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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Elderly Care team with 14 funded Consultant Geriatrician posts (13 in place) currently provide a wide range of hospital and community based services including Acute Frailty services as well as running specialist clinics for patients with Parkinson’s disease,  falls and general medical conditions. We have recently started a Rapid Access Clinic for Elderly as part of Frailty- Same day Emergency Care (F-SDEC). Inpatient elderly care wards include 5 acute elderly care wards and an established purpose built Acute Frailty Unit with10 Assessment beds, 22 short stay beds and 2 clinic rooms.

In addition to existing services, we are seeking colleagues to take on the challenge of developing new models of care for frail elderly people in the community such as Frailty. Pioneering work has already established Integrated Locality Review meetings (MDT meetings, 4/week). Consultants are working closely with existing community teams to proactively assess and manage frail individuals in the community. We are about to open a 22 bedded Acute Unit based in a Community Hospital in Sheppey.

The post holder will join the existing team of full time Consultants. The post holder will need to take responsibility for the management of patients admitted to his/her specialty Elderly Care ward (12-15 patients) routinely and those admitted under their care whilst on call for Acute Frailty. The latter would average 12-15 per on call. These patients are then streamed to Frailty Short Stay Unit if early discharge planned (<48 hours) or one of the 5 Frailty Base wards for longer admissions. Acute Frailty Unit has a dedicated Elderly care Team with 2 Consultant Geriatricians supported by their own team of junior doctors and a Multidisciplinary Team. There are 10 funded posts for Middle Grades in the department with currently 6 in post.

Elderly care Consultants participate in an Acute Frailty On call service. The post-holder will be paired with another Consultant so that in a 12 week block they provide 2 weeks of weekday on call and 2 weekends on call.

Full registration with the GMC and the ability to make decisions at a senior level, the role will allow you the opportunity to continue your personal development, and participate in the teaching, research and governance programs within the Department.

All subspecialist interests are welcome. There is an opportunity, in negotiation with the other consultants, for participation in the running of the established clinics such as Falls and Movement Disorder Clinic. The successful applicant will also have an outpatient workload comprising of new and follow referrals for managing complex co-morbidities. Typical clinic would have 3-4 new patients and a similar number of follow-up patients.

For suitably qualified candidates considering CESR route to substantive Consultant position, we provide structured and established departmental support.

.Further information includes: 

• Opportunity to join a friendly, supportive, well established, forward looking department. Currently 8 colleagues are being supported to progress to specialist registration through CESR route
• Leadership roles are encouraged and active participation in teaching, quality improvement and research encouraged (work done in department recently presented at an International Conference.
• Negotiable sub-speciality interest with all major choices including community Geriatrics, Surgical Liaison for frailty, Falls and most other subspecialty
• Exciting new development of Emerald Frailty Unit with opportunity to design innovative pathways for Acute Frailty assessment and management.
• Sustainable Frailty on-call model which is focussed on Frailty. We use Clinical Frailty Scale to identify and select moderate to severe frailty presenting acutely.

Please note, if you are considering applying for a role within the NHS it is important to be are aware that there will be a legal requirement for employees to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by the 1st April 2022. This is applicable for all patient facing roles and roles within patient facing areas.