Critical Care ECHO Fellow

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Applications are invited for Senior Clinical Fellow posts in Critical Care Echocardiography.

This program is the UK's first dedicated training programme in Critical Care Echocardiography and is now in its 15th successful year. It is aimed at advanced trainees or post CCT trainees who wish to become the future clinical leads of echocardiography within critical care.

Main Duties of the Job

Program Aims: This program provides a unique training opportunity for the appointee to achieve:

1. Independent practitioner level accreditation with the British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) in critical care echocardiography (ACCE).
2. Consultant level specialist skills and knowledge in critical care echocardiography.
3. Expertise in the delivery and organisation of critical care echo services.
4. The opportunity to publish with an established group of critical care clinician-echocardiographers.

The program runs over a 20-24 month period during which the successful applicant will work as part of the intensive care medicine senior registrar team on an 80% WTE basis.

About Us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training, and research. Find out more here: www.ouh.nhs.uk.

Job Responsibilities

Applicant Specification: A strong interest in using and developing echocardiography in critical care is essential. No previous echo experience is required. Applications at ST4 level training and above will be considered, and selection will take place through an interview process. Applications from those who are part-way through formal echo training will be considered.

Supervision: Dr. Claire Colebourn is the program lead and president of the British Society of Echocardiography. Since becoming accredited in adult TTE in 2007, Dr. Colebourn has helped define a new curriculum for critical care echocardiography, published on critical care echocardiography in both scientific and educational domains, and taught practical echocardiography to 16 successful alumni of the program.

Dr. Jim Newton is a Consultant in cardiac imaging and co-lead of the Oxford Critical Care Echo Fellowship. Dr. Newton is the lead author of the Oxford textbook of valvular heart disease and regularly delivers international lectures on imaging for invasive procedures and practical valve assessment. Dr. Colebourn and Dr. Newton are co-editors of the Oxford textbook of Acute and Critical Care Echocardiography.

The Oxford Critical Care Echo service (OCCES) is co-run by Dr. Colebourn (governance lead) and five other consultant team members, all of whom are accredited to Level II with the BSE and are alumni of the program.

Training Process

During year one of the program, the appointee will be given a protected day of echo training per week under the direct supervision of the trainers. Training takes place both on the intensive care units at the John Radcliffe Hospital and the Churchill Hospital and in the outpatient echocardiography department. In addition, the appointee will be expected to attend weekly cardiology echocardiography imaging review meetings and practice echo technique daily on the intensive care unit. The adult intensive care department is equipped with state-of-the-art mobile echocardiography equipment at both the John Radcliffe and Churchill sites for this purpose.

The appointee will be given an interim competency assessment at a time to suit their rate of skills development. Successful completion of this assessment will allow the appointee to contribute to the in-house critical care echo service currently in place, supported by the senior team. Supervision for this is always immediately available.

The appointee will sit the written component of BSE accreditation ACCE at the end of year one. During year two, the candidate will complete the BSE accreditation process, submitting both a completed logbook of selected pathologies and five demonstrative cases of selected pathologies through a face-to-face examination process. These will be reviewed by examiners from the BSE at the final assessment during which the candidate will also perform a normal study under exam conditions. There will be continued opportunity to perform unselected outpatient lists and to develop their critical care scanning skills throughout this year.

In the second year of the Fellowship, the appointee will also have the opportunity to expand either their training or writing skills with the echocardiography consultant team, depending upon progress and guided by the consultant trainer. The appointee will also receive advice and training in how to establish and develop an independent critical care echo service.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Full GMC registration and licence to practise.
• FRCA, MRCP or equivalent.
• EDIC or equivalent.

Experience

• Advanced competencies in Intensive Care medicine.
• Evidence of ability to manage critically ill patients with distant supervision.
• More than two years' experience in Intensive Care.
• Minimum 6 months experience in anaesthetics or equivalent airway skills.

Skills

• Excellent leadership, organizational, communication, and professional skills to undertake effectively the role of Senior Clinical Fellow in a busy teaching hospital ICU.
• Good personal and interpersonal skills.
• Experience of teaching undergraduates and trainees.
• Experience of routine clinical audit.
• Knowledge of the organisation of the NHS.
• Research or management training and experience.

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.

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust