Job summary
- Main area
- Cellular Pathology
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Locum Consultant
- Contract
- Fixed term: 12 months (End Date Provisional November 2027)
- Hours
- Full time - 10 sessions per week
- Job ref
- 318-26-LOCCONSHISTO
- Employer
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Cheltenham General Hospital
- Town
- Cheltenham
- Salary
- £113,565 - £150,569 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 16/11/2026 23:59
Employer heading
Locum Consultant Histopathologist
NHS Medical & Dental: Locum Consultant
At Gloucestershire Hospitals, our people are at the heart of everything we do. As the county’s largest employer, we are proud to provide high-quality acute, elective, and specialist services to more than 650,000 people across our county. Our care is delivered across Gloucestershire Royal, Cheltenham General and Stroud Maternity Hospital.
With over 9,000 employees representing more than 95 nationalities, bringing together a mix of cultures and experiences to the care that we deliver. Whether you’re beginning your NHS journey or looking to take the next step in your career, this is an exciting time to join us. We’re investing heavily in innovation, research, and transformation, with more than 100 active clinical studies and major developments underway across our hospitals.
We take pride in working as one team, driven by a shared ambition to grow, develop, and continually improve. Every contribution is valued and by combining our collective strengths, we support not only our diverse communities but one another. You can expect a warm, supportive culture and colleagues who are passionate about teamwork, professional development and delivering exceptional care. We offer structured development programmes, mentoring and leadership opportunities to help you progress in your career.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from a comprehensive package that includes flexible working opportunities, generous annual leave, the NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, local discounts, access to on-site nurseries, reduced public transport costs, reward and recognition schemes and a wide range of health and wellbeing initiatives.
Be part of Gloucestershire Hospitals, explore your future with us today.
Job overview
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a 12-month 10 PA fixed term Consultant Histopathologist for maternity cover. The core service requirement for this post is diagnostic expertise in gastrointestinal pathology, and we particularly welcome applicants able to support these high‑volume and clinically critical services. Experience in other subspecialties and non‑gynaecological cytology is welcome.
The gynaecological pathology service is based at Cheltenham General Hospital and supports a large and well‑established clinical service. This includes secondary and tertiary gynaecological cancer services to a population of approximately 1.4 million, covering Herefordshire, Powys and Worcestershire, as well as diagnostic, unit‑level and tertiary management for the local Gloucestershire population of 652,000. The post therefore offers an opportunity to work within a busy, regionally significant service with strong MDT engagement.
The successful applicant will join a supportive, UKAS‑accredited Cellular Pathology Department with established digital pathology since 2025.
Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will:
- Provide high‑quality diagnostic reporting, with a core contribution to gastrointestinal pathology, supporting both local and regional cancer services.
- Support additional subspecialty areas aligned with experience and departmental need, including dermatopathology, urological, lung, GI or head & neck pathology and non-gynaecological cytology.
- Participate in cut‑up, supported by experienced dissection practitioners.
- Attend and contribute to MDT meetings, including regional and tertiary gynaecological cancer MDTs as appropriate.
- Take part in the department’s longstanding second‑signing process for quality assurance.
- Use the digital pathology service fully.
- Contribute to service development, audit and clinical governance in line with Trust policies.
Working for our organisation
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the largest provider within the SWAG Cancer Alliance and delivers high‑quality emergency, elective and specialist care across a wide range of services. The Cellular Pathology Department is based at Cheltenham General Hospital and supports both local and regional specialist clinical services, including tertiary gynaecological oncology.
Cheltenham is consistently rated as one of the best places to live in the UK, offering excellent schools, a vibrant cultural scene, green spaces and easy access to the Cotswolds.
The department has a strong culture of subspecialisation, a fully implemented digital pathology service, and an expanding Molecular Pathology Service, supporting modern diagnostics and flexible working.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical duties
- Histopathology reporting across a range of specimen types.
- Subspecialty reporting with emphasis on gastrointestinal pathology, including work supporting regional cancer services.
- Support additional subspecialty areas and/or non-gynaecological cytology aligned with experience and departmental need.
- MDT preparation and attendance.
- Participation in second‑signing and intra‑departmental consultation.
Training, teaching and departmental culture
The department has an active and supportive training culture:
- Consultants are expected to support postgraduate histopathology trainees.
- Regular undergraduate teaching is delivered, with medical students attending structured half‑day sessions.
- The department offers taster sessions for resident doctors considering a career in histopathology.
- Formal Educational Supervisor roles are allocated separately, but all consultants are expected to contribute to the educational environment.
Laboratory and departmental responsibilities
- Participation in the cut‑up rota with expert dissection practitioner support.
- Full engagement with digital pathology workflows, including remote reporting.
- Contribution to audit, service improvement, clinical governance and teaching.
Qualifications
- Full GMC registration with licence to practise.
- GMC Specialist Register for histopathology.
- Commitment to delivering a high‑quality cellular pathology service.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Full registration (can we have a license to practice) with general medical Council (GMC).
Desirable criteria
- Teaching qualification
- FRCPath or equivalent qualification
- Higher degree
- Teaching qualification
Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Experience in devising, conducting and applying audit results
- Familiar with clinical governance
- Awareness of current relevant developments within the NHS
Desirable criteria
- Training in evidence-based practice
- Ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems
Clinical/Experience
Essential criteria
- Proven clinical skills in cellular pathology
- Willing and able to work with colleagues in management and other specialities to ensure the delivery of a high quality, safe and reliable service
- Familiar with clinical governance
- A willingness to accept responsibility
- Awareness of current relevant developments within the NHS
- Determination to play a full part in the future development of the service
- Interest in teaching
Desirable criteria
- Experience of clinical governance
- Experience of teaching of hospital and professional staff at all levels
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Ability to work co-operatively as a team member
- Flexibility and willingness to share clinical responsibility
- An understanding of the wider healthcare environment in which Cellular Pathology operates.
- Conscientiousness
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to communicate effectively with clinical, academic and managerial colleagues and with all grades of laboratory, clerical and ancillary staff
- Ability to self-motivate
Desirable criteria
- Ability to think laterally
- Ability to respond quickly to change
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Michael Thomas
- Job title
- Clinical Lead and Consultant Histopathologist
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 03004223302
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