Consultant Neurologist with MS interest

Job overview

We are seeking to appoint an additional Consultant Neurologist with a specialist interest in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) to join our dynamic neurology team at University Hospitals Plymouth.

This appointment will support the continued expansion of our regional Neuroscience Centre and enhance the delivery of high-quality neurological care across Plymouth and the surrounding area.

In addition to contributing to the general neurology service, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop and grow their subspecialty expertise in MS, working within a well-established multidisciplinary team committed to delivering comprehensive care for patients with MS.

Main duties of the job

The role will include providing regular general neurology outpatient clinics and inpatient ward cover, together with the opportunity to develop and lead the MS service. The successful candidate will play a key role in shaping and advancing MS care within the Trust, supported by a well-established multidisciplinary team.

The role will also include active involvement in the development and leadership of the department, alongside teaching and training responsibilities. The successful candidate will contribute to the education of medical students, junior doctors, nursing staff, and allied health professionals, as well as participate in departmental and regional academic activities, including the hospital grand round, journal club, audit meetings, and research opportunities.

Our department is recognised nationally for excellence and innovation. Plymouth is a GIRFT exemplar site for acute neurology, caring for more patients with acute neurological conditions than any other centre in the UK. We are also one of only five centres nationally where neurologists lead the care of stroke patients from the point of hospital presentation. This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking, enthusiastic clinical team delivering cutting-edge neurological care

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see attached detailed job description (pending RCP approval)

The department benefits from a dedicated space for the investigation and assessment of neurology patients, with emergency stroke admissions managed separately on the Acute Stroke Unit (ASU).

Over the past decade, our workload has steadily increased, and we now admit approximately 2,500 patients each year, of which around 70% are acute admissions. For the past 15 years, we have operated an attending neurologist service, with one consultant leading the inpatient team each week. This model has delivered measurable improvements in patient care, including shorter inpatient stays, while ensuring that the registrar on call has daily access to senior support and advice on all neurology inpatients.

This structure offers a unique training opportunity for our specialty registrars, who gain extensive experience in the management of acute neurology. The service has been recognised nationally and designated as a GIRFT exemplar for excellence in the delivery of acute neurology care.

The Neurology Department previously provided a Monday to Friday Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) service, which included a daily advice line for GPs. Although this service ceased in February 2024, it is anticipated that with the expansion of the consultant body we will be able to re-establish and enhance this provision.

The department currently provides an attending neurologist, responsible for all neurology inpatients, post-take ward rounds in the Emergency Department and Medical Assessment Units, and the care of 12 dedicated neurology beds on Hartor Ward, alongside an attending stroke neurologist who oversees patients on the HASU and ASU.