JOB DESCRIPTION
JOB TITLE:
SPECIALTY REGISTRAR IN DERMATOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAMME
ENTERING AT ST3
LOCATION: Northern Deanery
DEANERY PROFILE
As a Specialty Trainee in the Northern Deanery you can be certain of the highest quality training,
supervision and support. Our commitment is that our training is of the highest quality, ensuring
the local community receives the best possible care.
In October 2008 the Healthcare Commission recognised NHS services in the North East as the
best in the country for the second year running. So as a Northern Deanery trainee you can take a
great deal of personal pride that you will be in the best possible training environment, contributing
to delivery of the most highly rated healthcare in the country.
The Northern Deanery operates across a wide and geographically varied area covering
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, North Cumbria, County Durham and Tees Valley. We work with
11 acute trusts (which includes two specialist trusts providing mental health and learning
disabilities services), 13 primary care trusts, 196 general practice training practices and 60
general dental training practices.
Why we are different?
People who come to train in the Northern Deanery get much more than just high quality training.
In addition to our first class exam preparation, excellent clinical and academic supervision and the
breadth of experience offered, we offer high calibre personal support.
We actively support trainees with differing needs with a range of deanery support including ‘house
concern’, a bespoke service set up to support doctors in difficulty throughout their careers. It is
support like this that sets us apart from other areas, so you can be reassured that whatever your
experiences you can rely on us for help.
We also have an excellent track record in responding to the needs of trainees for flexible training,
time out of programme and in developing sub-specialty training skills.
A good work/life balance is essential for everyone’s well-being and development, and our training
is set up to help you achieve this. In addition, of all the deaneries, we pay one of the highest
levels of study leave and have many academic opportunities including research and education.
We provide you with a great educational experience.
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Because we know that the quality of education and training is of paramount importance to you,
our investment in our trainers and their training is essential to our success. Last year our trainer
training programme trained 1300 consultants across the region. It is also important to have wide
and varied experiences in different fields and environments. You will gain a breadth of experience
in selected and supervised hospital posts throughout the area in large university acute hospitals,
community hospitals and district general hospitals to ensure you get the training you need to give
you a rewarding future career. Within these areas you will have the opportunity to work with
nationally and internationally recognised clinicians and leaders.
To find out more about what it is like to ‘Live and Train’ in the Northern Deanery you can
visit our website www.northerndeaneryrecruitment.nhs.uk
JOB SUMMARY
The 4-year training programme involves a rotation between the Royal Victoria Infirmary,
Newcastle upon Tyne and the University Hospital of North Durham. For 8-12 months of the 4-year
programme, three days per week are spent at the University Hospital of North Durham. The RVI
department has the dual role of service and academic work, and there are strong links with
University Department of Dermatology, which has a strong and active research programme.
The objectives of the training programme are to provide the best possible environment and
support to allow the trainee to develop competency-assessed clinical training with strong
encouragement to become involved with the academic unit, teaching and research. Our
programme is well structured, providing high quality training in general and specialist areas of
dermatology, combined with dedicated time for study, education and research. There are 6
specialist registrars/trainees on the programme (including one academic clinical fellow).
THE HOSPITALS
(1) The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) is one of the Newcastle Teaching Hospitals associated
with the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, serving a population of 1.2 million. It has 775
commissioned beds and 133 day case beds. Some out-patient clinics will also be done in other
hospitals in the region.
(2) The University Hospital of North Durham (UHND) is a district general hospital. The new
PFI hospital was opened in 2001.
(1) THE ROYAL VICTORIA INFIRMARY
(a) THE CLINICAL DEPARTMENT
The Newcastle clinical department is one of the leading units in the UK and operates a "hub and
spoke" model. The Department is moving to a new build in the summer of 2009. Facilities include
a dedicated outpatient department, a dedicated 16-bed dermatology ward, an outpatient
treatment centre, a comprehensive photobiology suite including phototherapy facilities and the
regional phototesting unit, dermatology day case theatre suite and laser treatment rooms,
together with a clinical research area.
There are currently 12 consultants working predominantly at the RVI with on average one session
per week being spent at a district general hospital. We cover a population of 1.2 million and see
approximately 70 thousand patients per year. In addition to general dermatology out-patient and
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in-patient work, specific training is also available in dermatological surgery and laser therapy,
histopathology, photobiology (including PUVA/phototherapy and photosensitive skin disorders),
inflammatory skin disease, contact dermatitis, paediatric dermatology, genital dermatology and
cutaneous oncology (including lymphoma and melanoma screening clinics). Journal club
seminars, research meetings, joint ward rounds and clinical meetings are held on a weekly basis.
