Job Description (Specific Peculiars).
West Midlands Deanery : School of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Specialist Registrar (SpR) in Obstetrics and Gynaecology:
Sub-Specialty Training in Maternal & Fetal Medicine at the
Birmingham Women’s Foundation Trust
Background
The Department of Maternal/Fetal Medicine is part of the Maternity Services Directorate at the
Birmingham Women’s Foundation Trust.
It lies, from a research perspective, within the
Academic Research Theme of Reproduction, Genes and development in the School of Clinical &
Experimental Medicine at the University of Birmingham.
This department was established in June 1991. The department has a wide range of academic
interests, including all areas of high risk obstetric practice, with particular emphasis on prenatal
diagnosis and fetal therapy.
There are also strong clinical and academic links with the
Department of Medical Genetics, Medical subspecialties and Paediatrics/Child Health.
The Birmingham Women’s Hospital provides a regional referral service to the West Midlands,
the largest region in the country (serving 7 million people), with approximately 80,000 births
annually. The hospital and birth centre is responsible for nearly 8,000 deliveries annually.
The hospital runs specific complex medical obstetric clinics, including a combined obstetric renal
clinic, obstetric rheumatology clinic, obstetric cardiology and separate diabetic and seizure
clinics. There is also a Obstetric Haematology Clinic and service.
The Fetal Medicine Centre, which has recently undergone refurbishment, is a discrete
department and there are strong links with obstetric and paediatric radiology; including
perinatal MRI.
This hospital also accepts over 200 in-utero transfers a year, many of whom have a variety of
complex obstetric problems. The High Risk Obstetric Service/Fetal Medicine Centre works in a
complementary fashion with the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which provides a regional service
and is the designated perinatal Centre for the West Midlands. This centre has recently
undergone refurbishment, so as to provide an extending link with paediatric surgeons at the
Birmingham Children’s Hospital.
Super-regional referrals are accepted for the fetal echocardiography service performed by two
Paediatric Cardiologists who liaise closely with the Fetal Medicine subspecialists and work within
the centre.
In addition, supraregional management is provided for in-utero fetal transfusions and fetoscopic
laser ablation in the treatment of twin to twin transfusion (approximately 50 cases per annum).
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There is also a regional comprehensive regional perinatal pathology service that includes the
Regional Medical Biochemistry Laboratory and a Paediatric Pathology Department.
The
Regional Cytogenetic and Clinical Genetic Departments also reside in the Birmingham Women’s
Foundation Trust.
The unit was recognized by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) for
Sub-Specialty Training in Fetal Medicine in 1992. The Co-Directors of the Fetal Medicine
Training Programme are Professor. Mark Kilby (Lead clinician in Fetal Medicine) and Dr William
Martin (who is the substantive trainer since June 2011). The full programme comprises either
two years (if the trainee has completed some recognized research) or three years, which
includes a year’s full time research.
1.
The Post
The Maternal Fetal Medicine Sub-Specialty Training Programme has been approved by the
RCOG for the training of two sub-specialty trainees. The programme itself is divided into four
six month modules (see appendix 1).
The clinical programme is sufficiently flexible to
accommodate any special needs such as ultrasound experience.
Although experience with
obstetric ultrasound is preferred, it is not a pre-requisite for appointment.
The applicant should ideally have completed the first year of general training as a SpR 4 or 5 (but
this is not an essential requirement).
At times during the training there will be periods when the trainee is “off service”. The
presence of two sub-specialty trainees enables both he/she to have a mechanism of cross cover.
There will be no gynaecological experience during the time on the programme, other than
providing emergency gynaecological cover.
There will be regular on-call commitments to the obstetric service.
Pay:
The basic Specialist Registrar rates will apply.
On-Call Commitments: The basic working week is 40 hours.
In addition, Specialist Registrars will be expected to undertake out of hours commitment that
will vary depending on the duties of the post but will not exceed the limits defined in the Term
of Conditions of Service (paragraph 20) and are compliant with the present EWTD.
Working patterns are under review in accordance with the New Deal on Junior Doctors Hours.
The Birmingham Women’s Healthcare NHS Trust currently has out of hour’s commitments of 1
in 8 night-time on-call rota as the SpR2.
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BIRMINGHAM WOMEN’S HSOPTIAL NHS TRUST
Post of: Sub-Specialty Trainee in Maternal and Fetal Medicine
Personal Specification
Essential


Qualifications/Training
Experience and skills,
special knowledge.
Supervisory experience
communication skills

and


Special aptitudes/abilities,
e.g. initiative, leadership,
ability to work on own or with
others

Motivation and Disposition


Desirable
MRCOG
Must hold NTN

Interest in
postgraduate and
undergraduate
teaching
Interest in research
and development of
service
Basic/intermediate
ultrasound training
Ability to work in a
team-orientated
environment and to
work without friction
with colleagues.
Non temperamental
disposition.
Motivated to take
forward and lead to
progress in the subspecialty





Method of Assessment
Training in Obstetric
Ultrasound
Completion of the 1st
year of SpR4 or 5
MD/PhD (strongly
advisable)
Track record and
interest in research
and progress in
Obstetrics
and
Gynaecology. Must
have
objective
evidence of this.
Ability to develop
new techniques and
assess their worth



Application form
CV
Interview




Application form
CV
Interview
References


Interview
References
Friendly, non
dictatorial
relationship with
staff


Interview
References
Absolute Requirements
All candidates must hold the Membership of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist
and hold an NTN Training Number.
Contact for Further Information:
1.
Prof. Mark Kilby,
Dame Hilda Lloyd Professor & Consultant in Fetal Medicine,
Department of Fetal Medicine,
Birmingham Women’s Hospital,
Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre,
Edgbaston,
Birmingham, B15 2TG.
Telephone : +44-121-627-2778.
E-Mail: m.d.kilby@bham.ac.uk.
2.
Dr Bill Martin. Prrecptor in Subspecialty training at BWH (bill.martin@bwhct.nhs.uk).
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