Academic Clinical Fellowship in Child Health
Last updated: 05/11/07
Wessex Deanery
Academic Clinical Fellowship in Child Health
Academic Lead
Dr Saul Faust
Senior Lecturer in Child Health and Acting Director, Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility
University of Southampton School of Medicine/Wellcome Trust CRF
Mailpoint 218, Level C, West Wing, Southampton General Hospital,
Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD.
Tel: 023 8079 4989 Fax: 023 8087 8847
Email: s.faust@soton.ac.uk
Deanery Contact
Karen McCarthy
Programme Manager
Wessex Deanery
NHS Education South Central
Highcroft
Romsey Road, Winchester SO22 5DH
Tel: 01962 893812
Email: Karen.McCarthy@nesc.nhs.uk
Web Address
http://www.wessexinstitute.nhs.uk/hospital__community/specialty_training/academic_training.aspx
Academic and Clinical Training
The objectives for the trainee in a 3 year training programme are as follows:
1) To undertake the equivalent of 2 years full time specialist training in Child Health in an accredited SpR
hospital post in the Child Health Directorate, Southampton University Hospitals Trust (completion of Core
Paediatric training for RCPCH HST).
2) To complete a generic research methods training programme run by the School of Medicine
Postgraduate School.
3) To gain relevant training and experience in research design, methods and systematic review.
4) To draw up a proposal for an externally funded research training fellowship to be undertaken within Child
Health which may be located in the research divisions of Infection Inflammation and Repair;
Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (http://www.som.soton.ac.uk/research/dohad/ );
Cancer Sciences (http://www.som.soton.ac.uk/research/cancersciences/ ) or
Clinical Neurosciences (http://www.som.soton.ac.uk/research/neuro/ ).
5) To submit the application for a research training fellowship in national competition to MRC, Wellcome
Trust, Department of Health or a research charity such as Asthma UK or Action Research.
Specific Support Provided to Trainee
The trainee will join the approved Wessex specialist training programme in Child Health which is
co-ordinated currently by Dr Elizabeth Donovan and Dr Gary Connett through the Wessex Deanery. This
offers a wide range of experience in general paediatrics and community child health as well as tertiary
specialist experience in the chosen specialty of the trainee. This could be in allergy and clinical immunology,
infectious disease, gastroenterology, oncology, neurology or respiratory medicine. The post will lead to
accreditation (CCT) in Child Health but it is anticipated that this will be as a tertiary specialist in one of the
above identified areas. The 3 years will be spent in clinical posts rotating primarily within the Southampton
University Hospitals Trust but with the potential to be seconded to the adjacent Portsmouth Hospital NHS
Trust. It is not felt practical given the programme for the post to be in any other Trusts within the region. The
first year of the post will be attached to a unit providing experience in community child health as well as
hospital paediatrics. However, the subsequent 2 years will be in Southampton.
Throughout the 3 years, the academic fellow will undertake generic research training as well as specialist
research training in the chosen area. If this is in respiratory medicine the input comes from Dr Graham
Roberts and Dr Jane Lucas, Senior Lecturers, with clinical consultants Dr Gary Connett, Dr Julian Legg. In
infectious diseases/paediatric intensive care it will be under the supervision of Dr Saul Faust, Senior
Lecturer, and relevant supervisors from PICU and University or NHS Microbiology and the Health Protection
Agency. In allergy it will be Dr Jane Lucas with additional support from Dr Saul Faust and Dr Graham
Roberts. In neonatal medicine it will be under the supervision of Professor Howard Clark. In
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Academic Clinical Fellowship in Child Health
Last updated: 05/11/07
Wessex Deanery
gastroenterology, the clinical research input will come from Dr Mark Beattie with additional academic
oversight from Prof Tony Postle, Dr Saul Faust and the Infection Inflammation and Repair research division
team. In neurology/sleep medicine the input will be from Prof Colin Kennedy, Reader, Dr Fenella Kirkham,
Honorary Reader, and Dr Cathy Hill, Senior Lecturer. Finally in Oncology, there is the opportunity to join the
cancer sciences research team in collaboration with the paediatric oncologist Dr Jan Kohler, Honorary Senior
Lecturer.
