NHS Lothian
University Hospitals Division
Directorate of General Medicine
WESTERN GENERAL HOSPITAL
SPECIALTY DOCTOR
IN ACUTE MEDICINE
1.
Outline of the post
This post is designed to assist with service provision in our busy medical department. The
post-holders will work in our downstream medical wards.
2.
NHS Lothian
NHS Lothian is an integrated NHS Board in Scotland providing primary, community, mental
health and hospital services.
The NHS Board determines strategy, allocates resources and provides governance across
the health system. Services are delivered by Lothian University hospitals division, the Royal
Edinburgh hospital and Associated mental health services, 4 community health (and social
care) partnerships (CH(C)Ps) in City of Edinburgh, West Lothian, East Lothian and
Midlothian, and a Public Health directorate.
NHS Lothian serves a population of 850,000.
2.1 University Hospitals Division
The University Hospitals Division provides a full range of secondary and tertiary clinical
services to the populations of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian. The
Division is one of the major research and teaching centres in the United Kingdom.
Hospitals included in the Division are:
The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh
The Western General Hospital
The Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh
St Johns Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital
Liberton Hospital
The Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion.
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The Royal Infirmary (RIE) is a major teaching hospital on a green field site in the South
East of the city of Edinburgh built in 2003. It comprises 25 wards, 869 beds, and 24
operating theatres, and is equipped with modern theatre and critical care equipment and
monitoring. Within the main building is a dedicated, multidisciplinary, 5 theatre day
surgery complex. The hospital provides for most specialities and is the centre for:
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General surgery with a focus on the upper GI tract
Vascular surgery
Hepato-biliary and Transplant medicine and surgery
Cardiac and Thoracic surgery
Elective and trauma Orthopaedics surgery
Neonatology
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Cardiology
Renal Medicine
Sleep Medicine
Regional major Accident and Emergency centre.
There is a Combined Assessment Unit which takes unselected GP or direct emergency
referals, and from A&E. CAU includes the Dept of Liaison Psychiatry and the Scottish
Poisons Bureau and Treatment Centre. There are full supporting Laboratory and
Diagnostic Radiology Services (including CT, MR, Ultrasound and NM and PET scanning
will be available in 2008). There is a full range of lecture theatres, a library and AV
facilities.
The Western General Hospital (WGH) has 600 beds and 5 operating theatres and is
equipped with modern theatre and critical care equipment and monitoring. The Anne
Ferguson building was completed in 2001. The hospital provides for most specialties and
is the centre for:
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Neurology, Neurosurgery and neuropathology
UK CJD unit
Colorectal Surgery
Urology and Scottish Lithotriptor Centre
Breast Surgery and Breast screening
Metabolic Medicine
Gastro-Intestinal disease
Rheumatology
Infectious Diseases
Haematology Oncology
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology (including 6 LINACs)
Dermatology (Inpatient)
Acute Medicine
Liaison Psychiatry
Respiratory Medicine (including adult cystic fibrosis)
Medicine of the Elderly/Stroke Medicine
There is an Acute Receiving Unit, which accepts GP referrals and 999 ambulance
medical cases on a zoned basis within the city, and a nurse led Minor Injuries Unit. There
is no trauma unit at this hospital. There are full supporting Laboratory and Diagnostic
Radiology Services (including CT, MR, Ultrasound and NM). There is a full range of
lecture theatres, a library and AV facilities.
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St John’s Hospital opened in 1989 and is located in the centre of Livingston, a new town
about 30 minutes drive west from Edinburgh. The hospital provides for most common
specialties but does not have emergency general surgery or orthopaedic trauma
operating. The hospital has a paediatric ward and is the centre for:
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General Medicine with specialists in Cardiology, Diabetes & Endocrinology,
Gastroenterology, Respiratory Medicine and Care of the Elderly
Obstetrics & Gynaecology
Child Health including Paediatrics and community child health
The regional Burns and Plastic Surgery unit for SE Scotland
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
ENT
Critical Care (ITU, HDU and CCU)
Accident and Emergency
General Surgery
Orthopaedics
Anaesthetics
Mental Health including ICCU and ICPU
Since 2005 general surgery and orthopaedics have been reconfigured in NHS Lothian
with SJH being developed as a major elective centre for the region. Lothian’s ENT service
was relocated to SJH to create an integrated head and neck unit with OMFS and Plastic
Surgery.
