HEALTH EDUCATION THAMES VALLEY – ACADEMIC
CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP IN PAEDIATRICS
About Health Education Thames Valley
We are the Local Education and Training Board (LETB) for Thames Valley covering
Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. Our vision is to ensure the delivery of
effective workforce planning and excellent education and training to develop a highly
capable, flexible and motivated workforce that delivers improvements in health for
the population of Thames Valley. Thames Valley LETB is responsible for the training
of around 2000 Foundation and Specialty trainees.
Health Education Thames Valley is a relatively small organisation with a defined
geographical area which serves as a single unit of application. In the majority of
cases successful candidates will be asked to preference their choice of location for
either one or two years. Some programmes will require successful candidates to
indicate a location and specialty. Future placements will usually be based on
individual training and educational needs. Please note that applications are to the
Health Education Thames Valley as a whole. This may mean that you may be
allocated to any geographic location within Health Education Thames Valley
depending on training needs.
Further particulars for the post of
NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Paediatrics
Job title - Academic Clinical Fellow
Duration of post - Three years
Applications are welcome from trainees at ST 1-2 for these Academic Clinical Fellow
posts. Academic Clinical Fellowship (ACF) posts have been awarded by the NIHR to
University/NHS Trust/Deanery partnerships nationally through competition. Oxford
has been very successful attracting 79 ACF and 30 Clinical Lecturer posts to date.
These posts form part of the NIHR Integrated Training Pathway, further details of
which can be found on the NIHR TCC website http://www.nihrtcc.nhs.uk. The
University of Oxford enjoys an international reputation as a world-class centre of
excellence in research and teaching. It employs over 7,800 academic, research and
support staff across a wide range of academic disciplines.
The Medical Sciences Division, within which the Department of Paediatrics is
located, includes the clinical and preclinical departments of the Medical School, plus
Experimental Psychology (see http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/). The division is one of
the major centres for clinical and basic biomedical research in Europe, with more
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than 2,200 staff on the payroll and 800 postgraduate students. It includes several
research Institutes and Units housed in modern buildings. The Division achieved top
scores in both the 2001 and 2008 HEFCE research assessment exercises. The
annual grant income from external sources for the Medical Sciences Division is over
£90 million. The Division fosters the highest possible standards in research, teaching
and patient care and seeks to recruit staff that share this vision. The Oxford Medical
Sciences Division aims to sustain a high standard both in teaching and research and
furthers the development of students by providing an environment in which basic and
clinical research are actively pursued at the highest level.
The University Department of Paediatrics has a diverse and actively expanding
portfolio of research in paediatric diseases and child health with areas of research in
Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Global Health, Haematology, Immunology
and Infectious Disease and Neurosciences. These themes are discussed below.
Research Themes and Investigators within the University Department of Paediatrics
Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition
Dr Peter Sullivan’s Paediatric Nutrition Research Group studies the nutritional
consequences of neurological impairment in children. Current studies focus on the
impact of neurotrophic nutritional intervention to mitigate the effects of perinatal brain
damage. This group also has research projects on infant nutrition, body composition,
short gut syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease.
Email: peter.sullivan@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
Further information is available at:
http://www.paediatrics.ox.ac.uk/research/paediatric-gastroenterology-and-nutritiongroup-1/
Dr Holm Uhlig’s research group is interested in the balance of the immune system
that enables to fight gastrointestinal pathogens very effectively but tolerates
commensal microbiota in the gut. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) can develop
when this immune ballance in the gut is desturbed due to several mechanisms.
Those include a breakdown in the epithelial barrier, inefficient killing of pathogenic or
potentially pathogenic bacteria by phagocytes, as well as autoinflammatory defects
and defective negative control of the innate and adaptive immune system by
regulatory T cells. Dr Uhlig’s group investigates novel genetic defects that lead to
very early onset intestinal inflammation using next generation sequencing as part of
the Oxford IBD cohort study and the COLORS in IBD consortium (COLitis of early
Onset - Rare diseaseS withIN IBD). The main aim of this consortium is to
understand key functional immunological pathway that lead to inflammatory bowel
disease.
