Consultant Chemical Pathologist

Job summary

We are pleased to advertise this exciting post for a Consultant Chemical Pathologist to join the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at North Bristol NHS Trust. This post will focus on delivering against a Cardiometabolic Medicine (CMM) portfolio with clinical sessions spread across:

• Weekly Lipid Clinic based at Bristol Royal Infirmary
• Weekly Bariatric medicine clinic within the Specialist Weight Management Service at Southmead Hospital
• Clinical Liaison with secondary care specialities such as Diabetes and Endocrinology and MASLD multi-disciplinary teams

Additionally, there will be an expectation to work within the consultant leadership and senior management teams for the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at Southmead Hospital, delivering on the clinical validation and advisory service through participation in the duty biochemist rota. The post also offers the opportunity of a funded 1.0 programmed activity (PA) session in Research for suitable candidates, delivering activity for the Diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic medicine research team at North Bristol NHS Trust against an exciting portfolio of clinical research.

Main duties of the job

Direct clinical care (including unpredictable on-call)

• Bariatric/Obesity medicine - 2.0 PAs
  • Clinic - 1.0PA
  • Admin - 0.25PA (1 hour per clinic)
  • MDT - 0.625PA (T3/T4 MDT and GLP-1 MDT)
  • Triaging 0.125 PA (30min)
• Lipid clinic - 2.0 PAs
  • Clinic - 1.0PA
  • Admin - 0.5PA
  • MDT - 0.25PA
  • Project work - 0.25PA
• Laboratory - 4.125PA
  • Duty Biochemist - 2.375PA
  • DCB Weekly meeting - 0.25PA
  • Laboratory Management - 1.5PA
• Non-resident on-call - 1 in 4 -> 1 in 6 frequency

Supporting Professional Activities - 2.0PA

• Research PA - 1.0PA
• CPD etc - 1.0PA

About us

North Bristol NHS Trust employs over 12,000 staff providing healthcare to the residents of Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset from our award-winning hospital building at Southmead. We are the regional Major Trauma Centre, and an internationally recognised centre of excellence in a range of services and major specialities. Our vision is that by enabling our teams to be the best that they can be, we will provide exceptional healthcare, personally delivered.

North Bristol NHS Trust values all people as individuals. We aim to be an anti-discriminatory organisation and are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. We welcome applicants from all underrepresented groups.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical services

This post primarily is delivered at North Bristol NHS Trust (Southmead Hospital) with some activity at University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (Bristol Royal Infirmary).

This post aims to be at the forefront in recognising the specialism offered by Chemical Pathologists in providing CMM across 2 core clinical domains in this post (with opportunities for further development encouraged):

• The post holder will be a consultant working within the Specialist Weight Management Service (SWMS) at North Bristol NHS Trust (NBT). The post holder will work with the clinical lead for SWMS to deliver the service through the provision of outpatient activity, weekly MDT meetings with both medical and surgical teams and provide specialist advice and support for inpatient care when required. The SWMS service provided at NBT accepts referrals across the whole of the Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire (BNSSG) ICB, providing multi-modal bariatric care to patients living with clinical obesity. Chemical Pathologists are uniquely placed to provide specialist advice for the biochemical basis of obesity and its complications
• The post holder will work as a consultant within the local lipid service consolidated primarily at Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI). The post holder will provide outpatient activity at the BRI, input into the local lipid MDT, and ensure parity of clinical input across the city through outreach to Southmead Hospital. Opportunities could help develop outreach of lipid specialism into community services that widen the reach of support past secondary care outpatient clinics (which can be limited currently in meeting the needs of communities).

The post holder will separately act as a key clinical liaison, working with other MDTs within the hospital group including:

• The Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) MDT in liaison with the Department of Hepatology/Gastroenterology across the city
• The Endocrinology/Biochemistry MDT in liaison with the Department of Endocrinology at Southmead Hospital

