Job overview

We are seeking an enthusiastic Consultant Colorectal Surgeon to join our team at Dorset County Hospital.  The Colorectal unit provides specialist coloproctology services to the population of West Dorset and sees approximately 2,000 new suspected cancer referrals per year.

The service also provides expertise in a wide range of benign coloproctology including surgical management of IBD, proctology, TAMIS and advanced endoscopy, including bowel cancer screening. We currently have 2 new advanced Stryker HD laparoscopic stacks and ICG ready scopes. A business case is underway to introduce both ICG and Robotic surgery to DCH.

This is a vacant post joining 5 other colorectal specialists and 2 UGI specialists. The successful candidate will join a 1 in 9 on-call rota for emergency general surgery. 

It is expected that the candidate would be on the specialist register with experience of emergency general surgery, laparoscopic surgery, experience in robotic surgery (desirable) and be JAG accredited in colonoscopy. 

Main duties of the job

To provide a high quality and effective Colorectal service to the population of West Dorset and the adjoining areas.  This will include being a core member of the Lower GI multidisciplinary team and the Wessex Cancer Alliance.

To provide inpatient, day case and outpatient care for the patients (adult and paediatric) requiring elective and emergency surgery in accordance with the Trust contractual obligations

To contribute to the training of higher and basic surgical trainees and other professional team members.

To participate in audit, clinical governance and complaint management

To fulfil continuing professional development requirements in line with clinical governance.

To participate in acute General Surgical on-call rota with a frequency of 1:9

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.