Recent developments at SJH include a new endoscopy suite, an Intensive Psychiatric
Care Unit, a digital mammography unit, an oncology (cancer care) day centre, a satellite
renal dialysis unit and a £2.75m reprovision of A&E. There are full supporting Laboratory
and Diagnostic Radiology Services (including CT, Ultrasound and NM).
The Royal Hospital for Sick Children (RHSC) is a 141 bedded hospital providing
general and specialist services for children. The hospital is situated in a residential area
close to the centre of Edinburgh and is approximately 3 miles from the site of the New
Royal Infirmary and the co-located University of Edinburgh Medical School and 3 miles
from the Western General Hospital. The RHSC is a 151-bedded Hospital, and is the main
paediatric teaching hospital for the South-East of Scotland providing general and
specialised services on a local, regional and national basis. It acts as the local paediatric
referral centre for the children of Edinburgh and surrounding areas, and as a tertiary
referral centre for intensive care patients; gastroenterology, hepatology & nutrition;
respiratory medicine; cardiology; nephrology; neurology; oncology; haematology; neonatal
surgery; plastic surgery; orthopaedic surgery; urological surgery and aspects of general
surgery.
Hospital accommodation encompasses five theatres, a critical care unit comprising a 6/8
bedded Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, 4/6 bedded High Dependency Unit and a 3
bedded Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. There is an excellent library facility and a modern
lecture theatre with a full range of audio-visual equipment.
All services are supported by comprehensive radiology, neurophysiology, laboratory and
therapy services. The local radiology department provides on site Magnetic Resonance
Imaging, CT Scanning, nuclear scanning and ultrasound. On site laboratories provide
biochemistry, haematology, pathology and neuropathology services.
2.2 Community Healthcare Partnerships
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The four established Lothian Community Health (and Social Care)Partnerships serve the
population of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian.
Hospitals in the CH(C)Ps include:
The Astley Ainslie Hospital in Edinburgh
Rosslynlee Hospital in Midlothian
Herdmanflat Hospital
RoodlandsHospital in East Lothian.
The four CHPs are coterminous with Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West
Lothian Councils bringing together those responsible for planning, managing and
providing community-based health services for the population of Edinburgh and the
Lothians.
There are 7,500 members of staff. In addition, there are approximately 1,000
independent contractors in General Medical and Dental Practice, as well as pharmacists
and opticians. A population of 850,000 people is served across health board area. The
range of services care of the elderly, medical rehabilitation, community mental health,
substance misuse and learning disability, district nursing and health visiting, family
planning, well woman, , comprehensive dental care and those provided by Professions
Allied to Medicine, such as physiotherapy, pharmacies and optometrists. Specialist
services provided include brain injury rehabilitation, bio-engineering and prosthetics,
drugs and alcohol misuse and harm reduction, AIDS/HIV and Children and Family
Psychiatric Services.
2.3 Royal Edinburgh Hospital and Associated Services
The Royal Edinburgh and Associated Services provides a range of Mental Health
services to the population of Lothian and other Boards within Scotland.
The Royal Edinburgh Hospital is located on the south side of the City of Edinburgh. It
comprises some 20 wards, 420 beds, day hospitals and outpatient facilities. The hospital
provides the following range of specialities:
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Acute Mental Health
Rehabilitation
Psychiatric Emergency Team 24/7
Outpatients
Assessment Phychiatry of Old Age
Forensic Medium Security Unit
Inpatient facilities for under 18s
Psychotherapy Service
Psychology Services
Services for Eating Disorders
Day Hospitals – Psychiatry of Old Age
There are an additional 46 bed and 1 day hospitals for Psychiatry of Old Age in the north
of the city at the Royal Victoria Hospital.
The hospital is currently housed in a mix of accommodation ranging from 19th century to
present. There is a major project now in place to take forward a reprovisioning
programme in line with the strategic vision with the “Delivery for Mental Health” Scottish
Executive 2006.
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2.4 Department of Public Health Medicine
The aim is to improve the health of the people of Lothian in collaboration with many other
partners. Using our range of knowledge, experience and networking capability, our distinctive
contributions are:
 the promotion of specific measures to monitor and improve health;
 the collation and interpretation of health related information.
