Consultant Neonatologist
Medway NHS Foundation Trust
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Job summary
Medway NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Consultant Neonatologist to join the Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit. The post combines clinical leadership with opportunities for teaching, research and quality improvement within a structured nine-week rota spanning HDU, ITU and postnatal wards.
The appointee will contribute to education for junior doctors and nursing staff, and develop an academic or clinical special interest aligned with service needs, with time allocated in job planning.
Qualifications
- Full GMC Registration with a licence to practise.
- MRCPCH by examination or equivalent.
- On the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months of CCT (Paediatrics with Neonatal Medicine sub-specialty) at interview.
- Portfolio Pathway applicants must be on Specialist Register at application.
- IELTS (Academic) level 7.5 or graduate of a medical school in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, USA or Canada.
- Valid Level 3 Safeguarding Training and NLS Training.
Responsibilities
- Lead HDU/SCBU care and management of high-risk deliveries.
- Oversee ITU and weekend on-call duties.
- Co-ordinate multidisciplinary care and attend clinics (outpatient, MDT).
- Lead teaching, QI projects, and clinical audits.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Consultant Neonatologist
Division: Women, Children and Young People
Care Group: Children and Young People
Salary: £113,565 - £150,569 per annum
Interview Date: TBC
The new consultant will join a dedicated team of Neonatal Consultants, committed to delivering exceptional patient care while contributing to teaching, research, quality improvement, and leadership. This substantive role offers a well-structured nine-week cycle of responsibilities, balancing clinical, educational, and managerial duties to ensure professional growth and development within a supportive environment. No specific sub-specialty interest is required; the department will actively support the appointee to develop a clinical or academic special interest of their choice, aligned with service needs, with time agreed through job planning.
The nine-week cycle incorporates four attending ("hot") weeks
- HDU (Week 1),
- Weekend on-site (Week 3),
- ITU (Week 5)
- Transitional Care/Postnatal Wards (Week 9) - each designed to provide focused and comprehensive neonatal care.
Non-attending weeks are structured to balance clinical duties with professional development activities. Key responsibilities include:
- Outpatient clinics:
- Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Meetings:
- Supporting Professional Activities (SPA):
The consultant will play a pivotal role in education, fostering the development of junior doctors, medical students, and nursing staff.
The unit prides itself on a robust quality improvement (QI) program that has driven significant advancements in care delivery
The unit has an active academic and research portfolio. In 2025 it delivered 14 NIHR portfolio studies
The consultant will hold a senior leadership role within the department, contributing to strategic planning and service development
The Oliver Fisher Neonatal Unit opened to intensive care in 1984 with two regionally funded neonatal intensive care cots. Since 1999, the unit relocated to the new wing of the Medway Maritime Hospital where it is based currently. We are an award winning team and are considered to be one of the busiest tertiary neonatal intensive care units in KSS as we are afully recognised tertiary referral centre. The unit is the lead intensive care provider for the Kent Network. We have primary responsibility to providing intensive care for babies born in West Kent. We host the Kent arm of the KSS Neonatal Transport Service.
We have well developed purpose-built facilities for 12 intensive care cots, 8 high dependency cots and 12 special care baby cots. In addition, we provide neonatal transitional care services on the post-natal ward. These comprise of 8 neonatal transitional care cots (NTC) and 6 midwifery additional care (MAC) cots. The latter was a reconfigured addition to the current neonatal bed base in 2019 due to an increasing demand for this service and has won the Medway NHS Foundation Trust "Best Innovation Award" in 2020.
The unit is located next to the labour ward and on the same floor as the post-natal wards, allowing for good communication at all times with the maternity department.
The neonatal unit has a comprehensive set of protocols and guidelines, developed collaboratively by trained staff, postgraduate doctors, and nurses.
Week 1: High Dependency Unit (HDU) and Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU)During this week, the consultant will oversee care in the HDU and SCBU, leading on morning ward rounds and managing patient care across these units. The consultant is also responsible for all high risk deliveries in labour ward.
Week 3: Weekend Cover
During the weekend hot week, the consultant is the only consultant on duty on Saturday and Sunday and covers the whole neonatal unit ITU, HDU, SCBU, transitional care and the postnatal wards. The consultant is on site from 08:30 to 20:30 on both days, leads the weekend ward rounds, manages all new admissions and high-risk deliveries, supports the resident team, and remains on call overnight.
