Urology Consultant

Job overview

The NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group (UHLG) wishes to appoint new Consultant Urologists. These are a new posts. There are opportunities for practice in Core, Endourology, managing urological pelvic cancers with special interest in managing bladder cancer (including core urology practice) and general Urology.

The appointee would join an enthusiastic team which includes 20 consultants, 8 Specialty Trainees, a robotic fellow and a number of clinical and research fellows, Speciality Doctors, 3 CSTs, 7 FY1s, specialist nurses and other nursing, administrative and operational staff and allied healthcare professionals.

The newly merged Urology Department covers Urological services across the City of Liverpool in a hub and spoke model. The main hub is based at the New Royal Liverpool Hospital in the city centre which houses all elective and emergency urology in-patients in a 42-bed all single room unit across 1.5 wards. The Urology wards contain a Urology Assessment Unit with protected beds and an enhanced recovery area. The department has 40 elective operating sessions mostly on the New Royal site.

The Royal Liverpool Hospital site is a designated Urological Cancer Centre with specialist MDTs for prostate, bladder, kidney and testis cancer. The pelvic cancer team has a joint clinic and specialist MDT with oncologists from the regional Radiotherapy Centre at Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology. There are 3 Da Vinci Xi robots (Royal) and one SP robot (Aintree).

Main duties of the job

Over the last 2 years the Urology services based at the Royal Liverpool, Broadgreen and Aintree Hospital sites have gradually integrated. All inpatient urology services are now provided at the New Royal Liverpool Hospital and there is single cross city, low frequency (currently 1:17) on call service at Consultant level with full middle-grade support.

The Urology Service at the Royal Liverpool Hospital is one of two designated Urology Cancer Centres in the Mersey region and has prostate, bladder, kidney and testis cancer specialist MDT’s delivering all aspects of pelvic and abdominal surgery, including reconstructive surgery. The service also has the only permanent lithotripter in the region and delivers all aspects of endoscopic and percutaneous stone management. Excellent support is provided by the interventional radiology department and there is CT and MR availability on both the Royal and Aintree sites. Nuclear medicine facilities are also available on the Royal site. The department already provides tertiary service for Robotic nephron-sparing surgery, robotic and laparoscopic nephroureterectomy, RFA and cryoablation, nephrectomy with caval involvement and RPLND.

The main Urology ward at the Royal Liverpool Hospital (5B) is a state of the art all single room 28 bedded ward. Urology also support patient pathways through Emergency Surgical Assessment Unit based on 6B alongside 14 surgical beds. There is also a 4 bedded enhanced recovery unit based on Ward 5B.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Each individual job will have a base job plan agreed with the successful candidates across the specialist areas of interest.

Applicants should be on the GMC Specialist Register via CCT, CESR or European Community Rights. Proposed CCT/CESR (CP) date must be within 6 months of interview. The post holder should also hold FRCS (Urol) or equivalent.

Audit, Education & Training

The Trust has an excellent Education Centre, which provides modern facilities including a professionally staffed library with reading room and fully equipped IT room.

There are well-established audit and research programmes in collaboration with members of a wide range of clinical departments. Opportunities to participate in collaborative audit and/or research are available, subject to discussion with the Clinical Director. Funding is available for research projects from regional and local monies, by application in the usual way.  The appointee will be expected to participate in undergraduate teaching for any medical and dental students attached to the Unit. In addition the appointee will be expected to play an active role in postgraduate teaching.     A monthly audit meeting is held on a programme determined by the Trust, at which attendance and active participation is expected.  The Trust also holds a weekly Grand Round and the appointee will be asked to present on an annual basis

Continuing Professional Development

The Trust supports the requirements for continuing professional development (CPD) as laid down by the GMC and surgical colleges and is committed to providing time and financial support for these activities. On appointment, the successful applicant will also be allocated a mentor for support.

Revalidation

The Trust has the required arrangements in place to ensure that all surgeons have an annual appraisal with a trained appraiser and supports surgeons going through the revalidation process.

Equity

The Trust recognises that surgical working requires good team working and the role of each Consultant is intended to be as an equal senior to other Consultants in the Department and in the Trust.  The Trust will ensure that the postholder will have has his/her needs for support met, and that the job plan created will be sustainable in the long term.

Management

The Directorate holds monthly meetings to discuss all aspects of management and clinical governance. The post holder is encouraged to attend these meetings. The service also undergoes a regular performance review as part of the governance arrangements and is monitored against local and national standards.