Trust Doctor (StR Lower) in Community Hospitals

Job overview

We are looking for a Trust Doctor to provide ward cover and non resident on call for the inpatient general rehabilitation ward at Mount Gould Hospital (part of the Integrated Care Division at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust).

On the MGH rehabilitation ward there are 24 patient beds and 12 end of life beds. There is a mix of patients including frail elderly who are medically fit but not therapy fit on discharge from Derriford (they need to have rehab potential to come to us). We also take post-operative surgical and orthopaedic patients requiring a further period of rehabilitation.

There are 4 senior medical staff who each do a weekly ward round and MDT. The ward juniors are expected to join them on rounds, do the jobs from the rounds, and run the ward on a day to day basis; clerking new patients, writing discharge letters, reviewing unwell and end of life patients, liaising with therapy staff and families, and dealing with medical situations as they arise.

The middle grade is the first contact point for the ward doctors of they need advice / support, although there is always someone senior available to ask for advice.

Main duties of the job

You will be working with an enthusiastic team of Consultants, GPs, both Specialty and Specialist doctors and Resident Doctors.

The rehabilitation inpatient bed base consists of 1 general rehabilitation ward on the Mount Gould site.  Out of hours cover is required 7 days a week for all inpatient beds on the site which includes the Stroke Rehabilitation ward (Wembury ward) and the Neurosurgical Rehabilitation ward (Plym).  This is non resident.

• Assessment of all new admissions to the unit and timely completion of discharge documentation.

• Review of clinical deterioration in patients at the guidance of nursing staff or medical colleagues.

• The post holder will be expected to provide reciprocal cross cover for leave of other medical staff on the MGH site. Short-term sick leave will be similarly covered.

• The post-holder will work as a member of the multi-disciplinary team, ensuring patient care is based on need with services that are accessible and acceptable to patients and carers. They will be available by appointment to meet with family members and other carers when appropriate to discuss patients’ management and progress.

• Inclusion on the non-resident on call rota based at Mount Gould Hospital.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

There are now 36 beds for geriatric, end of life and post-acute rehabilitation. The case mix is broad and includes those following orthopaedic surgery, trauma and amputation as well as acute physical illness in older people. The majority of patients are admitted from Derriford Hospital following an acute episode of care. There is an experienced multidisciplinary team across these wards including nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, dietician, pharmacist and psychiatric liaison nurse support.

Out of hours cover is provided through senior nurse on site, supported by off-site hospital-wide oncall junior doctor and senior on-call rota (in partnership with Livewell Southwest [LSW]).