Email: holm.uhlig@ndm.ox.ac.uk
Further information is available at:
http://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/principal-investigators/researcher/holm-uhlig
Global Health
The Department makes significant contribution to the Medical Sciences Division’s
global health programme both through its strength in infectious disease, but also via
strong links with the Oxford Tropical Network. Investigators working in Global Health
with links to the Department of Paediatrics include Professor Dominic Kwiatowski
(genetics and susceptibility to infection), Dr Jay Berkley (clinical epidemiology, Kilifi,
Kenya), Professor Mike English (health systems research, Nairobi, Kenya) and
Professor Tom Williams (epidemiology of malaria and haemoglobinopathies, Kilifi,
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Kenya) while opportunities also exist for research in Nepal through the Oxford
Vaccine Group (see below).
Further information and contact details are available at:
http://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/principal-investigators
Haematology
Professor Irene Roberts' group, based in the Weatherall Institute of Molecular
Medicine and Department of Paediatrics, is carrying out clinical and translational
research into the haematological problems of children with Down syndrome,
including leukaemia. Her group has a particular interest in how trisomy 21 interferes
with normal blood cell growth and differentiation and the mechanisms by which this
leads to the increased susceptibility to leukaemia in these children. Laboratory
studies use a combination of cellular and molecular techniques to address these
questions. Clinical studies focus on haematological problems in the newborn period
and the natural history of neonatal Transient Abnormal Myelopoiesis which evolves
to acute leukaemia in 10-20% of cases. This work aims to identify factors which
predict which neonates are at greatest risk of leukaemic transformation and devise
strategies to reduce this risk.
Email: irene.roberts@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
Immunology and Infectious Diseases
Professor Philip Goulder is working to define mechanisms of immune control of HIV
infection and exploring strategies to alter the natural course of infection in children.
The Goulder Group studies cohorts of children and adults attending clinics in South
Africa, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, and also in Kimberley, Northern Cape, in addition
to smaller cohorts of HIV-infected study subjects attending clinics in the Thames
Valley region in UK. The goal of this work is to define the immune responses that are
effective in control of HIV, and that an effective HIV vaccine would need to induce.
The particular interest of the group is in determining the nature of the vaccine, and
the optimal timing of vaccination, that would address the rapidly growing number of
children infected with HIV for whom the only option currently available is a lifetime on
antiretroviral therapy starting from birth
Email: philip.goulder@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
Further information is available at:
http://www.paediatrics.ox.ac.uk/research/professor-philip-goulder
Professor Georg Holländer's research group studies the development and function of
the adaptive immune system with a particular focus on delineating the molecular and
cellular pathways that govern regular thymus organogenesis and function. The
experimental work uses state-of-the art cellular and molecular methods as well as
computational biological approaches to investigate wild type and gene targeted
mouse models to interrogate the molecular mechanisms of health and specific
immunodeficiencies. In parallel, other research activities focus on defining the
genetic programmes that control the function of the human immune system. Several
opportunities exist to learn molecular and cellular techniques of experimental
immunology and to participate in the laboratory's research programme.
Email: georg.hollander@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
Further information is available at:
http://www.imm.ox.ac.uk/wimm-research/paediatrics/prof-georg-hollaender
Professor Andrew Pollard leads the Oxford Vaccine Group, based in the Centre for
Clinical Vaccinology and Tropical Medicine. His research focuses on the design,
development, clinical testing and laboratory evaluation of new and improved
vaccines to improve public health. The applied immunology group studies the
development of the B cell response using cellular, molecular and functional genomic
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approaches and a translational vaccinology programme has brought a Group B
meningococcal vaccine to phase I trials. The group are developing a controlled
human infection model of typhoid and paratyphoid to drive new approaches to
prevention of enteric fever, of great relevance to the team’s field site in Nepal which
studies bacterial infections in children and their vaccine prevention.
Email: andrew.pollard@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk
Further information is available at:
http://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/
Neurosciences
Dr Rebecca Slater is a Senior Lecturer within the Department of Paediatrics, a
Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow and Lecturer in Biomedical Science at
Lady Margret Hall. Dr Slater leads the Paediatric and Infant Pain & Anaesthesia
(PiPA) group, which focuses on understanding the development of human pain
processing, with a particular focus on improving the treatment of infant pain. The
group uses a range of non-invasive tools to explore the of development of pain in the
human nervous system. The group is also investigating the long-term effects of
prematurity and alterations in anaesthetic requirements in children born prematurely.
