Job summary
- Main area
- Neurosurgery - Spine
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Junior Clinical Fellow
- Contract
- 12 months (Fixed term: 12 months)
- Hours
- Full time - 40 hours per week
- Job ref
- 160-7194527
- Employer
- The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- The Walton Centre
- Town
- Liverpool
- Salary
- £49,909 - £61,825 per annum
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 30/05/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Academic Clinical Fellowship in Neurosurgery (Spine)
NHS Medical & Dental: Junior Clinical Fellow
Job overview
Academic Clinical Fellowship in Neurosurgery (Spine)
This is an industry funded post in Neurosurgery (Spine). It is a full time post based at The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust without on call commitments.
The post is designed as a 1-year post at Junior Clinical Fellow level for neurosurgical/neuroscience/spine focussed individuals who wish to develop their research skills and gain clinical experience in neurosurgery in the largest stand alone unit for Neurosurgery and Neurology in the UK.
Half the time will be devoted to a neuro-spine based research project, and half to clinical service delivery in a neurosurgery post. The focus of the post is to develop the research and clinical skills needed to pursue further training at PhD level or obtain a numbered training post.
The post holder will work as a Junior Clinical Fellow (SHO grade) working on a split pattern of clinical and research duties (50:50). The SHO post will be without on call duties.
Main duties of the job
Clinical Training and Responsibilities
• The post holder will be expected to work at a ST1 equivalent (SHO) level. The post is designed to support the Neurosurgical team, based at Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust. There will be no out of hours on call commitment.
• The post is suited for individuals who wish to pursue a career in Neurosurgery in the United Kingdom. The post does not attract a National Training Number. However, support and supervision will be available for appointees to pursue these posts. The clinical duties of this post are equivalent to an ST1-2 trainee in Neurosurgery.
• The post holder will be expected to participate fully in the departmental training and activities.
Working for our organisation
The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust is the only NHS trust to hold dual accreditation for the Investors in People. We invest in people and we invest in wellbeing standards and have been awarded Gold status for both. The Walton Centre is a leader in the treatment and care of neurology and neurosurgery, placing the patient and their family at the heart of everything we do. As the only specialist hospital trust in the UK dedicated to providing comprehensive neurology, neurosurgery, spinal and pain management services we are proud to be rated as an Outstanding Trust by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and champion change throughout the field of neuroscience. Originally formed in 1992, the Trust received Foundation Trust status in 2009.
With around 1,450 staff, The Walton Centre treats more than 127,000 outpatients and 18,000 inpatients each year. We have leading specialists and incredibly dedicated staff delivering excellent clinical outcomes for brain, spinal and neurological care nationally and internationally. Teams across our site in Fazakerley, Liverpool, offer a world-class service in diagnosing and treating injuries and illnesses affecting the brain, spine and peripheral nerves and muscles, and in supporting people suffering from a wide range of long-term neurological conditions.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The role is complementary to the role of junior doctors in training, although it is not a training post. The post-holder will be able to access the same educational opportunities within the Trust as trainees, and will be allowed study leave and a small study leave budget to facilitate access to wider educational opportunities. An Educational Supervisor will be allocated to each post-holder. The Trust is keen to support those post-holders interested in gaining national selection.
Post-holders will work primarily on the wards, but Junior doctors are also allocated to theatre. The morning starts with a Consultant handover meeting attended by all teams, following which each team subdivides and undertakes a ward round. Clinical work emanates from this round.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- MBBS or equivalent qualification
- Eligible for full registration with the GMC at time of appointment and hold a current licence to practice
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of current or recent (within last 3 years) employment in a UK affiliated Foundation Programme or overseas equivalent
- 12 months experience in neurology/neurosurgery plus 12 months in other medical or surgical specialities after full GMC registration (or equivalent) and evidence of achievement of GMC standards of Good Medical Practice
Eligibility
Essential criteria
- Eligibility to work in UK
- Not previously removed from any medical training programme except under exceptional circumstances
Language skills
Essential criteria
- All applicants to have demonstrable skills in written and spoken English adequate to enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues demonstrated by one of the following: That applicants have undertaken undergraduate medical training in English or Have achieved the following scores in the academic International English Language Testing System (ELTS) in a single Application form Interview/Sele ction centre 6 sitting within 2/4 months at time of application – Overall 7.5, Speaking 7, Listening 7, Reading 7, and Writing 7.
Career Progression
Essential criteria
- Ability to provide a complete employment history
- Evidence that career progression is consistent with personal circumstances
- Evidence that present achievement and performance is commensurate with totality of period of training
Skills
Essential criteria
- Appropriate knowledge base and ability to apply sound clinical judgement to problems
- Demonstrates understanding of the basic principles of audit, clinical risk management, evidence based practice, patient safety and clinical quality improvement initiatives
- Demonstrates knowledge of evidence-informed practice
- Demonstrates clarity in written/spoken communication and capacity to adapt language as appropriate to situation.
- Able to build rapport, listen, persuade and negotiate.
- Capacity to use logical/lateral thinking to solve problems/make decision, indicating an analytical/scientific approach
- Able work in multiprofessional team
- Ability to show leadership, make decisions, organise and motivate other team members for the benefit of patients through, for example, audit and quality improvement projects.
- Capacity to take in others’ perspectives and treat others with understanding.
- Demonstrates respect for all.
- Capacity to manage/prioritise time and information effectively
- Evidence of thoroughness (is well prepared, shows self - discipline/commitment, is punctual and meets deadlines)
- Capacity to monitor developing situations and anticipate issues
- Capacity to operate under pressure
- Demonstrates initiative and resilience to cope with changing circumstances
- Is able to deliver good clinical care in the face of uncertainty.
- Evidence of involvement in management commensurate with experience.
- Evidence of effective multidisciplinary team working and leadership supported by multisource feedback or other workplace-based assessments.
- Evidence of effective leadership in and out of medicine.
- Demonstrates Information technology skills
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of involvement in an audit project, a quality improvement project, formal research project or other activity focussing on patient safety and clinical improvement that demonstrates an interest in and commitment to the specialty
Probity
Essential criteria
- Capacity to take responsibility for own actions. Demonstrates respect for all.
- Displays honesty, integrity, awareness of confidentiality and ethical issues
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
- Mr Nisaharan Srikandarajah
- Job title
- Consultant Neurosurgeon
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Additional information
Ms Maggie Lee
Consultant Neurosurgeon
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