As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

Click on this link to find out about our values https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/p/about-us/our-trust-values

Job overview

BRISTOL EYE HOSPITAL

 Medical Retina Consultant

The Bristol Eye Hospital (BEH) at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston Foundation Trust (UHBW) is looking to grow its talented team of consultants to drive an ambitious future vision of care across Bristol and Weston.  See Yourself at Bristol Eye Hospital (subtitles) on Vimeo

Applications are warmly welcomed for this full-time post of Consultant in Medical Retina & Uveitis, ideally commencing within 6 months. The post itself is designed to provide sub-specialist medical retina & uveitis services, as well as general ophthalmology care for patients at the Bristol Eye Hospital (BEH) and Weston General Hospital (WGH). Innovation is at our core at BEH. Most recently we were commended for our use of the NHS Nightingale Hospital Bristol, created to treat Covid-patients, as a high-volume eye diagnostic assessment hub for medical retina patients during the pandemic (Recognising Success Award for Innovation, 2022).  

Main duties of the job

The BEH is a highly regarded Regional Centre for Ophthalmology which sits within the Division of Surgery at UHBW. BEH provides a tertiary referral retina service with an integrated medical retina and uveitis for adults and children, and a vitreo-retinal service closely linked to an excellent Clinical Research Unit (Recognising Success Awards 2019). The new Retinal Unit Outpatients Department is supported by an excellent medical imaging department and ocular inflammation nurses.  Flexible working opportunities (working from home) and involvements in clinical research trial are available.

The successful candidate will be expected to play an active role in the running of the service. They will also be expected to participate in the workload of the hospital and to be capable of running clinics independently and to work to a flexible timetable that may include provision of services across both sites (BEH & WGH).

Join us and enjoy all that the South West region has to offer. Bristol is an amazingly diverse city, sometimes referred to as little London, with its community feel, quality housing and outstanding schools, plus many music venues, galleries and festivals that drive its creative reputation. Alternatively, if you’re looking for country living, we are only a few miles away from many picturesque villages and small towns in Gloucestershire and Somerset, which are all within commuter distance.

Interview date: 15th April 2024

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For a more detailed job description including the main responsibilities and person specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.

Person specificationQualifications and TrainingEssential criteriaFull and specialist registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) or Eligible for specialist registration within six months of interview or Holder of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or evidence of within six months of award of CCT or equivalent by date of interviewDesirable criteriaHigher academic qualificationExperienceEssential criteriaExtensive experience in general ophthalmology and sub-speciality experience in medical retina and uveitis.Able to take responsibility for delivering service without direct supervisionClinical Knowledge and skillsEssential criteriaUp to date knowledge and experience of medical retina uveitis.Knowledge of NHS priorities with reference to specialtySkills in general ophthalmology and medical retina including intra-vitreal injections/FFA reviewDesirable criteriaBroad range of IT skillsClinical Governance and AuditEssential criteriaUnderstanding of clinical governance and the individual responsibilities it impliesKnowledge of the principles of clinical audit and evidence of participationPositive approach to evidence based practiceParticipation in continuing professional development (CPD) scheme and, where relevant, evidence of participationResearchEssential criteriaKnowledge of the principles involved in researchEvidence of involvement in researchEvidence of peer review research papersDesirable criteriaAbility to increase the academic profile of the department.Teaching and TrainingEssential criteriaExperience of teaching medical studentsExperience of supervising traineesKnowledge of teaching to a multidisciplinary teamDesirable criteriaFormal teaching qualificationManagement and LeadershipEssential criteriaEvidence of management training and evidence of learning from itAbility to organise efficient and smooth running of a specialist serviceAbility to cope with and effectively organise the workload of a consultantAbility to practice independently as a consultantAbility to take on responsibility and show evidence of leadershipAbility to work under pressure and cope with setbacksDesirable criteriaDemonstration of knowledge of NHS management structuresManagement experienceInterpersonal, communication and team working skillsEssential criteriaAbility to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, clinical colleagues, support staff and other colleaguesGood knowledge of, and ability to use, spoken and written English.Ability to present effectively to an audience, using a variety of methods, and to respond to questions and queriesAbility to develop effective working relationships on an individual and multi-professional basis with all levels of staff both within and across divisionsAbility to be a flexible team memberAny other Personal Abilities and AptitudesEssential criteriaAbility to adapt and respond to changing circumstancesAwareness of personal limitationsDemonstrates the 4 Trust valuesMeets professional health requirementsWillingness to travel to and work in other sites necessitated by the roleDesirable criteriaAbility to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional or national levels

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

· As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

· The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.

· UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

· To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.

· If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.

· The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.

· By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

· Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

IMPORTANT:

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.