Email: rslater@fmrib.ox.ac.uk
Further information is available at:
http://pipagroup.wordpress.com/about/
If trainees are interested in pursuing research in any of the above themes they
should contact the academic leads of the themes as listed. Alternatively, they can
contact Dr Matthew Snape (matthew.snape@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk), Academic
Training Programme Director, OUCAGS, and Consultant in General Paediatrics and
Vaccinology, who will also be happy to discuss research opportunities in these and
other areas. The Department has strong links with the Oxford University Hospitals
NHS Trust Department of Paediatrics, which is co-located in the new Children’s
Hospital. The candidate may also wish contact the relevant NHS consultant with their
specialty interest, listed below, about clinical training opportunities in the
Department.
Dr Eleri Adams
Consultant Paediatrician (Neonatal Medicine)
Dr Satish Adwani
Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist
Dr Tariq Ali
Consultant Paediatric Intensive Care
Dr Geetha Anand
Consultant Paediatrician (General, Neurology)
Dr Mark Anthony
Consultant Paediatrician (Neonatal Medicine)
Dr Nick Archer
Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist
Dr Charlotte Bennett
Consultant Paediatrician (Neonatal Medicine)
Dr Saleel Chandratre
Consultant Paediatrician (Neurology)
Dr Janet Craze
Consultant Paediatrician (Renal & General)
Dr Julie Edge
Consultant Paediatrician (Diabetes)
Dr Sri Gada
Consultant Paediatrician (Community Child Health)
Dr Praveen Goyal
Consultant Paediatrician (Community Child Health,
General)
Dr Amit Gupta
Consultant Paediatrician (Neonatal Medicine)
Dr Georgina Hall
Consultant Paediatric (Haematologist/Oncologist)
Dr Jeremy Hull
Consultant Paediatrician (Respiratory Medicine)
Dr Andrew Ives
Consultant Paediatrician (Respiratory Medicine)
Dr Kevin Ives
Consultant Paediatrician (Neonatal Medicine)
Mr Paul Johnson*
Clinical Reader & Hon Consultant in Paediatric Surgery
Dr Sandeep Jayawant
Consultant Paediatrician (Neurology)
Mr Jay Jayamohan
Consultant in Paediatric Neurosurgery
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Dr Dominic Kelly*
Consultant Paediatrician (General and Academic)
Prof Dominic Kwiatkowski* Hon Consultant Paediatrician (Tropical Paediatrics)
Miss Kokila Lakhoo
Consultant Paediatric Surgeon
Mr Alex Lee
Consultant Paediatric Surgeon
Dr Ravi Lehal
Consultant Paediatrician (General)
Dr Tafy Makaya
Consultant Paediatrician (Endocrine)
Dr Kenny McCormick
Consultant Paediatrician (Neonatal Medicine)
Dr Tony McShane
Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Dr Sheila Lane
Consultant Paediatric Oncologist
Dr Fran O’Brien
Consultant Paediatrician (Neonatal Medicine)
Dr Edwin Osakwe
Consultant Paediatrician (General)
Dr Mike Pike
Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Dr Amrana Quereshi
Consultant Paediatric Haematologist
Mr Peter Richards
Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon
Dr Clare Robertson
Consultant Paediatrician (Community Child Health)
Dr Astor Rodrigues
Consultant Paediatrician (Gastroenterology)
Dr Mandy Rose
Consultant Paediatrician (Community Child Health)
Dr Fiona Ryan
Consultant Paediatrician (Endocrinology,
Diabetes)
Dr John Shaw
Consultant Paediatrician (Community Child Health)
Dr Alison Shefler
Consultant Paediatric Intensivist
Dr Matthew Snape
Consultant Paediatrician (General and Academic)
Dr Umasunthar Thisanayagam Consultant Paediatrician (General)
Miss Silke Wagener
Consultant Paediatric Surgeon
Dr Kate Wheeler
Consultant Paediatric Oncologist (and General)
Dr Shaun Wilson
Consultant Paediatrician (Oncology)
Teaching
The Department is highly regarded within the Medical Sciences Division for its high
quality undergraduate teaching. The undergraduate course and special study
modules are under continual refinement and development as a result of an active
programme of feedback and educational research.
