Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Cddft; North East; Hybrid; GBP 114,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust seeks a Consultant Plastic Surgeon to deliver comprehensive plastic surgery and reconstructive services. The role covers University Hospital North Durham with clinics and theatre sessions at Darlington Memorial Hospital and Bishop Auckland, plus other trust sites as needed.

Ideal candidates will have FRCS/Plast or equivalent, GMC registration, and demonstrable experience in skin cancer surgery, microsurgery, and plastics trauma.

Qualifications

• Medical degree and GMC registration or equivalent.
• FRCS/FRCS Plast or equivalent for Specialist Register or nearing CCT.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive plastic surgery and reconstructive services.
• Work across UHND, Darlington Memorial, and Bishop Auckland; support other sites.
• Lead clinical care, supervise junior staff, and participate in teaching.
• Involve in planning development and governance within the service.
• Engage in CPD, audits, and clinical governance per national guidelines.
• Travel across trust sites to meet service needs; provide clinical advice.

Skills

Hand trauma experience

Complex hand cases

Experience in skin cancer

General plastic surgery trauma

Teaching/education involvement

Microsurgery experience

Education

MRCS / FRCS or Equivalent

Medical Degree

License to practice

Job description

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

Consultant Plastic Surgeon

The closing date is 23 November 2026

ThePlastic Surgery department currently works across multiple sites providingoutpatient clinics in Darlington Memorial Hospital, the University Hospital ofNorth Durham, Bishop Auckland Hospital, Shotley Bridge Hospital, SedgefieldCommunity Hospital and Chester-Le-Street Hospital. Inpatient and day casetreatment is carried out Darlington Memorial Hospital, University HospitalNorth Durham, and Shotley Bridge Hospital. Previous experience in PlasticSurgery is essential. The post is based at the University Hospital of NorthDurham with clinics and theatres at Darlington Memorial Hospital and BishopAuckland in addition to the University Hospital of North Durham.

The basic contract is for10+1 programmed activities plus a 1:8 on call week. There will need to be a discussion with the post holder regarding the final plan/on-call arrangementsprior to commencement of the appointment.

Taking this into account it is proposed that whilst a successful candidate will spendmost of their programmed activities the University Hospital of North Durham itis expected that the role would involve programmed activities at otherhospitals within the trust.

Main duties of the job

ThePlastic Surgery department is a surgical specialty within the larger SurgicalCare Group. The unit currently provides Plastic Surgery services to thepopulation of Durham, Darlington, North Yorkshire, Bishop Auckland, Sunderland,South Tyneside and Gateshead. The department works on a hub and spoke basiswith in-patient elective and Trauma work based on the University Hospital ofDurham (UHND) site, day case and outpatient clinics on the Bishop Auckland andShotley Bridge sites and outpatient clinics only in Sunderland, South Tyneside,Gateshead and Sedgefield hospitals.

About us

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.

Over reliance onAI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances ofsuccess.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

Job responsibilities

The Plastic Surgical team at UHND currently comprises eightsubstantive consultants providing a trauma commitment on a 1:8 basis as surgeonof the week. The on call is split 3:4 from Fri 7:45am to Mon 7:45am and Mon7:45am to Friday 7.45am at UHND. All elective clinics and theatre lists arecancelled during the trauma week allowing the on-call consultant to concentrateon emergency work. This allows improved management of emergencies and givestime for teaching, administration, etc. There are morning Trauma clinics sevendays a week and dedicated emergency operating theatre is available 4 times aweek in the afternoon (4 days in the weekdays) and shared CEPOD theatres withother surgical specialities once in the weekdays and on the weekends.

On the UHND site adult inpatient services are admitted on totwo wards depending on screened elective or non-screened emergencycategorisation. There is a separate short-stay surgical ward area and day caseunit reserved for elective cases. Childrens inpatient and day case servicesare provided on a dedicated paediatric ward and there is also a designated daysurgery unit.

On the DMH site adult in patient services are provided on amixed surgical unit. There is also a separate short stay facility and day casearea.

At BAGH there is a shared inpatient area and dedicated daysurgery unit.

There is intensive care and HDU provision on the two basesites both at UHND and DMH.