The exact orientation of the specialist training will depend on the chosen specialty of the trainee. Full in- and
out-patient facilities in the specialist area are available within Southampton University Hospitals Trust Child
Health Directorate.
Research Infrastructure and Experience
Prof Kennedy has a research programme investigating the long term outcomes of neonatal hearing
screening and also of brain tumours. Dr Kirkham is investigating mechanisms of acute stroke in childhood
and works closely with Dr Hill, who has developed a sleep monitoring facility to investigate the effect of
disturbed sleep patterns on neuropsychological function, measures of brain function and metabolism and the
autonomic nervous system in children with sleep disordered breathing. Dr Roberts has a major interest in
difficult asthma, working in collaboration with Prof Godfrey and Dr Inskip currently focusing on the
Southampton Women’s survey (SWS) which has very detailed information on a large cohort of young women
prior to conception and through pregnancy with the opportunity to investigate early life influences on
outcomes in relation to asthma and related allergic disorders. Dr Lucas runs a National Referral Centre and
Research Programme for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia and currently runs the Southampton paediatric allergy
service. She is principal investigator studying the respiratory physiology of the SWS cohort at age 6 years.
Her laboratory group are investigating the affect of in utero allergen exposure on immunological outcomes in
the neonate. Dr Faust has a major interest in infectious disease and paediatric sepsis and is the Acting
Director of the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility. He will provide the key link with the Facility in order
to ensure the trainee receives appropriate education in relation to research governance. Professor Howard
Clark, Professor of Child Health, conducts research on the role of surfactant proteins and phospholipids in
innate immunity in the lung (including collaboration with Professor Postle), immune effects of early nutrition
of the preterm infant (with Dr Mike Hall), neonatal chronic lung disease and neonatal infections. Dr Mark
Beattie, Hon Senior Lecturer, has an excellent research record and has worked very closely with members of
Infection Inflammation and Repair studying inflammatory bowel disease and nutrition. It is also anticipated
that this will link in with the extensive food allergy research programme which has run in University Child
Health for the last 15 years. The research infrastructure includes all the laboratory facilities within Infection
Inflammation and Repair and the epidemiological expertise in Developmental Origins of Health and Disease.
If the trainee is located in oncology then the laboratory facilities and supervisory support in Cancer Sciences
are available. In neurosciences, the combined input from the university-wide neuroscience initiative,
expertise from the Department of Pschology Brain-Behaviour Unit together with the sleep facilities in the
Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility will be available to the clinical fellow. University Child Health has
an excellent record of success in acquiring grants generating high quality research publications. Research
output in the last 5 years has included over 60 peer review original research papers.
Protected Time for Research Training
This will be accommodated within the 25% additional salary provided over the 3 year period. It has been
agreed by the Regional Advisor for Paediatrics in the Wessex Institute that this could be accommodated as a
specialist registrar slot share in association with 2 flexible trainees consistently in post in SUHT. As the
Portsmouth Hospital NHS Trust also has flexible trainees, the fellow could be accommodated there for
clinical training in the first year of the appointment.
However, the 25% of time devoted to research training would still be located in Southampton. This will allow
considerable flexibility in the allocation of sessions within the programme. It is anticipated that more time
would be devoted to research education and training in the first 2 years leading up to the submission of a
grant proposal for a research training fellowship. The final year would have proportionately more time to
establish the trainee’s clinical credentials in a specialist area prior to entering full time research.
Mentoring arrangements
Mentorship is provided through the School of Medicine which has set up a programme currently directed by a
Reader in Infection Inflammation and Repair. Many members of the division have already had experience
and training in mentorship and all the clinical academics in Child Health have experience and training in
research supervision.
Milestones and Timing
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Academic Clinical Fellowship in Child Health
Last updated: 05/11/07
Wessex Deanery
The following milestones will be applied:
Year 1
1) Initial training in general paediatrics and community child health.
