate, Patient and Public Involvement panels in relation to clinical and services developments as delegated by the Clinical Director.

·         Participate in ensuring NICE requirements are reviewed and implemented and monitored in the speciality areas.

·         To ensure clinical guidelines and protocols are adhered to by junior medical staff and updated on a regular basis.

·         To keep fully informed about best practice in the speciality areas and ensure implications for practice changes are discussed with the Clinical Director.

·         To role model good practice for infection control to all members of the multidisciplinary team.

Strategy and Business Planning

·         To participate in the business planning and objective setting process for the directorate and Trust where appropriate.

·         To represent the Trust at appropriate clinical networks/other external clinical meetings, as delegated by the Clinical Director.

Leadership and Team Working

·         To demonstrate excellent leadership skills with regards to individual performance, clinical teams, the Trust and when participating in national or local initiatives.

·         To work collaboratively with all members of the multi-disciplinary team and Kings Health Partners as required.

·         To chair regular meetings for the specialties.

·         To resolve conflict and difficult situations through negotiation and discussion, involving appropriate parties.

·         Adhere to Trust/departmental guidelines on leave including reporting absence.

The successful candidate will be expected to participate in continuing professional development (CPD) and this form part of the supporting programmed activities in the agreed job plan (please see example below).