Locum Consultant Clinical Oncologist (Breast)

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a locum consultant clinical oncologist predominantly based at Queen’s Hospital, with a view to substantiate the post pending college approval.

The successful applicant will have specialist interest in the treatment of breast malignancies plus another tumour site of their choice and have full registration with the GMC with licence to practice. CCT in clinical oncology is expected to be achieved within 6 months of interview.

Clinical oncology at Queen’s Hospital is exciting and rapidly evolving. We have been awarded a joint contract to deliver intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery in collaboration with Barts Health. We are a 3 linac Varian site and were the first UK centre to go live with daily online adaptive radiotherapy using ETHOS which we recently upgraded to utilise Hypersight imaging. Surface guided radiotherapy went live at the end of 2024. We are members of Varian’s adaptive intelligence consortium which facilitates global collaboration.

We look forward to the successful applicant helping us to further develop our adaptive and stereotactic radiotherapy program as well as joining us in presenting abstracts at conferences in the UK and beyond.

There are further opportunities to develop your interests in research, leadership and teaching.

If you are the right person for this role and would like an informal discussion, please contact Dr Amy Ward or Dr Simon Ball (01708 435 000 ext 2078).

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be expected to provide to a high standard the full range of specialist diagnosis, treatment and care to patients requiring oncology services as outlined in the proposed program, including the following:

• Clinical oncology management of breast malignancy (not routine SACT, RT only)

• Clinical oncology management of a second tumour site (some flexibility in what this can be; lower GI or lung cancer among the options; both RT and SACT delivery expected).
• New patient numbers approx. 200-250 per year, in line with RCR guidelines
• Input into the Acute Oncology Service
• To work with and support the established multi-disciplinary site-specific teams
• Outpatient chemotherapy and inpatient clinical opinions
• To participate in the out of hours on-call service (currently 1:14)
• To take an active role in research and clinical trials
• To contribute actively to clinical governance within the department
• To support and develop quality improvement projects in the department
• Flexibility to undertake different appropriate clinical tasks within allocated DCC sessions at the request of the Clinical Leads
• To actively participate in the department’s teaching programme and undertake supervision, teaching and training of medical trainees and other multi-professional staff, in line with guidance from the relevant Royal Colleges or specialty bodies

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To provide, to a high standard, the full range of specialist diagnosis, treatment and care to patients requiring oncology services, as outlined in the proposed program which include the following:

• Clinical oncology management of breast malignancy (not routine SACT, RT only).
• Clinical oncology management of a second tumour site (some flexibility in what this can be; lower GI or lung cancer among the options; both RT and SACT delivery expected).
• New patient numbers approx. 200-250 per year, in line with RCR guidelines.
• Input into the Acute Oncology Service; this service is led by a team of three acute oncology nurses who field calls and review patients. The acute oncology ward round/consultant supports the AOS nurses in this role and undertakes ward reviews and offers oncology advice as necessary.
• Clinic reviews.
• To work with and support the established multi-disciplinary site-specific teams.
• Outpatient chemotherapy and inpatient clinical opinions.
• Participate in the out of hours on-call service:

• Consultants on-call frequency is currently 1:14 offsite for advice on oncology inpatients and to offer oncology advice to other teams.  Frequency of on-calls would be expected to reduce following successful recruitment to this post. Separate on-call rota to cover emergency radiotherapy provision at weekends for when medical oncology consultants are on-call (amounting to ~ 1 additional weekend per year). On-call Monday to Friday covers after 5pm until 9am the following morning. On-call on Saturday and Sunday covers the entire weekend supported by an on-site oncology registrar 9am-5pm, and the medical team overnight. There is an expectation of weekend consultant-led ward rounds of new admissions/any unwell patients. Acute admissions are taken by the medical team out of hours, but oncology review may be requested the following day. This would only be needed for acutely unwell, complex patients. Time in lieu (such as for weekend working) will be considered by the Clinical Leads.
• Consultants on-call frequency is currently 1:14 offsite for advice on oncology inpatients and to offer oncology advice to other teams.  Frequency of on-calls would be expected to reduce following successful recruitment to this post.
• Separate on-call rota to cover emergency radiotherapy provision at weekends for when medical oncology consultants are on-call (amounting to ~ 1 additional weekend per year).
• On-call Monday to Friday covers after 5pm until 9am the following morning.
• On-call on Saturday and Sunday covers the entire weekend supported by an on-site oncology registrar 9am-5pm, and the medical team overnight. There is an expectation of weekend consultant-led ward rounds of new admissions/any unwell patients. Acute admissions are taken by the medical team out of hours, but oncology review may be requested the following day. This would only be needed for acutely unwell, complex patients.
• Time in lieu (such as for weekend working) will be considered by the Clinical Leads.

• To take an active role in research and clinical trials.
• Contribute actively to clinical governance within the department.
• To support and develop quality improvement projects within the department.
• Flexibility to undertake different appropriate clinical tasks within allocated DCC sessions at the request of the Clinical Leads.
• Actively participate in the unit’s Teaching Programme and undertake supervision, teaching and training of medical trainees and other multi-professional staff, in line with guidance from the relevant Royal Colleges or specialty bodies.
• Participate in clinical guidelines development, audit and CPD and ensure successful revalidation when required.
• Appropriate desk space and secretarial support will be available.

Programmed Activities

You and the Clinical Lead will agree a prospective job plan that sets out your main duties and responsibilities, a schedule for carrying out your Programmed Activities, your managerial responsibilities, your accountability arrangements, your objectives and supporting resources.

Indicative job plan

Please see attached job description.

Proposed weekly timetable

Please see attached job description.