Consultant in Spinal Cord Injuries Rehabilitation

Job overview

A full time (10 PA) substantive post as a Consultant in Spinal Cord Injuries and Neurorehabilitation is available at the National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) (8 PAs), and Buckinghamshire Neurorehabilitation Unit (BNRU) (2 PAs) at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. It is expected that the successful candidate will have appropriate training in rehabilitation medicine and specific spinal cord injuries and neurorehabilitation medicine experience.

We welcome the development of special interests within the field of spinal cord injuries rehabilitation medicine to complement or enhance those of the existing consultants and are looking for a commitment to service development and improvement in the provision of spinal cord injury rehabilitation services within the Centre.

For further information about this post and to make arrangements to visit the department please contact Mr Wail Ahmed, NSIC Lead Consultant and Clinical Directorate Co-Lead – wail.ahmed2@nhs.net

Please see Candidate Pack for further information on the role and about our organisation:

https://buckshealthcare.pagetiger.com/spinal-cord-injuries/spinal-cord-injuries

Main duties of the job

The post holder will have full clinical responsibility for the spinal cord injured patients under their care and will be supported by a skilled multidisciplinary team, as well as middle grade and junior medical staff. There are close working relationships with other medical and surgical specialties to provide additional aspects of care to this patient population.

The post holder will be expected to:

• Lead and participate in clinical audit and service improvement programmes
• Attend regular clinical meetings, including weekly radiology meetings
• Contribute to the in-service education programme
• Participate in training for junior doctors and other team members
• Be part of the medical leadership team, contributing to management meetings and helping to develop clinical policies and guidelines in conjunction with other staff
• Role‑model, uphold and actively contribute to the Trust’s values – Collaborate, Aspire, Respect, and Enable, ensuring these principles are embedded in everyday practice, decision‑making and interactions with patients, colleagues and partners.

The post holder will also be expected to support the neurorehabilitation services (patients with stroke, TBI etc) at the BNRU with 2 PAs by providing ward rounds, case conferences and/or outpatients clinics. Please see Candidate Pack for further information on the role and about our organisation:

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

This post is based at the world-renowned National Spinal Injuries Centre (NSIC) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, the birthplace of the Paralympics and a global leader in spinal cord injury care.

The NSIC is a purpose-built centre with 102 inpatient beds, providing comprehensive care for patients with spinal cord injuries, from acute management through rehabilitation and lifelong follow-up. We serve the South of England and the Midlands, admitting 130–150 new traumatic and non-traumatic cases each year.

Our facilities include:

• Four adult wards (93 beds)
• A dedicated 9-bed Young Person’s Rehabilitation Ward, the only inpatient unit in the UK for children and adolescents
• Hydrotherapy pool, gymnasium, occupational therapy areas including an Upper Limb Studio, and patient education

The NSIC is the largest of eight spinal cord injury centres in England, serving a population of approximately 14 million and receiving referrals from six major trauma centres across the Southeast. We review around 4,000 outpatients annually and provide outreach and peripatetic nursing services to support patients before and after admission.

We have a proud history of innovation, dating back to Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who revolutionized spinal injury care during WWII and introduced sport as part of rehabilitation, laying the foundation for the Paralympic movement.

The post-holder will be expected to cover 2 PAs (one whole day or two 1/2 days preferably Wednesday or Thursday) at BNRU. It is expected that 1 PA will be a Clinic in Neurorehabilitation Medicine and 1 PA will include Ward cover. BNRU is a 17-bedded in-patient neurorehabilitation unit, based at Amersham community hospital and serves the population of Buckinghamshire. BNRU is a purpose-built rehabilitation unit in a new building, and includes a large communal area, a garden, and a self-contained flat for appropriate patients. The main sources of admission are patients with stroke from the Wycombe Stroke Unit, and patients with other neurological conditions from Stoke Mandeville Hospital where general medicine is based within the Trust. Patients are also referred in from the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, and from the neighbouring hospitals of Wexham Park and Milton Keynes. BNRU is currently managed by Dr D Ramdin, Consultant in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. BNRU is also supported by a Stroke Physician for IP care - 1PA/week. Junior doctor cover is via a GP VTS trainee on a rotational basis. All annual leave and study leave arrangements have to be agreed with Dr Ramdin. It is expected that Dr Ramdin and the current post holder will not be away on planned leave at the any given point of time.

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.