Locum Consultants

Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust; Woolwich; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in the UK seeks two Locum Consultants for Gastroenterology to join their expanding team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The roles involve conducting clinics and endoscopy sessions, participating in multidisciplinary meetings, and engaging in audits to maintain high-quality services. This is a 12-month locum position with potential for permanent appointment, aimed at delivering excellent patient care and support within the department.

Benefits

Supportive working environment

Inclusivity initiatives

Continuing professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Must hold GMC registration and completed training in Gastroenterology.
• Experience in high-quality endoscopy essential.
• Willingness to contribute to teaching programs and audits.

Responsibilities

• Conduct 3 gastroenterology clinics and 3 endoscopy sessions weekly.
• Engage in clinical audit and governance activities.
• Participate in on-call GI bleed rota.

Skills

High quality diagnostic and therapeutic endoscopy

Participation in multidisciplinary meetings

Audit participation

Communication and leadership skills

Education

GMC registered Medical Doctor

Specialist training in Gastroenterology

Job description

The Gastroenterology Department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) currently includes 6 consultants, 2 specialist registrars, 2 clinical fellows and 3 specialist nurses with responsibilities for inflammatory bowel disease, viral hepatitis and endoscopy. At University Hospital Lewisham (UHL) there are 6 consultants (some of whom work part time), two registrars, a specialist doctor and two specialist nurses (IBD and viral hepatitis). A number of specialist gastroenterology services have been established at the Trust including ERCP, oesophageal physiology, capsule endoscopy and fibroscan. Facilities at QEH include a fully refurbished endoscopy unit with five endoscopy rooms, a new decontamination facility and recovery area.

Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivating a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the five aspirations:

• Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
• Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
• Improving the experience of staff with disability
• Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
• Making equality mainstream

Duties and responsibilities

The successful applicant will undertake three gastroenterology clinics with a general profile of 12 slots (5 new and 7 follow‑ups) and three endoscopy sessions consisting of 12 points per list (both mixed lists).

• To undertake high quality diagnostic and therapeutic upper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy
• To participate in the provision of a high quality out‑patient Gastroenterology service, including patient administration
• The post-holder will attend the weekly multidisciplinary meetings and monthly governance meetings

Medical Education & Teaching

• Possibly contribute to the General Medicine educational programme
• Act as a standard Consultant trainee for SpRs in Gastroenterology

Clinical Audit and Clinical Governance

• Attend and actively participate in the regular gastroenterology governance meetings
• Undertake high quality audit projects and participate in the collection of data required to meet national quality standards
• Under the supervision of consultants, junior doctors on the gastroenterology teams are expected to actively participate in high quality audit and present their data at national and international meetings. Junior doctors are encouraged to participate in research projects and publish case reports. The approach of the current consultants results in many of the junior doctors on the gastroenterology team achieving at least one publication in a peer‑reviewed journal or presentation at a regional or national meeting.

Continuing Professional Development

• Participate in continuing professional development at local and national level
• Implement audit and research findings as appropriate in clinical practice
• Prepare and participate in an annual appraisal in accordance with Trust policy
• Be willing to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional or national levels

Policy, Planning and Management

• The appointee will be responsible for the leadership of his/her team as appropriate within the specialty. Specific leadership responsibilities for areas of the service will be agreed on an individual basis and will be detailed in the postholder's job plan.
• Be responsible to the Clinical Director for the effective and efficient use of resources under his/her control, contribute to the planning and development of the service and participate in directorate/departmental meetings.
• Be an active member of the Gastroenterology Team ensuring the delivery of the Service Plan and the targets in the NHS Plan.
• Contribute to the development of clinical and organisational protocols and guidelines.
• Assist in ensuring that the Trust Clinical Governance Strategy is implemented as developed by the Clinical Practice Committee, Risk Management Committee and Education Committee.
• Contribute to good communications between the department and the other relevant staff/departments within the Trust, outside agencies including Social Services, General Practitioners, other Gastroenterology Departments in neighbouring Trusts and the Emergency Services.
• Support the Trust to deliver quality patient care.
• Assist in the development of the Annual Service Plan for the Directorate and Division and participate in the strategic planning of the service.
• Comply with all Trust policies.

We reserve the right to close the post before the stated closing date, please apply early. We do not contact applicants with the outcome of the shortlisting. If you have been shortlisted, you will receive an invite to an assessment day or interview.

As a local employer and anchor institution we work closely with our community to recruit locally and we welcome applications from the widest variety of people to ensure our workforce is reflective of the local communities which we serve. We encourage all suitable candidates to apply, including if you are Black, Asian or other ethnic minorities, live with a disability (visible or not) or are LGBT+. We have a number of active staff networks including Disability, LGBT+, Multicultural Inclusion and Women’s staff networks to bring staff together and celebrate diversity across our whole workforce.

Please note that sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route is subject to Trust allocation and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) approval.

About the Role

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust requires two Locum Consultants for 12 months to join the Gastroenterology team. The posts will be based at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital site with occasional cross‑site working at University Hospital Lewisham. These posts are being offered on a locum basis initially to support the Trust's expanding Gastroenterology service. However, there is a strong possibility that they will become substantive positions in line with the Trust's commitment to developing sustainable, high‑quality services for our patients.

This is a 10‑post appointment and the post-holder will be required to do 3 endoscopy lists and 3 clinics per week. Post holders will also participate in the on‑call GI bleed rota.