Consultant In Hepatology

Job overview

Thank you for considering this opportunity with University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust (UHL). We are recruiting up to two Consultant Hepatologists to join an expanding Hepatology Service during a period of significant investment and transformation. UHL is one of the UK’s largest teaching trusts, providing specialist and general healthcare services across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR), as well as regional and national specialist care. Guided by our vision, Leading in Healthcare, Trusted in Communities, we are committed to delivering outstanding patient care and an excellent staff experience. Recent investment has enabled growth of the consultant workforce and Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) team. Successful candidates will work across UHL’s three hospital sites and community settings, supporting integrated care. The service is responding to rising demand in a region with high liver disease mortality rates. Working with the LLR Integrated Care Board, the department is improving early detection through community screening and prevention programmes. Further developments include enhanced surveillance pathways, virtual specialist support, and redesign of the Hepatocellular Carcinoma surveillance programme, supported by additional CNS and administrative roles.

Main duties of the job

The consultant role includes annual job plan reviews and close collaboration with the Clinical Management Group (CMG) to deliver efficient, high-quality hepatology services. Duties include rotational cover for 21-24 inpatient hepatology beds at Leicester Royal Infirmary, participation in a 1:17 GI bleed on-call rota, and weekday hepatology in-reach services.

Consultants will provide hepatology outpatient clinics and endoscopy sessions across UHL and community settings, with opportunities for flexible and weekend working. The post also offers involvement in the Endoscopy Training Academy and the chance to become faculty for JAG training courses.

Supporting Professional Activities (SPA) are an important part of the role. All consultants receive a minimum of 1.5 PAs for revalidation, audit, CPD, teaching and mandatory training. Up to an additional 1 PA may be agreed for further verifiable SPA work, giving a typical allocation of 2.5 SPA PAs. Where additional SPA activity is not undertaken, alternative clinical duties will be provided to maintain a standard 10 PA job plan.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The overriding purpose is to support the provision of highest quality patient care through personal actions and continuous improvement.

• Responsibility for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, and the proper functioning of the department;
• Cover for colleagues’ annual leave and other authorised absences;
• To participate in service development and business planning in collaboration with the other Consultants in the department, the CMG and local GPs and commissioners within the local CCG’s;
• Professional supervision and management of junior medical staff including the observance of local employment and human resource policies and procedures;
• Responsibilities for carrying out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and contributing to undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education activity, locally and nationally;
• Participating in medical audit, the Trust’s Clinical Governance processes and in CPD – CPD is provided in job plans and attendance at audit and other governance meetings in mandatory; Managerial, including budgetary responsibilities where appropriate and compliance with standing orders and standing financial instructions of the Trust;
• In line with GMC Good Medical Practice it is the responsibility of the post-holder to ensure that all duties are carried out to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with current quality initiatives within the area or work.
• The post-holder is expected to respond in a timely fashion to legitimate requests from Trust officers – this might include investigations of incidents or complaints.
• The post-holder is expected to participate in teaching and training of junior staff and other clinical staff groups. The appointee will also have supervision responsibilities for junior medical staff within the specialty. If appropriate the post-holder will be names in the contract of junior staff as the person responsible for overseeing their training and as an initial source of advice to such doctors regarding their careers.
• The post-holder is expected to participate in professional continuing medical education; study leave is provided for this purpose.
• The post-holder will be expected to undertake the Trust Corporate and Directorate specific Induction and competency Programmes appropriate to role.
• The post-holder will be required to maintain their continuing professional development (CPD) to be able to successfully revalidate. As per the Trust requirement the successful candidate will be required to have annual appraisal and attend/keep fully up to date with statutory and mandatory training as stipulated.
• Work alongside the CMG Quality and Safety Team to ensure identification and reduction of risks, incidents and complaints to ensure learning takes place and the overall improvement of patient safety.
• Actively ensure the appropriate safeguarding of patients

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.