The following objectives have been agreed as the basis for the Department’s work plans:
1. To monitor the health status and health needs of people in Lothian;
2 To promote improvements in the health of Lothian people directly, and by providing
information and advice to the public on health matters;
3. To assist Lothian NHS Board to fulfil its statutory obligations;
4. To contribute to strategic changes within the NHS in Lothian by providing information on
clinical effectiveness;
5. To facilitate improvements in health and health care services directly, and through ‘managed
clinical networks’ and wider alliances;
6. To contribute on a 24 hour basis to the control and prevention of communicable diseases and
environmental hazards;
7. To maintain commitments to teaching, training, professional development, audit and
research.
To enable efficient management of the Department: there are at present four groups in the
Directorate. These are; Healthy Communities, Healthcare; Health Protection and Health
Information.
3.
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh was established in 1582 and is one of the largest in the United
Kingdom located on a number of prominent sites in Scotland’s capital city. It is Scotland’s
premier research university, graded within the top six multi-faculty British Universities in the
last national research assessment exercise (90 percent of its academic staff were in units
rated 4, 5 or 5*). It has 3,000 academic staff, over 16,000 undergraduate and over 4,000
postgraduate students and an annual expenditure of over £261M for teaching and research.
The University is organised into 3 Colleges: Humanities and Social Science, Medicine and
Veterinary Medicine, Science and Engineering.
4.
NHS Library and Postgraduate Facilities
There are excellent facilities on all sites.
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ACUTE MEDICINE, WESTERN GENERAL HOSPITAL
Acute medicine in the Western General Hospital is divided into two specific areas.
Patient assessment and admissions take place in the Acute Receiving and Assessment Unit.
This comprises 24 beds in the assessment ward and a new purpose built assessment area
with 18 trolleys including an isolation area and fully equipped resuscitation room. Patients
suitable for Ambulatory Care (for example patients with suspected DVT, renal colic) are seen
in clinic space within the Minor Injuries Unit. The Ambulatory Care service is run by a team of
speciality doctors and advance nurse practitioners, with support from diagnostic services and
specialists e.g. respiratory and haematology when required.
Downstream patients are cared for in wards 15/25/26, where we have 70 medical beds.
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There are between 50 – 70 patients through ARAU trolleys area each day, the
majority of which are medical.
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There is a dedicated consultant presence in ARAU trolleys every afternoon Monday to
Friday from 12:00 -20:00
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The consultant on-call for admissions leads a ward round starting at 08:30 weekdays
and 09:00 at weekends. In the afternoon and evening, the consultant is expected to
provide ongoing assessments on those patients admitted from the trolley area and
facilitate patient flow.
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ARAU has registrar level cover over the full 24 hour period, as well as cover at the
support of a team of 7 FY1, 3 FY2, 3 CMT1 and 1 GPST1. The acute medicine team
also has 6.0 wte speciality doctors who contribute to the delivery of front and back
door services.
NHS Lothian has made a substantial investment in Acute Medicine services in the last 12
months, to support the increase in activity that has been seen at both the RIE and WGH sites.
This has lead to greater integration with Medicine of the Elderly services and the
establishment of a mobile team of specialist doctors, nurses and therapists to enhance the
care provided to frail older people across the site. Respiratory medicine has also become
incorporated into the acute medicine service on the WGH site. With closer integration of the
three services we are seeking to enhance quality of patient care and improve patient flows.
There is an additional commitment for weekend morning ward rounds on our downstream
wards (09.00-13.00) on a 1 in 7 basis. We are also seeking to develop and enhance our
ambulatory care provision at the front door and expand our nationally-recognised patient
safety activity.
Western General Hospital Management Team
Mr Colin Briggs - Site Director
Mr Pat Wynne - Site Chief Nurse, Western General Hospital
Professor Mark Strachan –Associate Medical Director
Dr Claire Gordon – Clinical Director for Acute Medicine and Stroke Medicine
Dr Peter Reid - Clinical Director Respiratory Medicine, Medicine of the Elderly and
Diabetes & Endocrinology
Mrs Anne Donaldson – Clinical Nurse Manager
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Consultant Team
Consultant
Professor John McKnight
Professor Mark Strachan
Dr Donald Macleod
Dr Tim Morse
Dr Mathew King
Dr Claire Gordon
Dr Stuart Ritchie
Dr Emily McMurray
Dr Ailsa Howie
Dr Gareth Stewart
Dr Freidericke Boellert
Dr Maeve Smith
5.
