Consultant Anaesthetist

Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us.

Please see below for detailed job description of the role.

Main duties of the job

We are appointing Consultant Anaesthetists in University Hospital Southampton. This large department offers all major specialties and there are opportunities for you to undertake a wide variety of work. The elements we require in particular are thoracic, orthopaedic/trauma, spinal & neurosurgery, vascular, ophthalmic anaesthesia, pre-assessment clinic and anaesthesia for endoscopy and interventional radiology.

We require the services of anaesthetists who can undertake weekend general/obstetric/neuro work to begin with. However, we anticipate opportunities to join specialist on call rotas in due course. This will be your choice, subject to mutual agreement with the Care Group Lead and the needs of the Trust.

We also cover surgical specialities at Lymington New Forest Hospital & the Hampshire Orthopaedic Centre, and sessions are available there. A wide range of anaesthetic skills are needed, therefore applications from candidates with subspecialist skills are welcome.

We are concerned for the well-being of our Consultants and attention is paid to work life balance in the detailed construction of job plans.  Although we are a large department overall, we are able to offer a supportive environment for work. There is a culture of collaboration and co-operation across the Department.  We are passionate about patient care and believe that is best achieved by well supported staff.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

There is a need for a wide range of subspecialty areas, including major general surgery, vascular surgery, ophthalmic surgery, endoscopy, anaesthesia for neuro-surgery and neuro-radiology, spinal surgery, orthopaedic surgery and Major Trauma Centre work.

We also cover multiple surgical specialities at dedicated elective sites such as Lymington New Forest Hospital and the Hampshire Orthopaedic Centre in Winchester. Non-weekday working for this role will start with weekend elective and non-elective session cover. In the longer term there will be opportunities for appointees to move onto specialist on call out of hours rota instead, although this is not mandatory. The job plan would include approximately 5 all day lists per fortnight. One of these is expected to be a long list, to include an evening session. There may be a pre-assessment clinic requested, which may be generic or may be aligned to the individual’s sub-specialty work.

For an overview of the position, please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification document. This includes a detailed breakdown of the key responsibilities, role expectations, and the qualifications we are looking for. It outlines the essential criteria for the role and is designed to support you in preparing your application by helping you evaluate how your skills, experience, and professional background align with the requirements of the role.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  The successful candidate will be employed under the terms and conditions of service for Consultants (England) 2003.

Proposed interview date: 19th March 2026 This vacancy closes on or before 26th February 2026