Consultant in Geriatric Medicine (x4)

Job overview

“ This post includes a £20,000 retention bonus for the successful applicant, payable in line with our Retention Bonus Scheme policy. Please note that the retention bonus does not apply to candidates currently engaged by the Trust at the same grade as the advertised post, or to those who have been engaged at the same grade within the Trust in the past 24 months.  For more information on Retention Bonus Scheme, please contact: [email protected] "

We are seeking to employ four Consultant Geriatricians who are passionate and motivated to help reshape the service of Geriatric Medicine in West Sussex. These posts will be specifically based at St Richard’s Hospital, Chichester with the aim to ensure that all sites across the Trust will have the same access to excellent speciality care at the point of access.

This role would focus on ward based care, ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients. As a core part  of the team the successful candidates would also be part of the development work as we are extremely passionate about changing the way acute care is given to our frail population in Chichester. We need to support our existing team by adding new and equally enthusiastic individuals to help redesign our services to be fit for the future. Professor Chris Whitty identified Chichester as one of the oldest populations in the country and as such we need to have a service that responds to our population needs.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the role would be to support and develop the elderly inpatient service, at St Richard’s Hospital. Our aim is to build upon our strengths and improve our performance to become nationally recognised as an all-round excellent care provider achieving the best outcome for our patients.

The post holder will:

• Support the ward teams and provide day to day care of patients across the inpatient wards.
• Be part of the front door Acute Frailty team providing CGA assessments to those meeting the frailty criteria
• Participate in Rapid Access clinics and SDEC activities as these develop
• Be included on the on-call rota for GIM alongside fellow consultant Geriatricians in the department, currently on a 1 in 8 basis. The aim is to move towards a separate specialised frailty take as soon as this is practical.
• Be an active member of the Team contributing to departmental meetings, service development, audit and governance.
• Provide appropriate cover for patients admitted under the care of another paired consultant during the absence on leave of colleagues within job plan.
• Provide education to the wider MDT as part of the educational program.
• Keeping up to date with knowledge and skills via CPD
• Engagement with yearly appraisal and revalidation

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the job description and person specification attached to the advert for further details of the post.

This has been developed with a full-time plan in mind, though this can be adjusted with the successful applicant.

As a department we understand the difficulties and pressure that have been experienced in recent years and want to work together to develop real sustained change within our teams to ensure job satisfaction and personal fulfilment. We believe our strongest asset is our workforce and have to invest in this precious resource to build services fit for the future. This vision is what sets us apart and we welcome visits or informal discussions about what you can bring to this.

Chichester is a beautiful and historic cathedral city. Known for its blend of heritage, culture, and coastal living, it offers a high quality of life with a relaxed pace and beautiful surroundings including:

• Heritage & Architecture: At its heart is the stunning Chichester Cathedral, dating back over 900 years. The city has Roman origins, visible in its street plan and ancient walls.
• Culture: Home to the renowned Chichester Festival Theatre, it has a thriving arts scene, frequent concerts, and exhibitions.
• Transport: Excellent road and rail links, including direct trains to London (approx. 1.5 hours) and easy access to the A27 for coastal and countryside travel.
• Education: Good selection of schools (both state and private) and a University of Chichester campus.
• Nature & Coast: Close to the South Downs National Park, Chichester Harbour (an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), and West Wittering Beach – ideal for walkers, sailors, and nature lovers.
• Community & Lifestyle: It has a friendly, safe, small-town feel with independent shops, cafes, and regular markets. Housing ranges from period cottages to modern developments.