Consultant Hepatologist

Job overview

This is a new Consultant post within Hepatology, based at King’s College Hospital (Denmark Hill), with responsibilities across both hospital and community settings. The postholder will work as part of the multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality specialist hepatology care for both inpatients and outpatients, while leading the development of community-based services.

A key focus of the role is to support the development of community hepatology pathways, including early cancer diagnosis, viral hepatitis management, and strengthening primary care pathways. The postholder will work collaboratively with colleagues across the Liver Unit, Gastroenterology, Endoscopy Care Group, General Medicine, and external partners across primary, secondary, and tertiary care.

Main duties of the job

• Maintain the highest clinical standards in the management of hepatology patients, both inpatient and outpatient, and contribute to the care of general medical inpatients.
• Participate in the General Hepatology and General Medicine rota, providing 24/7 consultant cover alongside colleagues.
• Lead and support the development of community hepatology services, with a focus on early cancer diagnosis, viral hepatitis, and primary care pathways.
• Work collaboratively across primary, secondary, and tertiary care to enhance regional hepatology services and patient pathways.
• Provide clinical supervision, teaching, and training for junior medical staff, students, and multidisciplinary colleagues.
• Contribute to clinical governance, including audit, quality improvement, morbidity and mortality review, and learning from deaths.
• Participate in research activities in line with Trust priorities, including clinical and translational research.
• Support departmental and divisional objectives, including service development, business planning, and operational delivery.
• Exercise professional leadership within the specialty, supporting staff development, appraisal, and maintaining high standards of care.
• Ensure compliance with Trust policies, including infection prevention and control, and maintain engagement in continuing professional development (CPD/CME).

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• Together with other colleagues, to provide a high-quality care service to patients. This includes all aspects of treatment and relevant management duties for the proper functioning of the Care Group.
• Shared responsibility with other colleagues and Responsible also for covering colleagues periods of annual leave and short-term sickness as detailed in your contract.
• Provide clinical supervision of junior medical/dental practitioners as a shared responsibility with other consultant colleagues.
• Responsible for carrying out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and contributing to CPD and clinical governance initiatives
• Responsible for outpatient clinic commitments in peripheral hospitals as agreed with the Care Group’s management team where part of the service structure.
• Contribute to the Care Group’s research interests in accordance with the Trust’s R&D framework.
• Contribute to the audit programmes, Morbidity and Mortality, Clinical Governance programmes and Learning from Deaths
• ake an active role in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the Care Group’s Business Plan. This may include assisting with discussions regarding service plans and developments with internal and external agencies.
• Conduct all activities within the contracted level of service and operating plan for service(s).
• Exercise professional leadership for all staff working in the specialty. This will include fostering and developing projects focused towards these ends and ensuring that the momentum of post- qualification professional education and other appropriate training is maintained.
• Work in conjunction with clinical and other professional colleagues to ensure that the productivity of staff within the specialty is maintained and their job satisfaction is enhanced. This may include involvement in the appraisal process for peers and/or junior colleagues
• Undertake Care Group management duties as agreed with the Care Group/Departmental Manager/Clinical Director.
• Be aware of, and comply with, all Trust infection prevention and control policies, to include hand hygiene, personal hygiene, environmental and food hygiene.
• Prepare for and undertake the protective interventions that you are responsible for in a manner that is consistent with evidence-based practice and maintaining patient safety.
• King’s is committed to providing Consultant led 7-day services and in the event of future developments the post holder would be expected to contribute equally with other Consultant colleagues.