A variety of teaching opportunities are also available including opportunities to be
involved in undergraduate medical student courses. In addition, there is the
opportunity to undertake the Diploma in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
(DLATHE) at Oxford University.
Selection Criteria
The Academic Clinical Fellowship Programmes will offer training to enthusiastic
entrants to paediatric and child health training who can demonstrate that they have
outstanding potential for development as a clinical academic in research and/or
education. Trainees can apply at ST1-3. Training will be flexible and trainee-centred,
as far as possible, with mentoring to ensure the attainment of both academic and
clinical goals. Trainees are encouraged to discuss their research interests with an
appropriate academic supervisor prior to submitting their application, and certainly
prior to interview if shortlisted. The trainee selected for the Fellowship Programme
will be awarded an NTN(a) at the start of the Programme.
Training objectives
The main objectives of the programme will be to provide:
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an entry point for doctors aspiring to a research based career in Child Health as well
as provide training in Paediatrics and Child Health competencies leading to GMC
accreditation
working with an academic supervisor to develop a project for a DPhil application
during the ACF post
Structure of the training programme
These posts are designed to meet the needs of doctors at ST1-3 level who wish to
pursue an academic career in paediatrics. 75% of the trainee’s time will be spent in
clinical work, and 25% in academic work. They will be based in the Oxford region
with academic time in Oxford. Clinical training would be overseen by the Oxford
Deanery and post holders will undergo an ARCP assessment on an annual basis to
assess the quality of their training. Each Fellow will have a clinical, an educational
and an academic (research/teaching) supervisor. The University Department of
Paediatrics will normally provide the academic supervision but trainees may
alternatively engage with academic supervisors from elsewhere in the Medical
Sciences Division as appropriate to their clinical and research interests. The trainee
will be placed in research units to gain sufficient experience for development of a
research interest and planning of grant applications for a higher degree. Details of
the academic programme will depend on the interests of the candidates.
Clinical training will be according to the OxPaed training programme in the School of
Paediatrics (see the School of Paediatrics website
http://www.oxfordpaediatrics.com). Trainees will be expected to achieve the same
competences as their full-time clinical colleagues, and will be involved in clinical
service and training as well as teaching in any of the hospitals in the Oxford Deanery
according to an allocation process which will be the same as for other non-academic
trainees. The trainee will be expected to complete the MRCPCH exams within the
36 months.
In addition to the clinical work, the trainee will be able to explore the range of
research opportunities and projects offered in the various research units. This would
allow time for informed selection of a research area and project towards a higher
degree. At the end of the first year the trainee will be required to choose an area of
research interest and develop a protocol for their research project for the next two
years. The structure of the second and third years may include blocks of protected
time free of clinical duties of 6 months to allow development of the research ideas.
It is envisaged that by the end of the post the trainee will be successful in obtaining a
research fellowship and pursue a DPhil. Regular appraisals will be undertaken to
monitor progress towards this goal and appropriate interventions will be initiated to
ensure relevant career progression towards a CCT in Paediatrics.
For further details of the training programme please visit the Oxford Deanery School
of Paediatrics website http://www.oxfordpaediatrics.com/
For further information contact Dr Matthew Snape
(matthew.snape@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk) or Professor Georg Hollander
(georg.hollander@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk)
Main Conditions of Service
Appointments to this programme are subject to the Terms and Conditions of Service
(TCS) for Hospital Medical and Dental Staff (England and Wales). In addition
appointments are subject to:
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


Applicants having the right to work and be a doctor or dentist in training in the
UK
Registration with the General Medical Council
Pre-employment checks carried out by the Trust HR department in line with
the NHS employment check standards, including CRB checks and
occupational health clearance.