There is also involvement in undergraduate teaching. The clinical unit is closely associated with
the University Department of Dermatology which has excellent and up-to-date laboratory facilities
and active clinical and laboratory based research programmes.
(b) THE ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT
There are unlimited opportunities for research and this is strongly encouraged. Newcastle is one
of the leading dermatological research units in the country and has excellent facilities for both
basic and clinical research. We are one of only three dermatology centres awarded academic
clinical fellowships through a national competition. Dermatology is one of six priority areas
supported through a Wellcome Clinical Research Training Fellowship Scheme in Translational
Medicine & Therapeutics to Newcastle University which provides up to 4 fellowships will be
available per year for the next 5 years.
The five dermatology principal investigators are all members of the newly formed Institute of
Cellular Medicine (Web address: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/icm/). In the recent 2008 Research
Assessment Exercise, research Newcastle was in the top 5 for both hospital- and laboratorybased clinical subjects, with two-thirds of the outputs classified as world leading (4*) or
internationally excellent (3*) . Our ambition is to be the foremost centre for translational medicine
in the UK and achieve a truly international reputation. Dermatological research in Newcastle is
focused on 5 broad themes (http://www.ncl.ac.uk/biomedicine/research/groups/skin.htm): clinical
research on inflammatory skin disease (principally psoriasis and atopic eczema); molecular and
signalling mechanisms of inflammatory skin disease and their therapies; cutaneous response to
damage signals from the environment – including ultraviolet radiation; pathogenesis of skin
cancer; and cutaneous immunology.
(2) THE UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL OF NORTH DURHAM
The department provides the dermatology service to Durham, Sunderland, Gateshead and South
Tyneside, Shotley Bridge, Darlington and Bishop Auckland, comprising a population of
approximately 1.2 million. The departments of dermatology in Durham and Sunderland are united
under the management of County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and a hub
and spoke organisation of service has been developed. The UHND out-patient department is a
dedicated dermatology unit in the hospital, incorporating a treatment unit for short contact
dithranol and topical steroids, leg ulcer treatments and phototherapy. There are currently 5
dedicated dermatology in-patient beds on Ward 11 and the specialty registrar is responsible for
the day-to-day care of the in-patients, together with the GP registrar and an F1 trainee. The
specialty registrar is timetabled to do 3 general dermatology clinics, and a minor surgery session
per week. There is a weekly departmental ward round, attended by all 7 consultants from
Durham and Sunderland and their specialty registrars, followed by a clinical meeting or seminar,
a histology meeting and a skin cancer MDT meeting. Specialist clinics available include patch
testing, phototherapy, and monthly dermatology/GUM and plastic surgery/dermatology/oncology
clinics. During the rotation to Durham, two days per week are spent by the specialty registrar in
Newcastle for research, education, clinical work and teaching.
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KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
See personal specification.
COMMUNICATIONS AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Excellent communication is essential in all the specialties and doctors are expected to work well
as members of a multidisciplinary team with other professionals. Good communication with
patients and relatives is also essential.
IMPROVING WORKING LIVES
All trusts in the deanery are committed to these principles.
PERSONAL AND PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT
Doctors will attend departmental and trust teaching and take study leave in liaison with their
clinical and educational supervisors.
HEALTH AND SAFETY RESPONSIBILITY
It is the responsibility of the individual to work in compliance with all current health and safety
legislation and the Trust’s Health and Safety Policy and to attend any training requirements both
statutory and mandatory in line with the Trust’s legal responsibility to comply with the Health and
Safety and Welfare at Work Act 1974.
To act on and report any untoward incident to the nurse in charge and complete documentation in
accordance with the Trust policies, and assist in the risk assessment of the department,
equipment and processes of the department.
CLINICAL & CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Will pay due diligence to Trust guidelines and policies, enhancing the quality of care.
Will assist in the monitoring of incident reports and complaints and in the action planning required
arising from such reports.
GENERAL
This job description is intended as a guide to the principal duties and responsibilities for the post
and should not be considered an exhaustive list. It is subject to change in line with future
development of the service.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The Terms and Conditions of Service are those for Hospital Medical and Dental Staff. Please visit
NHS Employers website for Terms and Conditions as well as published salary scales.
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www.nhsemployers.org
Appointment is subject to satisfactorily pre-employment checks including CRB, occupational
health, GMC and immigration status.
Please note that pay banding for on call will be paid at the intensity rate applicable at the
time a trainee rotates into a post.
This is a generic Job Description. More detailed information regarding specific duties a trainee
will carry out once in post will be provided at Induction.
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