Job overview

An opportunity has arisen for a Consultant in Rheumatology within a growing, dynamic and forward thinking Rheumatology service at Chelsea & Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust. The post will be joint with London North West University Healthcare Trust (LNWUH) and have dedicated, fixed-term Research sessions with LNWUH in the first 2 years. Following this period, if the research PAs are unable to be continued or determined as not being self-funded through grants or commercial studies, the job plan will reduce or be filled by alternative activities at CWFT and/or LNWUH. 

The candidate will join a faculty at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital which currently consists of 4 Consultants, a Specialty Doctor and a Specialist Registrar, working with a multidisciplinary team. In recent years the service has developed with additional Rheumatology Consultant time, additional Rheumatology Nurse Specialists and an increase in Specialist Rheumatology Pharmacist and Advanced Physiotherapy Practitioner support. The appointed individual is expected to uphold the Trust values to ensure the delivery of the highest quality care to patients.

The post holder should have a wide experience of Rheumatology, including management of patients with auto-immune connective tissue disease / vasculitis and osteoporosis as well as inflammatory arthritis and general rheumatology. They should show keen interest and experience in clinical research and commitment to audit, service improvement and leadership.

Main duties of the job

1.       Outpatient activity

Consultant led outpatient clinics each week as detailed in the job plan. There are nurse led clinics including for patient education and disease modifying drug monitoring to support the outpatient service. There is a pharmacist prescriber to support prescription of DMARD drugs. There is an Advanced Physiotherapist Practitioner providing a weekly Spondyloarthritis clinic within the Rheumatology Outpatients.

2.       Inpatient activity

Rheumatology patients are admitted under the medical teams, with appropriate input provided from the Rheumatology SPR and Consultants. Rheumatology SPR and Consultants also provide advice around management of rheumatology-related problems in other patients on request, including patients on the Ambulatory & Emergency Care Unit as well as wards. 

3. MDT meetings

Attendance with appropriate contribution is expected at the radiology/rheumatology MDT, attended by specialist musculoskeletal consultant radiologists and trainees, and at the fortnightly Complex Rheumatology/Connective Tissue Disease/Vasculitis meetings. 

4. Departmental meetings

Attendance with appropriate contribution is expected at the weekly Grand Round and Rheumatology Academic Meetings, as part of CPD. Attendance with appropriate contribution is expected at Governance Meetings.

Please see full job description for complete details.

Working for our organisation

We provide services from two main hospitals, West Middlesex University Hospital and Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, and a number of clinics across London and the South-East. We have over 6,000 members of staff that are PROUD to Care for nearly one million people. Both hospitals provide full clinical services, including full maternity, emergency and children’s, in addition to a range of community-based services across London, such as award-winning sexual health and HIV clinics.

We’re one of the best preforming Trusts in the country. We’re also one of the top trusts to work for – our staff say they’re engaged, motivated, and would recommend us as a place to work and receive treatment.

Our Trust has been rated by the Care Quality Commission as ‘Good’ in all five of the main domains of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, giving an us overall rating of ‘Good’. We’ve also been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ rating for ‘use of resources’ by an NHS Improvement inspection.

Our facilities are some of the best in the country. We have been investing around £10 million a year in our estate. We are currently spending £25 million on expanding our adult and neonatal critical care facilities at Chelsea and Westminster and redevelopment of our children’s unit at West Middlesex – in partnership with our charity, CW+ and generous donors.