Job overview

You will join an enthusiastic and friendly department, which is an integral part of the Division of Women and Children at the QEH. The team pride themselves on being a very caring and supportive department; the consultants always work as part of the team and are readily available to give advice, practical assistance and hands on acute care.

The department provides services for the King’s Lynn area based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Wisbech area based at the North Cambridgeshire Hospital. All the inpatient beds are at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The Children’s Ward has 22 beds and a 5 bedded co-located Paediatric Assessment Unit.

The neonatal unit is equipped for 3 neonatal intensive care/high dependency cots and has a total complement of 12 cots. The unit policy is to care for infants of 27- 28 weeks and over including ventilation but to transfer antenatally, if possible, infants less than 27 weeks gestation. The neonatal work is in close collaboration with the regional Neonatal Network and the nearest level 3 Neonatal Unit is at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital in Norwich.

There is an on-site purpose-built children’s centre for outpatients and child development work  for all general paediatric outpatient activity. Additional outpatient clinics are held in Wisbech at the North Cambridgeshire Hospital. Visiting Consultants come regularly to the hospital.  Subspecialty training is strongly encouraged and supported in the department.

Main duties of the job

To ensure the continued delivery of high-quality care to patients within the trust and to contribute to the further development of the Paediatric service.

To further develop clinical knowledge and skills in Paediatrics to aid preparation for working as a Consultant Paediatrician.

The training opportunities will mirror those given to Specialist Trainees with support from departmental teaching, career development, training budget, Quality Improvement Projects (QIP), participation in outpatient elective activity and allocation of a clinical supervisor to support career development. Advanced Life Support (ALS) can also be organised at the Trust but is desirable to have before starting.

Working for our organisation

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) King’s Lynn is located near some of the most beautiful scenery in the UK, along the north Norfolk coast, and not far from Sandringham House.

We provide a comprehensive range of specialist, acute, obstetrics and community-based healthcare services to around 331,000 people across west and north Norfolk, in addition to parts of Breckland, Cambridgeshire and South Lincolnshire.

We have more than 4,000 staff and volunteers, approximately 530 beds, and a helipad for air ambulances. We work with neighbouring hospitals for the provision of tertiary services, including as part of regional partnership and network models of care, such as the trauma network.

In February 2022 the significant progress that has been made at QEH was recognised by the Care Quality Commission who rated the Trust as ‘Good’ in all of the core services they inspected. They recommended the Trust moves out of the recovery support system (formerly special measures).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical -

• To cover one/two clinics per week under Consultant
• To be supported with developing a special interest to develop and further the range of service provision in the department.
• To provide help with the running of the Neonatal Unit with particular reference to collecting data and keeping the guidelines up to date.
• To contribute to the departmental teaching programme, junior doctor supervision, and the departmental audit programme.
• To help with the teaching and supervision of medical students from Cambridge and UEA Medical Schools.
• To participate in the full shift middle grade rota including undertaking additional duties on a short- term basis in the event of sudden illness or absence of a colleague.

Organisational -

• To provide support for the effective development of the service.
• To have responsibility for ensuring active participation in Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• To actively participate in both departmental and Trust matters concerning clinical governance and audit.
• To further develop clinical protocols, guidelines and concise care bundles.
• To carry out responsibilities with due regard to the Trust’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
• To be aware of the responsibility of all employees to maintain a safe and healthy environment for patients, visitors and staff and attend all relevant health and safety training.
• To ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• MBBS or equivalent medical qualification
• APLS and NLS or equivalent

Desirable criteria

• MRCPCH or equivalent

Experience

Essential criteria

• Vast general paediatric and neonatal experience
• Child protection training and experience
• Experience of audit projects

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience in the UK

Skills/Ability

Essential criteria

• Good verbal and written communication skills
• Able to cope in stressful situations
• Able to work within a team
• Caring attitude to patients
• Ability to organise others
• Ability to organise workload and arrange priorities
• Good standard of note keeping

Knowledge/Understanding

Essential criteria

• Good theoretical knowledge and its application

Other requirements

Essential criteria

• Full GMC registration
• Appropriate immigration status

Applications are welcome from anyone who meets the criteria specified in the person specification regardless of age, gender, disability, race ,ethnicity, religion, belief, sexual orientation or other personal circumstances. Only those applicants who demonstrate in the application form how they meet the criteria in the person specification will be shortlisted for interview. We not only recruit employees based on their qualifications and experience - we recruit individuals who possess and can demonstrate the behaviours which underpin our core values.