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Detailed job description and main responsibilities

The Clinical Oncologist appointed will work with the Breast team to provide a comprehensive clinical service for Breast patients. This includes patients in the outpatient, inpatient and ambulatory settings, delivering Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) and Radiotherapy whilst also providing Clinical Oncology input to the Breast MDT. 
The Breast Disease Group, Chaired by Dr Anne Armstrong and Dr Vivek Misra currently consists of 9 Clinical and 8 Medical Oncologists. These oncologists manage all of the breast cancers diagnosed within the Greater Manchester and Cheshire Cancer Network, with many oncologists delivering a peripheral service through MDTs and clinics. Systemic therapy is delivered centrally or given to patients at peripheral or outreach clinics according to agreed protocols. Radiotherapy is delivered at The Christie or at satellite units in Salford, Oldham and Macclesfield.

The clinical oncology breast department consists of the following consultants:

Dr Vivek Misra (lead clinician)
Dr Carmel Anandadas
Dr Catherine Blake
Dr Hannah Chapman
Dr Claire Kelly
Dr Helen Lander
Dr Juliette Loncaster
Dr Richard Welch
Dr David Woolf
Dr Sophie Raby (locum)

This year the whole Clinical Oncology team will see around 1200 New patients and around 5750 Follow up patients through the Breast team clinics.  

All Disease Group consultants work as part of a multi-disciplinary team supporting the delivery of this work including Nurse Clinicians, Clinical Nurse Specialists, Clinical Fellows, Specialist Trainees, Pharmacists and Research Nurses

The Disease Group has a strong emphasis on research with an active systemic therapy and radiotherapy trial portfolio supported by 7 Research Nurses and 5 Clinical Trial Administrators. The Breast Disease Research Sub-group has a 6-weekly business meeting to which all members of the Disease Group are invited.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The appointee will be expected to develop a significant interest in Breast oncology delivering radiotherapy and systemic therapy.

The post holder will be one of 10 Clinical Oncology consultants (6.7WTE) specialising in Breast cancer and will be an active member of the breast MDT.  Undertaking clinic duties at the Withington site as well as covering the North Manchester General Hospital Clinic and MDT remotely. 

Within the wider team, the post holder will join the current team of 2 Clinical and 1 Medical Oncologist currently serving the North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) Breast MDT. The NMGH Breast Unit is a symptomatic unit composed of oncoplastic surgeons, specialist radiology and pathology teams as well as breast care nurses who support patients though their cancer pathway.

The post holder will be actively involved in delivering all aspects of radiotherapy and systemic therapy. The well supported team structure and ethos facilitates cross-cover of clinical work. Training/mentorship can be provided if required.

There is currently collaborative working within both the Breast medical and clinical oncology research teams which the successful applicant will be expected to participate in.  

There are opportunities for involvement in advanced technical radiotherapy including SABR, breast VMAT, protons and MR Linac. The team has a strong commitment to research and trial activity in which the appointee would be expected to be involved in.

On call Commitments

In addition, consultants in the department share in an on-call rota that involves a commitment to a full week in every twenty weeks. This covers the Specialist Registrar who is second on-call.  The on-call consultant provides a post-take ward round each morning to review all newly admitted patients and any sick patients escalated by the team.  This takes place seven days per week.  Given the low frequency of on-call (1:20) the PAs associated with the predictable element of weekend on-call work form part of the job plan rather than time in lieu.  This may be reviewed in the future if requirements for on-call change. 

The post holder will have access to office accommodation with computer, intranet and internet and secretarial support.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
The Trust supports the requirements for CPD as laid down by the GMC and royal colleges and is committed to providing time and financial support for these activities. The Christie Hospital offers a mentoring scheme for all new consultants on appointment.  

Job Planning
The job plan outlines the requirements of the post and may be altered by joint agreement with the Divisional Clinical Director and Service Manager and in response to service needs.  Job Plans are also subject to an annual review as detailed in the Trust’s Job Planning Policy.  It is expected that the initial Job Plan discussion will take place within the first six months of employment at the Trust.

The annual review will examine all aspects of the job plan (including any Educational components) and will also include an assessment of professional development with defined goals for the future.