2) Attendance at an introductory course provided by the School of Medicine's Postgraduate School.
3) Identification of area of interest for clinical training in years 2 and 3 and for the research.
4) Initial systematic review of literature in chosen area.
5) Identification of research questions to be addressed in a pilot study.
6) Identification of specific learning needs for the project and attendance at appropriate courses.
Year 2
1) Clinical training in Southampton University Hospitals Trust in specialist area within child health but with
continuing responsibility of on call for general paediatrics.
2) Obtain local research ethics committee and NHS R&D approval for pilot study.
3) Attendance at relevant internal and external training courses and generation of initial data for pilot study
leading up to the drawing up of a definitive research proposal for a full time PhD.
Year 3
1) Continued specialist training in child health including 6 months of neonatal intensive care and continued
training within the specialist area.
2) Completion of data collection and write up of pilot research study.
3) Submission of clinical research fellowship application to external funding agency which ideally should
occur within the first 3 months of year 3.
It is expected that the successful fellowship application will lead to 3 years in full time clinical
research leading to a PhD. This would provide a natural progression to a lectureship within the
School of Medicine. However, if the clinical fellowship funding was not forthcoming the trainee
could return to the child health specialist training programme within the Wessex rotation to complete
higher specialist training.
Programme Management and Administration
The programme will be jointly managed by the academic lead (Dr Saul Faust), the Professor of Child Health
(Professor Howard Clark) and the Chair of the Wessex Specialist Training Committee for Child Health
(Dr Elizabeth Donovan). Academic supervisors will come from University Child Health working in
collaboration where necessary with academics in once of the School of Medicine Divisions of Infection,
Inflammation and Repair, Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, Cancer Sciences and
Neurosciences and relevant clinical specialists in the relevant disciplines.
Trainee Centredness
The training will be centred on the trainee’s needs which will be identified very early in the first year. There
will be two dedicated supervisors throughout. One will be a clinical academic from University Child Health
and the second will be chosen dependent on the specialty in which the trainee is located.
Quality Assurance of the Programme
These posts are offered as part of the national expansion and formalisation of a training programme for
academic clinical medicine. The postholder will be awarded an NTN(A). Academic clinical fellows who do
not achieve funding to pursue a higher degree will be able to re-enter clincal training in the region at the
appropriate stage.
Quality assurance is overseen through the Postgraduate School and involves a rigorous programme
scrutinised by the University of Southampton. Much of this is provided via accredited masters modules all of
which have undergone quality assurance through the QAA process. The academic supervisors have all
completed postgraduate research supervision training provided by the University and School of Medicine.
The Wessex Specialist Training Programme in Child Health has been running successfully for 8 years and
has incorporated all the major NHS Trusts within the region. The posts in Southampton have provided
specialist training in many disciplines. In addition to those mentioned within this application there is also
Endocrinology with 2 consultants, Nephrology with 3 consultants, Neonatology with 4 consultants (and 2
more approved posts one of which may be academic) and Paediatric Surgery with 5 consultants. There is a
large Paediatric Intensive Care Unit with 5 consultants and a very successful Paediatric Cardiology group
with 4 consultants.
The organisation has been highly successful in generating research funding to support clinical fellowships
which has led to 4 paediatric trainees acquiring PhD and 4 MD in the last 5 years. At the same time there
have been numerous scientists who have done full time research within the Child Health group working in
collaboration with an excellent team of postdoctoral research fellows, lecturers, senior lecturers and readers
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Academic Clinical Fellowship in Child Health
Last updated: 05/11/07
Wessex Deanery
predominantly within the division of Infection Inflammation and Repair. There are currently 58 specialist
registrar national training numbers in the region although at present there are 70 individuals in training
because of the addition of flexible trainees. Over the 8 years that the specialist training programme has
been in existence, 100% of the trainees have obtained senior clinical appointments. Over 90% have been
appointed to the first job for which they applied. 14 in the last 5 years have been appointed to teaching
hospital posts of which 5 have been to academic posts.
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