CONSULTANT CARDIOLOGIST- ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY AND DEVICES

Job overview

This post will be a 12-month fixed term contract to cover Maternity leave. The post will be based at Maidstone Hospital however, with a view to cross-site work where required (Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells hospitals including Fordcombe Hospital), as part of our vision of reconfiguring cardiac services and is suitable for a candidate with a specialist interest in cardiac electrophysiology and complex pacing.

The Cardiology Department

The Cardiology Department provides comprehensive non-invasive cardiac diagnostic services on both sides of the Trust. These include trans-thoracic, trans-oesophageal and stress echocardiography, exercise stress testing, tilt testing, ambulatory ECG and blood pressure monitoring. We have a full CT coronary angiography service at both sites and myocardial perfusion imaging service at the Maidstone site. Cardiac MRI at Fordcombe was established in January 2025. Out-patient clinics are provided at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells sites, along with Fordcombe, Sevenoaks and Crowborough hospitals.

Main duties of the job

The aim of this post is for the successful candidate to support the Cardiology service for one year during the maternity cover period. There is opportunity to help develop the cardiac rhythm management service at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, depending on the candidate’s level of expertise.

This is a provisional job plan reflecting proposed activities and may be subject to amendment after discussion with the successful applicant. The post is expected to be 10PAs with 8.5 DCC (including 1.0 on call) and 1.5 core SPA split:

Direct clinical care (DCC):                                              7.5 PA

Supporting Programmed Activities:                          1.5 PA

On call (including weekend & out of hours):         1.0 PA

Total Programmed Activities:                                      10 PA

(Please note: 1.5 core SPA is to facilitate appraisal/audit/mandatory training. At 1 year of appointment, this will be reviewed and additional SPA will be offered in line with trust guidelines to include educational supervision, and service development.

The weekly timetable will include two out-patient clinics, dedicated sessions for sub-speciality interest and the CRM MDT meeting. This is in addition to dedicated time for clinical administration and supporting programmed activities.

SPA is used for activities supporting professional development and the service which include teaching, audit, clinical governance and mandatory training. The postholder would be expected to take an active role in clinical governance focussing on CRM, including collecting, analysing and presenting CRM volume and complication data at local and national fora.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide a high standard of care to any patient for whom you have clinical responsibility. This will include any patients referred to you and cared for by you personally or by members of your team and, in addition, any patients of consultant colleagues when you are covering on-call or for annual leave.

To participate in clinical and other service activities and developments with the aim of ensuring a high standard of patient care across the Trust.

To work in close co-operation with other medical, professional and managerial colleagues, both within and outside the specialty, to provide high quality health care to the Trust’s patients, and to make a contribution to future thinking about the Trust’s strategic direction.

To participate fully in and share leadership of the clinical governance of the specialty covering its Trust-wide activities. To attend clinical governance half-days as detailed in the Trust’s Guide to Job Planning unless on agreed leave or while attending emergencies.

To participate actively in departmental audits, sharing co-ordination of audit activities within the department and implementation of change.

To take an active responsibility for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, training and supervision.

To assume responsibility, both personally and corporately with consultant colleagues, for the management of junior medical staff. You are expected to be involved in their professional development, both clinical and personal as per guidance from the Deanery.

To ensure that all doctors in training for whom you have supervisory responsibilities undertake delegated clinical tasks that are within their level of competence and knowledge.

To ensure at all times that you comply with the General Medical Council’s published guide “Good Medical Practice” including the Duties of a Doctor.

To take personal responsibility for risk management in your work and undertake to review practices and learn from mistakes.

To share in the ‘on-call’ rota. To provide prospective cover for colleagues during annual and study leave and other absences as far as is practicable and clinically safe.