The employing Trust’s offer of employment is expected to be on the following
nationally agreed terms:
Hours – The working hours for junior doctors in training are now 48-hours (or 52hours if working on a derogated rota) averaged over 26 weeks (six months). Doctors
in training also have an individual right to opt-out if they choose to do so, but they
cannot opt-out of rest break or leave requirements. However, the contracts for
doctors in training make clear that overall hours must not exceed 56 hours in a
week (New Deal Contract requirements) across all their employments and any
locum work they do.
http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/need-to-know/european-working-timedirective
Pay – you should be paid monthly at the rates set out in the national terms and
conditions of service for hospital medical and dental staff and doctors in public health
medicine and the community health service (England and Wales), “the TCS”, as
amended from time to time. The payscales are reviewed annually. Current rates of
pay may be viewed at
http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/pay-and-reward/pay/pay-andconditions-circulars/medical-and-dental-pay-and-conditions-circulars Part time posts
will be paid pro-rata
Pay supplement –depending upon the working pattern and hours of duty you are
contracted to undertake by the employer you should be paid a monthly additional
pay supplement at the rates set out in paragraph 22 of the TCS. The current
payscales may be viewed at
http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/pay-and-reward/pay/pay-andconditions-circulars/medical-and-dental-pay-and-conditions-circulars
The pay supplement is not reckonable for NHS pension purposes. The pay
supplement will be determined by the employer and should be made clear in their
offer of employment and subject to monitoring.
Pension – you will be entitled to join or continue as a member of the NHS Pension
Scheme, subject to its terms and rules, which may be amended from time to time. If
you leave the programme for out of programme experience you may have a gap in
your pension contributions. More information can be found at
http://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pensions
Annual Leave – your entitlement to annual leave will be five or six weeks per annum
depending on your previous service/incremental point, as set out in paragraphs 205206 of the TCS. The TCS may be viewed at
http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/pay-and-reward/nhs-terms-andconditions/junior-doctors-dentists-gp-registrars/junior-doctors-terms-and-conditionsof-service-and-associated-documents
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Sick pay – entitlements are outlined in paragraph 225 of the TCS.
Notice –you will be required to give your employer and entitled to receive from them
notice in accordance with paragraphs 195-196 of the TCS.
Study Leave –the employer is expected to offer study leave in accordance with
paragraphs 250-254 of the TCS. Local policy and procedure will be explained at
induction.
Travel Expenses – the employer is expected to offer travel expenses in accordance
with paragraphs 277-308 of the TCS for journeys incurred in performing your duties.
Local policy and procedure should be explained at induction.
Subsistence expenses – the employer is expected to offer subsistence expenses in
accordance with paragraph 311 of the TCS. Local policy and procedure should be
explained at induction.
Relocation expenses – the employer will have a local policy for relocation expenses
based on paragraphs 314 – 315 of the TCS and national guidance at
http://www.nhsemployers.org/PayAndContracts/MedicalandDentalContracts/JuniorD
octorsDentistsGPReg/Pages/DoctorsInTrainingJuniorDoctorsTermsAndConditions150908.aspx
You are advised to check eligibility and confirm any entitlement with the employer
before incurring any expenditure.
Pre-employment checks – all NHS employers are required to undertake preemployment checks. The employer will confirm their local arrangements, which are
expected to be in line with national guidance at
http://www.nhsemployers.org/your-workforce/recruit/employment-checks/nhsemployment-check-standards
Professional registration – it will be a requirement of employment that you have
professional registration with the GMC/GDC for the duration of your employment.
Though the post is covered by NHS Indemnity, you are strongly advised to register
with the MPS for professional indemnity.
Health and Safety – all employers have a duty to protect their workers from harm.
You should be advised by the employer of local policies and procedures intended to
protect your health and safety and expected to comply with these.
Disciplinary and grievance procedures – the employer will have local policies and
procedures for dealing with any disciplinary concerns or grievances you may have.
They should advise you how to access these, not later than eight weeks after
commencement of employment.
Educational Supervisor – the employer or a nominated deputy (usually the Director
of Medical Education) will confirm your supervisor on commencement.
General information on the LETB’s management of Specialty Training
programmes, including issues such as taking time out of programme and dealing
with concerns or complaints, is available at www.oxforddeanery.nhs.uk and in the
national ‘Gold guide’ to Specialty Training at http://specialtytraining.hee.nhs.uk/.
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Please ensure that you inform Health Education Thames Valley of any changes to
your contact details.
September 2014
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