Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Fellows would be expected to acquire the critical care competencies as described in the Faculty of Intensive Care Curriculum at basic level, that is, within Stage 1. The objective of this post is to provide the Junior Fellow with knowledge and clinical experience in delivering a broad spectrum of critical care including:

·           Management of single and multiple organ failure secondary to cardiovascular intervention.

·           Advanced techniques in ventilation including protective lung strategies and management ALI/ARDS, differential ventilation and prone ventilation.

·           Management of patients post thoracic organ transplant

·           Renal replacement therapy

·           Advanced haemodynamic monitoring including pulmonary artery flotation catheters and non-invasive cardiac output monitoring.

·           Management of extracorporeal life support

In addition the Junior Fellow would acquire specialist skills in:

·         Postoperative management of complex cardiothoracic surgical patients.

·         Transoesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography and critical care ultrasound techniques.

·         Percutaneous tracheostomy, intra-aortic counter-pulsation therapy, invasive and non-invasive cardiac output monitoring techniques and pacing.

·         Non-invasive ventilation.

·         Contribution to a clinical or basic science research project during their appointment.

·         Contribution to an audit project

Competency –based training at the Harefield SIM centre

Clinical duties

The post holder will participate in the intensive care junior rota (EWTD compliant) in a 9 week rolling shift system, which comprises a 4 week block of cover to the intensive care unit with late and night shifts. There are further day-time duties in the recovery unit and the high dependency unit. Please note we will be likely changing to a 1 in 8 or 1 in 7 rota in August 2026. This rota is being devised currently.

The ICU is staffed by 15 consultants with an interest in intensive care on a rolling 8 week daytime roster with 2 consultants on during the daytime in the week. A third consultant (from Anaesthesia) covers the recovery unit and a fourth consultant covers the HDU and the critical care outreach service.

The post holder may be able to participate in activities related to his or her base speciality subject to mutual agreement between the post holder, the clinical lead for Intensive Care and the relevant service lead. Further details can be obtained from the clinical lead for Intensive Care.

Clinical experience

TOE training

• Basic and advanced peri-operative and critical care echocardiography education
• Initial training will focus on basic principles (physics, standard views for examination, Doppler principle and quantification etc),

Training sessions on the Heartworks TOE simulator

• Further training may include sponsorship for attendance at a recognised external advanced training course and mentorship for accreditation from the British Society of Echocardiography.

Critical Care Ultrasound

• Vascular access ultrasound
• Chest and pleural space ultrasound
• FEEL/FICE focussed ultrasound

Locally Run Courses

• Transfer training
• ECMO
• Mechanical Life Support

MDT and Transplant administration experience

• Contribution to retrieval and other transplant relating working groups
• Monthly morbidity and mortality audit meeting
• Education through attendance and participation in the Departmental Education Programme.

 Research experience

• The Department actively supports research. The post holder will be encouraged to develop and undertake a research project, which may be undertaken in collaboration with the Heart Science Centre (Imperial College).
• There will be an initial assessment at the commencement of the post to assess individual aims and objectives.
• Suitable time will be made available within the weekly timetable to participate in appropriate research and clinical audit.
• The Department encourages active participation in external critical care conferences.

1.       Additional Information

1.1.   Study Leave:    Up to 5 days per six months subject to operational constraints and approval. Study leave may be granted to the maximum consistent with maintaining essential services. 

Trust grades and Speciality Trainees must discuss study leave with their Consultants well in advance (at least 6 weeks prior)

1.2.    Annual Leave: Up to 12 days per six months subject to operational constraints and approval.  Trust grades and Speciality Trainees must give at least 6 weeks’ notice.  All annual leave should be requested via the correct form which must be signed by their consultant and passed to Diane McCann, Divisional Support, for authorisation.  No more than 2 Speciality Trainees/Trust grades to be away at same period.

1.3.    Library:               Library facilities are situated at Harefield Hospital and in the National Heart and Lung Institute which is a departmental library of Imperial College School of Medicine. Services include interlibrary loans, photocopying and on-line searching using CD-ROM and network services including MEDLINE, EMBASE and Science Citation Index.  The Audio-Visual Section provides a wide range of facilities including computer graphics, slide processing, poster titles, overhead transparencies and colour printing.

1.4.    Sickness: On first day of sickness, please inform your Registrar as well as the Consultant on your firm. On the 8th day, a medical certificate is to be submitted and to be continued at weekly intervals until fit to resume duty. Sickness is noted and the policy adhered to.

1.5.    Confidentiality:              During the course of your employment you may have access to, see or hear information of a confidential nature and you are required not to disclose such information, particularly that relating to patients and staff.

1.6.    Data Protection: In order to comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 you must not at any time use personal data held by the Trust for any unauthorised purpose or disclose such as data to a third party.

1.7.    You must not make any disclosure to any unauthorised person or use any confidential information relating to the business affairs of the Trust, unless expressly authorised to do so by the Trust.

1.8.    Health and safety: You must co-operate with management in discharging its responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and take reasonable health and safety of yourself and others and ensure the agreed safety procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for patients, employees and visitors.

1.9.    Diversity: You are at all times required to carry out your responsibilities with due regard to the Trust’s diversity policy and to ensure that staff receive equal treatment throughout their employment with the Trust.

1.10.                     CLINICAL GOVERNANCE

The post-holder will participate in the clinical audit, clinical effectiveness, risk management, quality improvement and any other clinical governance activities as required by the Trust, Health Authorities, and external accrediting bodies.

1.11.                     Conflict of interests: You may not without the consent of the Trust engage in any outside employment.  In accordance with the Trust’s conflict of interest policy, you must declare to your manager all private interests, which could potentially result in personal gain as a consequence of your employment in the Trust.  Interests that might appear to be in conflict should also be declared to your manager.

In addition, the NHS Code of Conduct and Standards of Business Conduct for NHS Staff (HSG 93/5) requires you to declare all situations where you or a close relative or associate has a controlling interest in a business (such as a private company, public organisation or other NHS voluntary organisation) or in any activity which may compete for any NHS contracts to supply goods or services to the Trust.  You must therefore register such interests with the Trust, either on appointment or subsequently whenever such interests are gained.  You should not engage in such interests without the written consent of the Trust, which will not be unreasonably withheld.  It is your responsibility to ensure that you are not placed in a position that may give rise to a conflict between your private interest and your NHS duties.

1.12.                     Code of Conduct for Professionally Qualified Staff: All staff are required to work in accordance with their professional group’s code of conduct (e.g. NMC, GMC, DoH Code of Conduct for Senior Managers). 

1.13.                     Disclosure and Barring Service checks (DBS): Any applicant who is short-listed for this post will be asked to complete a disclosure form as the post-holder will be required to have contact with vulnerable adults or persons under the age of 18. The successful candidate will be subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service prior to the appointment being confirmed.  The disclosure will include details of cautions, reprimands, and final warnings, as well as convictions if applicable.

The Trust operates a no-smoking policy

Note:    The above description is not exhaustive, and may be altered to meet the changing needs of the post and of the directorate.  The post holder will be expected to be flexible and to co-operate in accordance with the changing requirements of the directorate and of the Trust.