Job Description

Title of Post:   Consultant Immunologist
Base: Frimley Park Hospital
Care Group:   Pathology Directorate
Grade:   Consultant
Responsible to and managed by: Partnership Pathology Services Director through the Speciality Lead

Background
This is a full time post at Frimley Park Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Frimley. The post has been created to meet the rapidly increasing demand for clinical and laboratory services in Allergy and Immunology. The successful applicant must be on the specialist register (Immunology) of the GMC or be eligible to be on the specialist register within six months of the date of the Advisory Appointments Committee. The appointee must hold the FRCPath (Immunology) or show evidence of equivalent training and experience. Applicants must have clinical experience sufficient to take independent responsibility for the clinical care of patients on an outpatient basis and the appointee must hold the MRCP (UK) or equivalent. A specific interest in allergy and immunodeficiency would be particularly desirable. Frimley Park NHS Foundation Trust has a merged pathology directorate with The Royal Surrey County Hospital, which is known as Partnership Pathology Services (PPS). The Immunology laboratory is situated at the Royal Surrey County Hospital site.  The successful applicant will be expected to undertake sessions at both sites.

The population of the area served by the 2 Trusts is approximately 720,000.
 
Job Summary: This is a full time post for a Consultant in Immunology.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:
Clinical and Laboratory: The consultant will be expected to develop and expand the existing clinical service for the investigation and management of patients with disorders of immunity, including, particularly, allergy but also primary immunodeficiency/PID, autoimmunity and other clinical conditions where disordered immune function may play a role. Referrals will be from both primary and secondary care and will be conducted by regular out-patient clinics and by hospital, telephone and written consultations. It is anticipated that the appointee will undertake an average of 4.5 out-patient sessions per week. The consultant will also be expected to work with clinical and laboratory colleagues to maintain and develop the immunopathology service, so that a high-quality, cost-effective service is provided.

Management and Administration: The post holder will be asked to undertake appropriate administrative responsibilities within the department and Trusts as agreed with the Speciality Lead and Director of Pathology.  The post holder will be expected to cover other pathologists when on annual and study leave.  Speciality Lead posts are for a fixed term (three years) and are appointed by interview. The Speciality Lead is responsible for Clinical Governance for the department.

Training: The consultant will be expected to participate in the training of junior medical staff and biomedical scientists and will be expected to participate in undergraduate and postgraduate educational activities.

Research and Development: The consultant will be expected to participate in research and development and assist in the supervision of projects undertaken by junior medical staff and trainee Biomedical Scientists.

Supporting Professional Activities: The consultant will be expected to participate in audit and continuing professional development (CPD) and to maintain an adequate CPD portfolio. Reasonable support, both in time and funding, will be available to support this activity. The consultant will also be expected to participate in the Trusts' appraisals scheme for medical staff. This is conducted within directorates and follows national guidelines. The job plan will be agreed at annual appraisal and will include recognition of time for essential clinical governance activity. In the event of an inability to agree the job plan, the matter will be referred to the medical director of the Trust.

The appointee will be provided with appropriate office accommodation; desktop computer, linked to the laboratory network; e-mail and internet and have full-time secretarial support. Good library facilities are available at the Postgraduate Medical Centres at FPH and the RSCH and at the University of Surrey.

The Royal College of Pathologists advises that applicants who are specialist registrars not yet on the GMC Specialist must have obtained the FRCPath by examination in order to be eligible for short-listing for a consultant grade post. It also advises that suitable signed documentary evidence must be provided by such applicants to confirm that they are within six months of being included on the GMC Specialist Register on the date of the interview. The documentary evidence should be:
either a RITA Form G (Final Record of Satisfactory Progress) or a letter from the post-graduate dean (or Regional Adviser) specifying the date of completion of training and a letter from the Royal College of Pathologists confirming that the applicant has passed the FRCPath Part 2 examination.

Closing date: 11 December 2009
Interview date: 07 January 2010