Consultant in Older Peoples Services *Welcome Bonus 12K*

NHS; Colchester; On-site; GBP 105,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking two Consultants in Geriatric Medicine at Colchester Hospital. The role involves inpatient care, outpatient clinics, and teaching junior staff. The ideal candidate will have expertise in acute medical emergencies and rehabilitation, with a commitment to high-quality patient care.

Qualifications

• Full GMC registration required.
• Minimum 4 years at SpR level or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Provide Consultant-led service with high standards of care.
• Develop care pathways and clinical guidelines.
• Supervise and teach junior medical staff.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Teamwork

Risk Management

Organizational Skills

Education

MRCP or equivalent

Postgraduate degrees (MD, PhD, MSc)

Job description

Job summary

The Trust is looking to recruit two Consultants in Geriatric Medicine, based at Colchester Hospital, to join the existing Consultant workforce.

It is expected that the new appointee will participate in the development of Older Peoples Services and the provision of care to elderly patients. Other subspecialty interests are also welcome, including movement disorders and Parkinson's disease, acute frailty service, community interface, and orthogeriatrics. The key elements of the role include inpatient care, frailty work, outpatient clinics, acute medical on-call duties, as well as teaching and training junior medical staff.

Our frailty service is provided by a "community at the front door," reaching into the emergency department. The service is predominantly outpatient-based, providing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for frail elderly patients. It is staffed by a nurse consultant, middle-grade doctors, GP trainees, nurse practitioners, senior nurses, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, pharmacists, and healthcare assistants.

The post is full-time (10 PAs). The job plan includes 8.5 PAs for direct clinical care (DCC) and 1.5 PAs for supporting professional activities (SPA). Of the SPA, 1 PA is allocated for revalidation, with an additional 0.5 PA for activities such as clinical and educational supervision. The on-call commitment equates to an additional 1 PA with a frequency of 1 in 8.5 weekends.

Main duties of the job

The post-holder will:

1. Work with colleagues to provide a Consultant-led service with the highest standard of care;
2. Develop care pathways and clinical guidelines in collaboration with the multi-professional team;
3. Develop and maintain good working practices with wards, out-patients, and the Emergency Department (ED);
4. Promote close working links with colleagues, other departments, and primary care;
5. Offer educational, clinical support, and leadership to junior medical colleagues, nursing colleagues, and other members of the multidisciplinary team;
6. Ensure appropriate information is available to staff to measure clinical performance and establish benchmarks;
7. Maintain a robust process for reviewing service quality, analyzing causes of success and failure, and ensuring high standards;
8. Provide professional leadership, embodying the organization’s values and behaviors, and address poor conduct where necessary;
9. Ensure junior doctors' training complies with College requirements;
10. Participate in the appraisal of medical staff within the department according to Trust policies.

About us

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust (ESNEFT) provides hospital and community healthcare services across a wide area, serving approximately 800,000 residents. Our services include two main hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, six community hospitals, clinics, and home-based care. With nearly 10,000 staff and an annual budget exceeding £650 million, we are the largest NHS organization in East Anglia.

We are undertaking a £100 million capital development program over the next five years, including building a new elective orthopaedic center at Colchester Hospital, a £7 million interventional radiology and cardiac angiography unit, and a new Emergency Department and Urgent Treatment Centre at Ipswich, among other projects.

Details

Date posted: 14 May 2025

Pay scheme: Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade: Consultant

Salary: £105,504 to £139,882 per annum

Contract: Permanent

Working pattern: Full-time

Reference number: 432-MC2672

Location: Colchester Hospital, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL

Job description

The responsibilities include participating in acute medical intake, providing ongoing supervision, managing inpatients, collaborating with other consultants, developing protocols, offering advisory services, and teaching.

Person Specification

Essential

• Full GMC registration
• Entry onto the Specialist Register or within 6 months of CCT
• MRCP or equivalent
• Expertise in acute medical emergencies, rehabilitation, and intermediate care
• Minimum 4 years at SpR level or equivalent
• Leadership and teamwork skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Risk management and organizational skills

Desirable

• Postgraduate degrees (MD, PhD, MSc)
• Entry onto the Specialist Register in G(I)M & Geriatric Medicine
• Peer-reviewed work
• Research application skills
• Attendance at relevant courses

Additional requirements

This post is subject to DBS checks, and applicants require UK registration and sponsorship if applicable. Details are available on the NHS Careers website and UK Visas & Immigration guidelines.