United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Consultant Rheumatologist JOB DESCRIPTION May 2020 CONSULTANT RHEUMATOLOGIST JOB DESCRIPTION THE POST This is a full time (10 PA), Consultant Rheumatologist appointment for the United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust. There is a new post due to expansion of services and to cater to the demand and also another existing post available. The department will comprise 6 consultants (including this post), 4 specialist nurses and a specialist registrar. A post will be based at Lincoln County Hospital with clinical commitments at Pilgrim Hospital, Boston the other will be also based at Lincoln County Hospital with clinical commitments at Grantham & District Hospital. Whilst developing a special interest is not a requirement of the post, this will be encouraged should the successful applicant request this. Any applicant who is unable for personal reasons to work full time will be eligible to be considered for the post. If such a person is appointed, modification of the content will be discussed on a personal basis with the Trust in consultation with consultant colleagues. GENERAL INFORMATION Lincolnshire is scenically and geographically varied. It includes the Lincoln escarpment on which the beautiful medieval Cathedral stands, the North Lincolnshire Wolds, a designated area of outstanding natural beauty, the extensive beaches of the coastal strip, and the vast farmlands in the south of the county. Lincoln is a developing city with a recently established and successful University with which the Trust has developed strong research and teaching links. The city is known for the historic Cathedral and Lincoln Castle as well as the many social and leisure facilities available within this expanding city. Grantham is an historic market town with many attractions, including plentiful shops, restaurants and leisure facilities and is only just over an hour from London by train. South Lincolnshire has retained the grammar school system, and has a reputation for providing excellent state school education. In addition, the cost of housing compares very favourably with many areas of the country. Boston is an attractive market town in South Lincolnshire with a growing population. It has a flourishing port on the River Witham dating back to the thirteenth century. Most of the town’s industry is linked to agriculture or the port. THE HOSPITALS The United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust brought together Lincoln and Louth NHS Trust, Pilgrim Health NHS Trust and Grantham and District Hospital NHS Trust. It is responsible for a comprehensive range of health services to a local population of some 770,000 people. Page 2 of 10 Many local general practitioners are known personally to the consultant staff and are met at postgraduate meetings and elsewhere. COUNTY HOSPITAL, LINCOLN County Hospital is situated close to the city centre of Lincoln. It is a newly developed large and modern complex that caters for most of the major specialties and has 557 beds. There are 172 are general medical and care of the elderly beds including coronary care and renal beds. There is a 51 bedded Medical Emergency Admissions Unit (MEAU) comprising 26 assessment beds and a 25 bedded ward. There is a separate 18 bedded Surgical Assessment Unit. There is a large, well-staffed Accident and Emergency Department. There are at present 108 general surgical beds, a 20 bed critical care unit (level 2 and level 3), a 10 theatre suite and 3 orthopaedic wards. There is an Ophthalmic Unit, Adult Day Care Unit, an ENT department and a purpose built, fully equipped department of Clinical Oncology. The large X-Ray Department is situated close to the Outpatients and has sophisticated x-ray facilities with new CT and MRI scanners. There is also a fully developed Medical Physics Unit. There is a modern and well organised Outpatient Department which is at present used by all the surgeons and physicians. The maternity service is housed in a separate wing and has 49 ante and post natal beds, 14 delivery beds and 24 special care infant cots. The maternity wing also houses the gynaecological wards with 34 beds and 2 operating theatres, plus a 12 bed day case unit. Pathology and Microbiology Services are provided by Path Lincs. PILGRIM HOSPITAL, BOSTON Pilgrim Hospital is situated on the outskirts of Boston. It is a modern District General Hospital. It has 414 beds. If offers a full range of clinical and laboratory services for Boston and the surrounding area. It has close links with community hospitals in Skegness and Spalding. The hospital has an Accident and Emergency Department, a Medical Admissions Unit, a combined ITU/HDU/CCU with 12 beds and beds for all the major specialties. The Radiology Department has both spiral CT and MR scanners. There is also a fully developed Medical Physics