Consultant Geriatrician

Job summary

Dear Future Colleague,

We're delighted you are considering joining our team. We are writing to tell you about us, what we are looking for, and what we can offer you. Ours is a large friendly, and well supported department. We are relishing the exciting opportunity to continue our service into our community within the Somerset Hospital at Home frailty medical team. Part of the trust virtual wards service.

With the highest GMC score for training in the Southwest, close links to both Bristol University and Peninsula Medical School and a well-established mentoring scheme, we would like to encourage those approaching their CCT (or equivalent) certification, as well as experienced Consultants, to join our team. A merger with Yeovil District Hospital, in April 2023 allows us to provide excellent county wide equitable care as a truly integrated secondary care trust which includes and values well being, physical and mental health for our population and each other.

We are open to discussing job share or less than full time arrangements. The post is genuinely flexible for a working pattern to suit the individual and team. This is an unmissable opportunity to shape your own job plan! What we offer is explained over the next few pages, but please come and visit us or give us a call. To arrange a visit to the team or an informal discussion with them, to find out more please contact

Main duties of the job

A typical day in the team

Morning handover on Teams with 4 neighbourhoods represented

Lead on planning workload for day

Direct clinical work: home visits, phone calls, providing advice to trainee ACPs via phone or videocall

Some sessions as desk-based medic in Care Co-ordination, our community hub, to help triage and facilitate referrals from primary and secondary care

Service development, developing relationships in community and with Acute secondary care providers

No day will look the same; flexibility is key as the service develops

Training and supervision on junior medical and t ACP's

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Date posted

31 January 2025

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Consultant

Salary

Depending on experience 8 PA per week

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

184-OL-MED-DEAN-1656

Job locations

Bridgwater Community Hospital

Bower Lane

Bridgwater

Somerset

TA6 4GU

Harrison House

Taunton

Somerset

TA1 2PX

Job description

Job responsibilities

Vision

The care of frail older people is a 'flagship' project for the NHS in Somerset.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape care for older adults across our county. Frailty is a team effort: everyone here is committed to the successful delivery of services across the whole of Somerset with proactive collaborative working between primary and secondary care in community and acute settings. Our work is supported by the National Frailty Network, and is a priority programme across Somerset, alongside other initiatives including Anticipatory Care.

Our clinical strategy will increase the time people have to do the things that matter to them, focussing on more time in good health whilst eliminating wasted time in health care. Somerset Foundation Trust is the first Trust in England formed of acute, mental health and community services and offers clinicians an incredible opportunity to shape pathways of care which can mirror the holistic needs of those with frailty.

The Post

We will work flexibly to help you develop a job plan that helps us and is right for you. A seven-day frailty service is planned and funded. The post can be whole time or LTFT. If you hold general internal medical accreditation and are interested in a slot on call at the acute site this can be accommodated with generous programmed activities to make the work manageable.

The post-holder will integrate with our established H@H medical and advanced practitioner team to improve established and deliver new services. If you have a passion for service improvement and a strong person-centred approach, wish to reduce inequalities within the older population across Somerset and would like to help us deliver more care where people want it - we are the team for you.

You can be based in any part of our county to support your needs and include remote working practices to facilitate improved work life balance. Somerset benefits from a network of community hospitals and mental health units, and we're helping Primary Care Networks to support the most vulnerable in their own homes, including care homes. Both Trusts have a 'Good' CQC rating. Taunton's been awarded the highest GMC score in the South West for training, and both hospitals provide outstanding training for medical students. The post holder can become an educational supervisor for resident doctors to inspire the next generation of clinicians towards community older persons' care.

Key areas of community work delivered by SFT could include:

Helping to lead and deliver our new frailty Hospital@Home team with Advanced Clinical Practitioners - supported where needed by our multidisciplinary Rapid Response and 'Discharge to Assess' (D2A) team - providing urgent Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, nursing, therapy and care support to patients in the community, averting hospital admissions and supporting discharge.

Delivering care and clinical support in community hospitals to ensure a holistic and realistic approach to rehabilitation and discharge planning. This is alongside our existing medical and advance practitioner colleagues already on these wards.

The integration of high-quality geriatrician support into our intermediate care settings is a key element in delivering the best services to our population.

Key Responsibilities

The appointee would be expected to observe a degree of flexibility within the proposed job plan to allow for a flexible approach to service needs. The proposed timetable will be open to change following discussion with the AMD. Some key responsibilities associated with the post are:

The role is subject to the Terms and Conditions -- Consultants (England) 2003.

Deliver a full range of specialist diagnoses, treatment and care to patients requiring geriatric services to the highest possible standard.

Assume responsibility for the organisation, management and diagnosis of treatment of patients in the hospital or community in conjunction with colleagues across the hospital.

Fully comply with all the requirements set out in the Trusts' policies.

Supervise the education of Junior Doctors and AHP trainees through effective scheduling of their teaching and training activities in support of professional and personal development.

Mentor/Coach Junior Doctors and AHPs and provide assessments and appraisals -- ensuring any appropriate remedial action is taken where appropriate.

Initiate and supervise audit projects in order to actively contribute to the development and reporting of Clinical Quality Standards.

Ensure all activities undertaken are within the required level of competence expected by the Trust and the professional organisation relating to the speciality.

Work with colleagues to develop service in line with key stakeholders (patients, commissioners, etc.).

Research activities as agreed .

Responsible for undertaking administrative and budgetary duties associated with the care of patients and the efficient running of the department.

Provide cover for colleagues in their absence and deal with emergencies as occasion demands.

Complete all Mandatory training.

Actively participate in the annual appraisal and job planning process.

Clinical Audit and quality improvement (QI) are actively encouraged at all levels in the Service Group and the Trust. We have an outstanding QI department who have supported a lot of development in our department and continue to do so. We have colleagues engaged in a GOLD QI project with the aim of finding alternatives to bedded care within acute geriatrics. This involves a learning project on QI methodology with support from a motivated and experienced QI team.

The Trust recognises the importance of continuing medical education and encourages consultant staff to give priority to their continuing professional development. 30 days of study/professional leave over each 3-year period are available for this.

There is an active Academy supporting under- and postgraduate education with 3 full time administrative staff and spaces for teaching and meetings as well as a well-stocked library with a full-time librarian and the usual audio-visual aids and research facilities.

A medical photographic service is available for help in preparation of material for lectures and publications. There are regular education meetings for hospital staff and for general practitioners.