Consultant in Acute Internal Medicine

University Hospitals Sussex; Brighton; Hybrid; GBP 114,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust in Brighton seeks an experienced Consultant in Acute Internal Medicine. You will contribute to a dynamic service across Royal Sussex County Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital, delivering high-quality acute medical care and leading a multidisciplinary team.

The role includes direct patient care, 1:8 on-call duties, and involvement in SPA, CPD, and governance, with opportunities to teach and supervise junior doctors.

Qualifications

• Full GMC registration with licence to practise.
• FRC/MRCP or equivalent qualification.
• CCT in Acute Internal Medicine or within six months of interview.
• Postgraduate qualifications (BSc, MSc, MD, PhD) welcomed.

Responsibilities

• Direct clinical care in Acute Medicine across hospital sites (AMU/SDEC).
• On-call commitment 1:8; on-site attendance rare.
• Protected SPA time for CPD, appraisal, revalidation, audit and governance.
• Supervision and teaching of junior medical staff; lead in multidisciplinary teams.

Skills

GMC registration

FRC/MRCP or equivalent

Leadership & teaching

Education

CCT in Acute Internal Medicine or equivalent

Job description

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Main area Acute Internal Medicine Grade NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant Contract Permanent Hours Full time - 10 sessions per week (10 PAs per week) Job ref 279-MWRSCHCONACUTE-708

Employer University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Royal Sussex County Hospital Town Brighton Salary £113,565 - £150,569 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 27/11/2026 23:59

Job overview

The Department of Acute Internal Medicine is a dynamic, collaborative, and forward-thinking service, led by consultants from a diverse range of specialty backgrounds, including Acute Internal Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Medicine for Older People, and Emergency Medicine. This breadth of expertise creates a stimulating clinical environment that promotes shared learning, innovation, and excellent patient care. The successful applicant will be expected to both contribute to and benefit from this collective knowledge and multidisciplinary approach.

We welcome applications from physicians who are GMC registered with accreditation in General Internal Medicine and who are passionate about delivering high-quality acute medical care within a modern acute medicine service.

Main duties of the job

The clinical duties of the post include the following:

8 Direct Clinical Care (DCC) Programmed Activities (PAs) within Acute Medicine, delivered across both hospital sites as required. Duties include the assessment and management of patients within Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC), the Acute Medical Unit (AMU) and the Acute Floor; reviewing patients referred from Primary Care and the Emergency Department; providing advice and guidance to community clinicians regarding acute medical presentations; and delivering senior supervision, support and teaching to junior medical staff.

General Internal Medicine (GIM) on-call commitment , currently 1:8, attracting a Category B low-frequency availability supplement (1% of basic salary). The on-call commitment is undertaken overnight (19:00–08:00) and is primarily advisory, providing senior telephone support to the resident medical team. Attendance on site is rarely required but may be necessary in exceptional circumstances.

2 Supporting Professional Activities (SPA) Programmed Activities, providing protected time for appraisal and revalidation, continuing professional development (CPD), clinical supervision, education and training, audit, quality improvement, clinical governance, and other professional or leadership responsibilities.

Working for our organisation

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating.

Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Acute Medical Unit (AMU) at the Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) is delivered by consultants from the Acute Medicine department on a rotational basis and is supported by a dedicated junior medical workforce. The unit comprises 27 inpatient beds, with a significant proportion of acute medical activity managed through the adjacent Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service, reflecting the department’s commitment to ambulatory care and admission avoidance.

The service operates in line with the same clinical standards, pathways and consultant-delivered care model as the Royal Sussex County Hospital site, ensuring consistency of patient care and professional practice across the Trust. While the range of on-site specialties is naturally smaller than that available at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, PRH benefits from close collaboration with Respiratory Medicine, Diabetes and Endocrinology, and Medicine for Older People services. In addition, Gastroenterology and Cardiology consultants provide regular on-site input, and patients requiring more complex or urgent specialist interventions can be rapidly transferred to the Brighton campus, ensuring timely access to the full range of tertiary and specialist services available across University Hospitals Sussex.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH) in Brighton a tertiary referral centre and provides comprehensive acute medical services within a modern Acute Floor environment. The service is centred around a 26-bedded Acute Medical Unit (AMU), which is co-located with the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) unit, in close proximity to the Emergency Department and Radiology services, facilitating rapid assessment, investigation and treatment of acutely unwell medical patients.

Acute Medicine services at RSCH operate within a well-established consultant-delivered model, providing timely senior clinical decision-making and access to a broad range of specialist and tertiary services. The close integration of the AMU, SDEC and Emergency Department supports efficient patient flow, early specialist input and the delivery of high-quality acute medical care across a diverse range of presentations and levels of complexity.

Interviews potentially September 26

Person specification

Experience/Qualifications

• • FRC/MRCP or its recognised equivalent
• • Full and specialist registration (with a licence to practise) with the GMC or be eligible for registration within six months of the interview. • If you trained in the UK, you must also have a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in Acute Internal Medicine or be within six months of receiving it by the interview date. • If you trained outside the UK, you must provide evidence that your qualifications are equivalent to the UK CCT. (Equivalence must be confirmed by GMC by date of AAC)
• • Additional postgraduate qualifications, such as BSc, MSc, MD, PhD, or equivalent higher degree

Clinical Skills & Experience

• • Experience working in and leading an Acute Medicine Unit or equivalent.
• • Experience carrying out medical procedures, including, but not limited to, pleural procedures, ascitic drains, and lumbar punctures
• • Experience working in other acute services, such as cardiology, respiratory, frailty, and intensive care medicine
• • Accreditation in use of point of care ultrasound (POCUS)

Knowledge

• • Breadth of experience in and outside specialty

Organisation & Planning

• • Experience and ability to work in multi-professional teams.
• • Understanding of: NHS / Clinical governance / Resource constraints
• • Evidence of managerial skills: Achievements / Course attended

Teaching Skills

• • Evidence of an interest and commitment to teaching
• • Recognised teaching qualification

Academic & Research

• • Evidence of participation in audit
• • Prizes and honours
• • Appropriate progression of career to date

Personal Attributes

• • Evidence of:- Good communication skills both oral and written

Important information for applicants:

A Note on AI Use in Applications

UHSussex values authenticity and encourages applicants to ensure that all application materials accurately reflect their own skills, experience, knowledge and motivations. Candidates may use AI and digital tools to support the preparation of applications, for example to assist with spelling, grammar, structure or accessibility needs. However, applicants remain responsible for the content submitted and should ensure that it genuinely represents their own abilities and experience. Where there are reasonable concerns that an application does not authentically reflect the applicant's own knowledge, skills, experience or suitability for the role, the Trust reserves the right to explore this further and, where authenticity cannot be satisfactorily demonstrated, to reject the application.

Bank workers are welcome to apply for any of our vacancies but please note if you are successful at interview there will be a delay in confirming a start date due to the Trust's current financial controls.

Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.

Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.

Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.

DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.

Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.

UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications

Further Information

For help with the application process for Nursing vacancies, please email [e-mail].

For help with the application process for Non-Nursing vacancies, please email [e-mail].

Employer certification / accreditation badges

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Dr Gareth Watts Job title Interim Clinical Lead for Acute Internal Medicine Email address [e-mail] Telephone number 01273696955 Additional information For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Dr Gareth Watts. As Dr Watts is often working clinically and may be away from the desk/phone, email ( [e-mail] ) is the preferred and most reliable method of contact. Alternatively, Dr Watts can be contacted on extension 67082.