Clinical Biochemistry laboratory services

• The post-holder will be required to take a leading role in the clinical validation and advisory service to hospital and primary care clinicians, nursing staff and other health professionals including participation in the rota for the provision of clinical and laboratory support out of hours. Attendance and contribution to relevant multidisciplinary meetings will also be required.
• They will be a key part of the senior management team for the Clinical Biochemistry and Blood Sciences and working closely with the Clinical Biochemistry and Blood Sciences Management Teams to provide an integrated efficient and cost-effective Laboratory Clinical Biochemistry and Blood Sciences Service to all Users. The appointee willparticipatein Departmental management and governance meetings wherepossible.They will be eligible to become Head of Department and Clinical Lead for Laboratory Medicinein due course.
• They will provide professional leadership in overseeing the running of the laboratory to ensure services are delivered to nationally accepted standards including maintaining UKAS Accreditation (ISO15189:2022)
• The post-holder will contribute to the strategic planning for the future provision of the Clinical Biochemistry and Blood Sciences service in keeping with the needs of the Trust, health commissioners and patient needs.
• Bristol NHS Group, with its joint clinical strategy will bring together clinical services across both North Bristol NHS Trust and Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust. It will provide an exciting opportunity to develop services across existing teams, considering efficient and dynamic processes for providing biochemistry services across BNSSG.

Study & Research

• The Diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic medicine Research Team is a friendly, dynamic team actively involved in a range of commercial and non-commercial research studies across diabetes, endocrinology, and obesity. We are looking for a consultant who would be willing to join the research team and contribute to the delivery of these studies in the role of Sub-Investigator, supporting the Trusts growing research portfolio.
• We run a large research unit undertaking academic and commercial trials, with currently over 20 studies on our books and a further 5 in planning.
• The team includes 2 consultants, 2 dietitians, 1 health psychologist, 3 research nurses, 4 health care practitioners and a research administrator

Person Specification

Qualifications and Registration

Essential

• FRCPath in Chemical Pathology or equivalent
• Full and specialist registration (and a licence to practise) with the General Medical Council (GMC) (or eligible for registration within six months of interview)
• Applicants that are UK trained, must ALSO be a holder of a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or be within six months of award of CCT by date of interview
• Applicants that are non-UK trained, will be required to show evidence of equivalence to the UK CCT.

Desirable

• Higher academic qualification (e.g MD or MSc

Other

Essential

• Willingness to travel to and work in other sites necessitated by the role.

Training and Experience

Essential

• Recent experience and familiarity of UK hospital systems and practices (or equivalent)
• Sub-specialty training in the diagnosis and management of lipid disorders and obesity medicine
• Able to take responsibility for delivering service without direct supervision

Desirable

• Experience of managing LDL or other Lipoprotein -apheresis
• Experience of managing patients with post-bariatric surgery complications

Further Training, Management, Audit

Essential

• Evidence of recent CPD/ reasonable training progression at this stage of career.
• Experience in audit project and written up
• Knowledge of contemporary NHS management issues.
• Knowledge of political context within which we operate.

Desirable

• Completion of a general management course or programme.

Research, Teaching, Publications

Essential

• Proven teaching ability.
• Willingness to undertake teaching of medical under-graduates & postgraduates as well as other healthcare professionals within the realm of clinical and laboratory roles.
• Knowledge of the principles involved in research
• Experience as a clinical trial sub investigator or principal investigator
• Evidence of involvement in both laboratory and clinical research

Desirable

• Evidence of peer-reviewed research output in the field of endocrine or obesity research
• Ability to increase the academic profile of the department
• Demonstration of involvement in clinical directorate management.

Leadership and teamwork

Essential

• Proven ability to build and maintain effective teams
• Have a positive attitude towards members of the wider healthcare team
• Ability to practice independently as a consultant
• Evidence of good organizational and compassionate leadership skills
• Evidence of positive development and change management
• An understanding of positive leadership in the context of healthcare.
• Ability to take on responsibility and show evidence of leadership

Desirable

• Demonstration of knowledge of NHS management structures
• Management experience

Communication skills

Essential

• Is empathetic and sensitive to the needs of others including patients and colleagues.
• An ability to explain complex and sensitive information, sometimes under stressful circumstances to others.
• Must be able to influence and persuade effectively.
• Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills to write and present management reports as required.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships on an individual and multi-professional basis with all levels of staff both within and across divisions
• Ability to be a flexible team member

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

North Bristol NHS Trust

Address

Southmead Hospital

Southmead Road

Bristol

BS10 5NB

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.nbt.nhs.uk (Opens in a new tab)