A dedicated plastic surgery secretarial team is providedfrom UHND and a named secretary will be identified.

The plastic surgery team presently consists of - Consultants:

Mr J Wokes(Clinical Lead)

Mr RChalmers

Mr TCollin

Mr J Kim

Mr OOsmani

Other Grades:

ST 3-6training registrars

2 Trustregistrars

TrustGrade (SHO)

3 CT1/2

6 FY1(shared with Orthopaedics)

The post advertised is for a Consultant Plastic Surgeon toprovide general plastic surgery and reconstructive services to an estimatedpopulation of 1.4 million. The post holder will be based at the UniversityHospital of North Durham where most inpatient surgery and all trauma iscurrently accommodated and will also include clinics and theatre sessions inDarlington Memorial Hospital. Trust wide working and ability to get to sites isessential.

Applicants will have interest in skin cancer surgery andupper limb surgery. Experience of microsurgery and free flap reconstruction ispreferred. Applicants should have completed their FRCS (Plast) or equivalentand be on the General Medical Council Specialist Register or be within 6 monthsof CCT at the time of the interview date with a license to practice. Theyshould have a good overall level of experience of elective plastic surgery andall aspects of plastics trauma and hand surgery including microsurgicalreconstruction.

Main Duties

1. The post holder will be based at University HospitalNorth Durham but will predominantly provide a comprehensive Plastic SurgeryService as well as reconstructive services to the people of South Durham,Bishop Auckland and Darlington and will be available for clinical advice. And will be involved, in conjunction with colleagues in Plastic Surgery, forplanning future development in the service.

2. The Consultant has continuing responsibility for the careof patients in their charge and for the proper functioning of the departmentin which they work.

3. For management purposes and use of resources the postholder will be accountable to the General Manager & Clinical Lead forPlastic Surgery and will ensure the effective and efficient use of resourcesallocated.

4. The post holder will be responsible for the professionaland educational supervision of junior staff.

4. The post holder will be expected to participate in thepostgraduate teaching of medical staff as well as teaching of undergraduatesattached to the Trust and in the training of all grades of staff.

5. Research activities, which are considered to be aninherent part of normal clinical duties, will be encouraged and limitedresearch funding may be available following successful applications to thelocal Research and Development Committee.

6. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) the postholder is responsible for ensuring that they meet the national requirementsfor CPD, both internal and external. You will be expected to attendregularly and contribute to the weekly half-day educational session held by theDirectorate.

7. It is expected that the post holder will participate inclinical audit.

8. The post holder will be expected to participate inclinical governance arrangements in line with national and local guidelines andin respect of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching in the Trust inaccordance with current best practice.

9. If the post holder is involved in the care of a patientwho subsequently initiates a claim against the Trust you will be expected toprovide, free of charge, an opinion and statement of facts on the case.

10. The post holder will be expected to deputise in theabsence of colleagues in cases of annual leave, study leave and short-termsickness as far as is practicable and ensure continuous patient care.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Medical Degree
• License to practice
• MRCS / FRCS or Equivalent

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Hand trauma experience
• Complex Hand cases
• Experience in skin cancer
• Good overall experience of elective plastic surgery and all aspects of plastics trauma and hand surgery.
• Management Skills
• Able to manage own time
• Audit Skills
• Evidence of previous involvement in clinical audit
• Teaching Skills
• Evidence of teaching junior staff
• Microsurgery experience

Experience

• Experience in skin cancer, microsurgery reconstruction, and general plastic surgery trauma management.
• Evidence of contribution to Audit/Research
• Evidence of contribution to teaching

Special Requirements

• Willingness and ability to participate equally in a multi-disciplinary team.
• Proven ability to work well within a team.
• Ability to liaise well with colleagues in other specialties.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to cope with stress.
• Good discipline and motivation.
• Ability to travel independently across site to meet the needs of then service.

Statutory Registration

• Full and specialist registration with GMC (and Licence to Practice).
• Holder of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or should have attained or be within 6 months of attaining CCT in Specialty at time of interview.

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.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

£113,565 to £150,569 a yearYC72 Pay Scale per annum pro rata