Speciality Interest
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Acute Medicine/Cardiology
Acute Medicine
Acute Medicine/Renal
Acute Medicine
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Diabetes and Endocrinology
Acute Medicine
Respiratory
Respiratory
Respiratory
Details of the Posts
This post has been developed to support the downstream medical wards. The individual will
have clinical accountability to the named consultant for each patient. There will be a
requirement to contribute to weekend morning review of patients (9am - 5pm to be confirmed)
on the downstream wards on a 1:7 basis.
The posts are full-time, with no on-call duties. Applications from individuals who wish to work
less than full-time would be welcomed. The post is available from the start of December 2014.
These are exposure prone post.
Interested candidates must be registered with the GMC.
These posts have been designed for the Western General Hospital but if service demands
prevailed it is expected that the successful applicants might have to work across the division
in order to support safe patient care.
6.
Research and Development
There are no research activities associated with these posts.
7.
Teaching
There are no fixed teaching responsibilities attached with these posts.
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8.
Contact Details
For further information and arrangements to visit contact:
Dr Claire Gordon
Clinical Director for Acute Medicine, Diabetes, Endocrinology and Stroke Medicine
Western General Hospital,
Edinburgh EH4 2XU
Telephone:
E Mail:
0131 537 2678 (secretary)
claire.gordon@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
Professor Mark Strachan
Associate Medical Director
Western General Hospital,
Edinburgh EH4 2XU
Telephone:
E Mail:
October 13
0131 537 2810 (secretary)
mark.strachan@nhs.net
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9.
Job Plan
Name:
Speciality Doctor
Principal Place of Work
Contract:
Full time
Availability Supplement
Premium Rate Payment Received
Managerially Accountable to:
Responsible for:
Day
Location/Hospital
Monday
Consultant Ward Round
Western General Hospital
Tuesday
Wednesday
Standard Week: No on-call
Specialty:
Acute Medicine
WGH
Programmed
SPAs
9.
Activities
25
Nil
Nil
Dr Claire Gordon, Clinical Director
Type of Work/Hours
DCC
09:00 – 13:00
Medical Wards
Western General Hospital
13:00 – 17:00
Ward Round
09:00 – 13:00
ARAU Trolleys
13.00 – 17:00
Consultant Ward Round
09:00 – 13:00
Type of Work/Hours SPA
Medical Ward work
Thursday
Friday
Ward Round
Western General Hospital
09:00 – 13:00
Patient related admin and CPD
Western General Hospital
13:00 – 17:00
Consultant Ward Round
09:00 – 13:00
Medical ward work and weekend handover
Western General Hospital
13:00 – 17:00
Saturday
Medical Unit (1 weekend in 7)
Western General Hospital
09.00-17.00
Sunday
Medical Unit (1weekend in 7)
Western General Hospital
09.00-17.00
TOTAL
DCC 9.75
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1
1 hour
SPA 0.25
10.
Person Specification
REQUIREMENTS
Qualifications and
Training
ESSENTIAL
GMC registered medical practitioner.
DESIRABLE
MRCP UK or equivalent
Completed at least three years’ full-time
postgraduate training (or its equivalent
gained on a part-time or flexible basis) at
least two of which will be in a specialty
training programme in a relevant specialty
or as a fixed term specialty trainee in a
relevant specialty; or shall have equivalent
experience and competencies.
Experience
Ability
Wide experience in General Medicine
Experience in Acute Medical
Assessment.
Ability to take responsibility for independent
management of patients
Ability to work well with others in a
multidisciplinary team approach
Academic
Achievements
Teaching
And Audit
Motivation
Previous experience in research
Evidence of patient focused care, learning
and continuous professional development.
Previous experience of teaching
and designing and effecting audit
programmes
Desire to develop services for
patients
Effective and able to efficiently use
resources
Personal
Attributes
Able to organise time efficiently and
effectively.
Excellent communication skills
Excellent team skills
Maturity, openness and flexibility
Ability to sustain staff and support others
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Able to motivate colleagues