Week 5: Intensive Care Unit (ITU)
The consultant will act as the attending Neonatologist for the ITU, taking full responsibility for all new admissions and ongoing care of critically ill neonates. Key responsibilities include leading daily ward rounds from 08:30 to 12:00, coordinating multidisciplinary care, and making day-to-day decisions for all ITU patients. This week demands strong clinical leadership, collaboration, and critical thinking to ensure the highest standards of care for the most vulnerable patients.
Week 9: Transitional Care and Postnatal Wards
This week combines clinical responsibilities in Transitional Care and Postnatal Wards with broader leadership and teaching roles. Alongside providing hand on patient care, the consultant will manage neonatal alerts, conduct antenatal consultations with families, chair PMRT meetings, lead postgraduate teaching sessions, conduct virtual ward consultations for patients under team NOAH, oversee daytime neonatal transfers, lead simulations sessions
The consultant will participate in a 1:9 on-call rota covering weekends and nights. Key details include:
On-call duties require a presence on-site for 12 hours daily (08:30 to 20:30) in accordance with BAPM and GIRFT recommendations, with availability for acute decision-making outside these hours. Key responsibilities during on-call days include facilitating evening handovers and conducting evening ward rounds to ensure seamless continuity of care.
Non-attending weeks are structured to balance clinical duties with professional development activities. Key responsibilities include Outpatient clinics, MDT meetings, SPA
The consultant will play a pivotal role in education, fostering the development of junior doctors, medical students, and nursing staff. Key teaching responsibilities include:
- Weekly Teaching Program
- Undergraduate and Physician Associate Teaching
- Nursing and Midwifery Education
The unit prides itself on a robust quality improvement (QI) program that has driven significant advancements in care delivery. The consultant is expected to contribute to QI initiatives, participate in audits, and lead projects aimed at sustaining high performance across key metrics in the National Neonatal Audit Programme (NNAP).
The unit has an active academic and research portfolio. In 2025 it delivered 14 NIHR portfolio studies, four of which exceeded their recruitment targets and produced 7 peer reviewed publications, 8 oral presentations and 3 posters at national and international meetings. Consultants are supported by three dedicated research nurses and an on-site library with comprehensive journal access.
The consultant will hold a senior leadership role within the department, contributing to strategic planning and service development.
The consultant will be supported in pursuing CPD to enhance their expertise and align with Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health standards. Study leave and funding are available to attend conferences, courses, and other professional development opportunities.
- Full GMC Registration with a licence to practise
- MRCPCH by examination or equivalent
- On the GMC Specialist Register OR within six months of CCT (Paediatrics with Neonatal Medicine sub-specialty, or equivalent) at the time of the scheduled interview
- Portfolio Pathway (formerly CESR) applicants must be on the Specialist Register at the point of application
- IELTS (Academic) level 7.5 or a graduate of a medical school in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, USA, or Canada
- Valid Level 3 Safeguarding Training
- Valid NLS Training
- Higher Qualification (e.g., MSc, PhD, PGCert, Diploma - completed or in progress)
- Research experience (e.g. PI/sub-PI on NIHR portfolio studies, GCP certification, peer reviewed publications) and a special interest the applicant wishes to develop (no specific sub-specialty required)
- Clinical Governance principles
- Good understanding of the impact of early supported nutrition in neonatal outcomes
- QI/audit/research in neonatal medicine; experience of perinatal mortality and morbidity review (e.g. PMRT)
- At least 2 years training in years ST6-8 in a UK neonatal intensive care unit, or equivalent overseas if recognised for OOP
- Evidence of advanced clinical skills in neonatal medicine
- Ability to advise on efficient and smooth running of specialist service
- Ability to organise and manage the work of a neonatal unit, including outpatients
- NLS provider
- Understanding of the principles of clinical governance
- Ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems
- Experience of transporting sick and unstable neonates
- NLS Trainer
- Enthusiasm for teaching at all levels
- Evidence of original work as demonstrated by publications in peer reviewed journals
- Demonstrates commitment to high quality service delivery
- Able to cope with pressure
- Understands importance of feedback, and acts on feedback.
- Sympathetic understanding of patients and staff needs.
- Committed to continuing personal development (existing consultants must be able to demonstrate active participation in a recognised CPD scheme)
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