Clinical Fellow in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia

NHS; City Of London; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent teaching hospital in London is seeking a Clinical Fellow in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia. You will join a dedicated anaesthetists and intensivists team, providing care in a busy surgical environment. The role involves anaesthetic duties, training in echocardiography, and preparation for consultant responsibilities. Applicants must have a medical degree, GMC registration, and FRCA or equivalent qualifications. This position offers excellent training and experience in a leading healthcare setting.

Qualifications

• Medical Degree with full registration with GMC.
• Final FRCA or equivalent.
• ALS certification required.
• Simulation 'Train the Trainers' programme attendance expected.
• Evidence of participation in medical education.

Responsibilities

• Provide dedicated training time in cardiothoracic anaesthesia.
• Carry out appropriate anaesthetic duties based on experience.
• On-call duties on the intensive care unit.
• Prepare for consultant responsibilities in a supportive environment.
• Training opportunities in echocardiography and intensive care.

Skills

Ability to work in a team

Good interpersonal skills

Caring attitude to patients

Ability to communicate effectively

Practical skills in anaesthesia

Experience in echocardiography

Education

Medical Degree with full registration with GMC

Final FRCA or equivalent

ALS

Job description

Clinical Fellow in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia

The closing date is 07 October 2025.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the cardiothoracic anaesthetists and intensivists team at one of the country's principal teaching hospitals – St George's University Hospital. St George's hospital is the tertiary centre for cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery and acute cardiology for SW London and Surrey. The department provides anaesthesia and critical care for these services. With up to 1000 cardiac surgical cases per year and a very busy thoracic and vascular surgical programme, we are one of the London teaching centres for cardiothoracic anaesthesia training.

Complex and high risk surgery is undertaken daily in the 3 dedicated operating theatres, providing intensive training opportunities for speciality registrars, CESR candidates, or candidates who want to expand their experience in cardiothoracic anaesthesia. There is also a busy programme of challenging cardiology catheter lab procedures including electrophysiology and structural heart disease (TAVI, Mitralclip, and PFO closure). The intensive care unit and the stepdown unit admit elective and emergency cardiac surgical patients, vascular surgical patients and an increasing proportion of acute cardiology patients – including primary PCI and out of hospital arrests. It is a 21 bedded ICU and our emphasis is on clinical excellence and high quality patient-centred care.

Main duties of the job

The department boasts over 100 substantive consultant anaesthetic staff. The department has diverse interests both surgically and geographically. The anaesthetic service is spread throughout 24 inpatient operating theatres in 3 wings, and there is a separate day unit with a further 5 theatres. Outside of theatres, the department is involved in interventional radiological services for cardiac, neurosurgical, endovascular and chronic pain services as well as MRI and CT scanning. The anaesthetic department provides emergency care in Accident and Emergency, in particular in support of the Major Trauma Centre status of the Trust. An acute pain team is attached to the department and receives anaesthetic input.

About us

St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey. Our sites include St George's Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).

After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021. While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

Job responsibilities

The post aims to provide dedicated training time in anaesthesia across cardiothoracic anaesthesia.

The fellow will also carry out anaesthetic duties at a level appropriate to clinical experience and competence which will also determine the degree of supervision. The on-call duties are on the intensive care unit. It is the aim of the department for this post to help prepare the anaesthetist for taking on the responsibility of becoming a consultant within a safe environment in which advice and support are readily available.

Echocardiography is now an essential skill for anaesthesia and critical care and we provide a comprehensive clinical service and training opportunities. There are a number of training opportunities in theatres, intensive care unit, and echocardiography clinic. This post provides an excellent opportunity to obtain a TOE (TransOesophageal Echocardiography) accreditation, BSE (British Society of Echocardiography) or the European Diploma of Perioperative Transoesophageal echocardiography.

Person Specification

Qualifications and Training

• Medical Degree with full registration with GMC
• Final FRCA or equivalent
• ALS
• Having attended a simulation "Train the Trainers" programme
• Evidence of participation

Experience

• Clinical training and experience equivalent to that gained while training for UK CCT in anaesthesia
• Previous experience in cardiothoracic anaesthesia
• Ability to take full and independent responsibility for assessment of patients preoperatively and manage most common emergencies. Confident in managing cardiac arrest situations.
• Participation in clinical audit or research in anaesthesia.

Knowledge

• Ability to work in a team
• Good interpersonal skills
• Caring attitude to patients
• Commitment to continuing medical education
• Evidence of sustained commitment to medical education

Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively as the team leader in an emergency situation
• Have the practical skills to be able to perform and teach most procedures in anaesthesia.
• Experience in transoesophageal or transthoracic echocardiography
• ATLS

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.

St George\'s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

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