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Job overview

We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic Consultant Upper GI Surgeon to join our friendly Surgical Unit at Dorset County Hospital.  This is a newly created post, joining 2 other UGI surgeons. The successful candidate will join a 1 in 9 on call rota for general surgery. There will be a requirement to support the acute Upper GI bleed rota and help triage UGI fast track and routine UGI diagnostic pathways. The appointee will join the surgical team providing specialist Upper GI and general surgical services to the population of West Dorset and the adjoining areas.

It is expected that the candidate would be on the specialist register with experience of emergency general surgery, laparoscopic Upper GI surgery and be JAG accredited in gastroscopy. 

Proposed interview date: 17th June 2024

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will be expected to provide high quality care for patients with Upper GI conditions including cholecystitis and pancreatitis, as well as meeting the increasing demand for routine general surgical procedures.

The surgical department currently offers a “hot gallbladder” service and the successful candidate would actively take part in supporting and developing this service.

The Upper GI firm has an excellent track record in elective and emergency laparoscopic gallbladder surgery, with low conversion /complication rates. We are aiming to increase the numbers of Lap Choles performed as day case procedures in line with GIRFT.

Experience in specialist Upper GI-laparoscopic surgery e.g. anti-reflux procedures is desirable but not essential.

The post holder would be expected to carry out assessment and management of a range of upper GI conditions, including the triage of Upper GI cancer referrals and supporting Faster Diagnostic Standard, which we aim to be fully compliant with by March 2024.

The post-holder would be a core member of a well-established and functioning network Upper GI MDT (DCH,UHD and UHS) which includes specialist cancer nurses and is expected to manage patients presenting locally, arranging staging investigations and being able to provide palliative and diagnostic surgical procedures. Radical cancer resections are performed at the tertiary cancer centres, (UHD or UHS)

Working for our organisation

The Trust is the main provider of acute hospital care to the residents of West Dorset, North Dorset, Weymouth and Portland, a population of approximately 380,000. It also provides specialist services to the whole of Dorset and beyond including renal services in Bournemouth and Poole, and South Somerset. It serves an area with a higher than average elderly population and lower than average proportion of school aged children. There is a wide range of populations ranging from affluent to some pockets of high deprivation. Dorset continues to experience an increasing total population. 

Dorset County Hospital has been selected for investment as part of the Government’s New Hospitals Programme. A multi-storey carpark has recently been completed allowing space to start work on development of a new and expanded A&E department, critical care unit, main entrance and hospital support hub. New key worker housing and an integrated care hub are also being considered.  

The geographical spread of the community the Trust serves requires it to deliver community based as well as hospital-based services. This is achieved through providing services in GP practices, in patient homes through Acute Hospital at Home, and at community hospitals, in West Dorset, including Weymouth Community Hospital, Bridport Community Hospital, the Yeatman Community Hospital in Sherborne and Blandford Community Hospital. The Trust also works closely with social services to ensure integrated services are provided.