Consultant General Paediatrician

Job overview

Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Consultant in General Paediatrics / PAU to join our expanding acute and urgent care team. These are new substantive posts designed to support our evolving Paediatric Assessment Unit (PAU) model, which is transforming how children receive urgent care across the region.

Alder Hey is a major teaching hospital and tertiary referral centre serving children across Merseyside, Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Shropshire, and North Wales. With over 70,000 emergency attendances annually and a wide range of paediatric subspecialties on-site, we are proud to deliver world-class care in a purpose-built, child-friendly environment.

Main duties of the job

Our newly built PAU department is set to open in late 2025, offering direct urgent referrals from primary care and community teams, bypassing the Emergency Department. The unit provides rapid assessment, treatment, and discharge within a 12-hour window, aiming to reduce inpatient admissions and improve patient flow.

We are looking for a consultant who is passionate about acute paediatrics, committed to innovation, and eager to contribute to service development. You will work within a supportive multidisciplinary team and play a key role in clinical decision-making, referral management, patient flow, and leadership.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Provide expert clinical care and decision-making for acutely unwell children
• Lead and supervise the PAU clinical team
• Coordinate referral pathways and liaise with primary/community care
• Support quality improvement, clinical governance, and service innovation
• Participate in teaching, research, and development initiatives
• Contribute to the General Paediatric on-call rota and outpatient clinics

Please see attached Job Description for further detail.

(Job Description pending RCPCH approval)