Trauma and Reconstructive Fellow

Job overview

The Trauma and Reconstructive Fellow post is for doctors specialising in Plastic Surgery who have experience of trauma. These posts offer an exciting opportunity to develop and enhance the post holder’s skills for managing major Plastic Surgery trauma, and as such the postholder’s time will be divided between the Major Trauma Centre (MTC) at University Hospitals Sussex (UHS) NHS Trust at Brighton and Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (QVH), East Grinstead, where the Plastic Surgery Department is based.

This is a 12 month fixed term post from September 2026- September 2027

The post holder will be encouraged to develop their clinical skills and progress in the post, taking on increasingly complex lists and caseload. You will take responsibility for your own training and development; the Trust will offer you opportunities to further your knowledge and skills and you will be assigned an Educational Supervisor. You will work in accordance with the GMC Good Medical Guide and Trust policies and engage in revalidation.

Main duties of the job

The Trauma and Reconstructive Fellow is a non-training post for practitioners specialising in Plastic Surgery and who have experience of trauma.

At Brighton, the main remit of the Fellow is to provide support to the Major Trauma Centre at the Royal Sussex County Hospital. They will work closely with the five Plastic Surgery Consultants, who currently provide a service to the Major Trauma Centre in the care of emergency clinical problems, which include all orthoplastic trauma and plastic surgical reconstruction required by other specialties.

The Fellow will review all emergency patients admitted requiring plastic surgery input and patients referred to the service from other specialties in the Trust. They will also conduct a daily ward round at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, and attend the Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath if required.

The Fellow will work alongside consultants in the operating theatre and will undertake emergency surgery personally, with supervision when appropriate. They will be trained in all aspects of complex trauma management, with the aim of achieving a high standard of care for limb injuries, including proficiency in free flap surgery. The Fellow will attend weekly outpatient clinics.

There is a thriving teaching and research climate and the Fellow will be encouraged to participate. Whilst at QVH, there is opportunity to be involved in other aspects of plastic surgical emergencies.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

See job description attached for details.

The Trauma and Reconstructive Fellow post is for doctors specialising in Plastic Surgery who have experience of trauma. Important: This is not a post for orthopaedic trainees. These posts offer an exciting opportunity to develop and enhance the post holder’s skills for managing major plastic surgery trauma, and as such the postholder’s time will be divided between the Major Trauma Centre (MTC) at University Hospitals Sussex (UHS) NHS Trust at Brighton and Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (QVH), East Grinstead. 3 days are spent in Brighton and 1 day at QVH. It is expected that applicants will be close to completing, or have completed, their plastic surgery training and are seeking a plastic surgery lower limb reconstruction fellowship as a stepping stone into consultant practice.

The post holder will be encouraged to develop their clinical skills and progress in the post, taking on increasingly complex lists and caseload. You will take responsibility for your own training and development; the Trust will offer you opportunities to further your knowledge and skills and you will be assigned an Educational Supervisor. You will work in accordance with the GMC Good Medical Guide and Trust policies and engage in revalidation.