Unit. GRANTHAM AND DISTRICT HOSPITAL Grantham and District Hospital is a small district general hospital with 194 beds, there is an Accident and Emergency Department together with elective surgery and outpatient clinics in most specialties. Rheumatology outpatients are provided weekly at Grantham. The Hospital works closely with other sites within the Trust as well as links with Newark Hospital and teaching centres in Nottingham and Leicester. Primarily it serves the people of Grantham, Sleaford and Newark with a total catchment population of around 120,000. The Newark part of the service is within Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust with significant cross-boundary flow. Grantham provides Integrated Medicine, General Surgery, and Orthopaedics, Anaesthetics and Accident and Emergency services. There is an ambulatory Paediatric service and Page 3 of 10 Midwife Managed Maternity Unit. There is a fully equipped X-Ray Department with a modern CT scanner as well as a Pathology Department providing all pathological services on site. There is a Medical Physics Department which does all cardio-respiratory work as well as gamma camera work. LOUTH COUNTY HOSPITAL Louth County Hospital has approximately 72 beds consisting of Integrated Medicine, Surgical and Orthopaedic Wards. There are direct acute admissions only to the Medical Wards. The hospital has a High Dependency/Coronary Care Unit and a ward caring for severely mentally infirm patients. The hospital also has an Accident and Emergency Department, Endoscopy, Day Hospital and a very busy Outpatient Department supported by X-Ray, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Departments. There is an on-site education centre with lecture theatre, library and internet access. JOHN COUPLAND HOSPITAL, GAINSBOROUGH The John Coupland Hospital is in Gainsborough, approximately 18 miles from Lincoln. Scotter Ward is rehabilitation/care of the older person ward. The hospital has an operating theatre, Outpatients Department and a Nurse Led Minor Injuries Unit. JOHNSON HOSPITAL, SPALDING This is a community hospital situated in the market town of Spalding, some 16 miles from Boston. There is an X-Ray Unit, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Services, an active Outpatients Department and a Minor Injuries Unit. WELLAND HOSPITAL, SPALDING This hospital has 28 inpatient beds used flexibly between an Elderly Care Physician and local General Practitioners. It has active Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Services and a small Outpatient Suite. SKEGNESS HOSPITAL This community hospital has 15 GP beds and 15 beds managed by an Elderly Care Physician. There are Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Services on site and a busy Outpatients Department. The Accident and Emergency Department is supported by Associate Specialists 24 hours a day and is a very busy department, especially in the summer months. DIRECTORATE AND DEPARTMENT INFORMATION The Rheumatology Service is part of the Speciality Medicine Business Unit and is managed by a Clinical Director, Head of Service for Rheumatology pan-Trust and business unit managers which include Business, Service, and Support Managers. Page 4 of 10 The Rheumatology Department occupies a dedicated two storey building and is set aside from the main hospital building, adjacent to the Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Departments. The department was fortunate to receive a generous charitable fund donation, which has enabled the expansion and improvement of both clinical and non-clinical areas providing very pleasant facilities in which to work. The Rheumatology Department has its own dedicated ultrasound machines for diagnosis and guided injections. There is also a newly purchased state of the art video-capillaroscopy available. The team provides a county-wide service to Lincolnshire and provide outpatient clinics at Lincoln County, Pilgrim Hospital Boston, Grantham Hospital and Skegness Community Hospital. The Department has access to CT, MRI and Electromyography and has dedicated Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy Support. The team has forged close links with both the Renal (Lincoln County) and Orthopaedic Departments and has excellent Haematology support. The Rheumatology activity levels for 2019/20 were 3324 new outpatients and 1035 follow up patients which includes nurse led clinics with Day case activity of 1832. Because all activity daycase activity is carried out at the Lincoln site, there is always a consultant presence in the department to support the nursing teams who deliver the day case activity. The unit has approximately 900 patients on biologic treatments. Rheumatology is an outpatient service and consultants are on a rota to review ward referrals. Acute medical admission is seen in the Emergency Assessment Unit (EAU) under the