Clinical Fellow in Anaesthesia – CESR Programme

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an ST3+ equivalent Clinical Fellow in Anaesthesia seeking Specialist Registration through the CESR route in South East London.

This innovative programme offers a structured pathway to CESR, combining high-quality clinical experience with dedicated educational supervision across tertiary, specialist and district general hospital settings. The programme duration is flexible, ranging from 1 to 4 years depending on individual training needs and progression.

The programme is delivered collaboratively by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (including Evelina London Children's Hospital), Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (Queen Square), with Guy's and St Thomas' as the employing organisation.

Fellows will rotate between Guy's and St Thomas' and Lewisham hospitals, with a dedicated neuroanaesthesia and neurocritical care placement at Queen Square where required. Training is aligned to the 2021 Royal College of Anaesthetists Curriculum and provides exposure to Stage 2 and Stage 3 competencies, including cardiothoracic, neuro, paediatric and obstetric anaesthesia, pain medicine, intensive care and major elective surgery.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will join a structured CESR Anaesthesia Programme supporting progression towards Specialist Registration in Anaesthesia. Fellows will work alongside trainees and consultants across participating hospitals in South East London, gaining experience aligned to the Royal College of Anaesthetists 2021 Curriculum and GMC CESR requirements.

The programme includes supervised training in cardiothoracic, neuro, paediatric and obstetric anaesthesia, pain medicine, intensive care and major elective surgery. Placements will be tailored to individual learning needs.

Fellows will rotate between Guy's and St Thomas', Lewisham and Greenwich, and where required, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. Educational supervision, progress reviews and annual appraisal will support professional development and CESR evidence collection.

The post combines elective clinical activity with participation in the resident on-call rota, with approximately 50% of time allocated to each. Duties will be matched to experience and competence, with consultant supervision available at all times.

The role also offers opportunities in quality improvement, audit, teaching, research, clinical governance, leadership and management. Fellows will be expected to maintain their portfolio, workplace-based assessments and logbook while working towards CESR.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Detailed Job Description and Main Responsibilities

The Clinical Fellow will participate in a structured CESR Anaesthesia Programme designed to provide the breadth of clinical experience, educational opportunities and supporting evidence required for progression towards Specialist Registration in Anaesthesia via the CESR route.

Working under the supervision of consultant anaesthetists, the post holder will contribute to the delivery of safe, effective and patient-centred anaesthetic services across participating organisations while undertaking a structured programme of training aligned to the Royal College of Anaesthetists 2021 Curriculum.

Clinical Responsibilities

The post holder will:

• Provide high-quality anaesthetic care across a broad range of surgical specialties.
• Undertake elective and emergency anaesthetic duties appropriate to their level of training and competence.
• Participate in perioperative assessment, intraoperative care and postoperative management of patients.
• Work within multidisciplinary teams to deliver safe and effective patient care.
• Participate in intensive care, obstetric anaesthesia, pain management and specialist anaesthetic services as required by the programme.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and comply with local and national clinical governance requirements.
• Escalate concerns appropriately and work within GMC Good Medical Practice standards.

CESR Training and Development

The programme provides structured exposure to Stage 2 and Stage 3 curriculum areas, including:

• Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia
• Neuroanaesthesia and Neurocritical Care
• Paediatric Anaesthesia
• Obstetric Anaesthesia
• Pain Medicine
• Intensive Care Medicine
• Trauma and Emergency Anaesthesia
• Major Elective Surgery

The post holder will be expected to actively engage with educational opportunities and maintain evidence demonstrating progression towards CESR requirements.

Educational Responsibilities

The successful candidate will:

• Meet regularly with their allocated Educational Supervisor and Clinical Supervisors.
• Participate in structured educational reviews and annual appraisal.
• Maintain an up-to-date portfolio, logbook and workplace-based assessments.
• Attend departmental, regional and national educational activities where appropriate.
• Participate in simulation training, multidisciplinary teaching and morbidity and mortality meetings.
• Contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching programmes.

Quality Improvement, Research and Governance

The post holder will be expected to:

• Participate in clinical audit, quality improvement and patient safety initiatives.
• Contribute to clinical governance activities within participating departments.
• Engage in research and scholarly activities where opportunities arise.
• Present audit, quality improvement or research work at local, regional or national meetings where appropriate.

Leadership and Management

The fellow will be encouraged to develop leadership and management skills through participation in:

• Service development projects
• Clinical governance activities
• Educational and teaching programmes
• Multidisciplinary working groups
• Quality improvement initiatives

On-Call Commitments

The post holder will participate in the resident anaesthetic on-call rota, currently operating on an approximately 1:8 full-shift basis, including evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays.

On-call duties will vary according to placement location and individual competence but may include emergency theatre cover, obstetric anaesthesia, critical care support and specialist anaesthetic services. Appropriate consultant supervision will be available at all times.

Professional Responsibilities

The post holder will:

• Demonstrate commitment to the principles of Good Medical Practice.
• Maintain GMC registration and mandatory training requirements.
• Participate in appraisal and revalidation processes.
• Take personal responsibility for progressing their CESR portfolio and identifying training requirements throughout the programme.