Senior Clinical Fellow in Major Trauma

Fulfil your potential in hospitals that make history:

Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary's, Queen Charlotte's & Chelsea and Western Eye.

With five world-renowned hospitals, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is full of opportunity if you are looking to develop your healthcare career.

We are an NHS Trust of approximately 16,000 people, providing care for over a million and a half patients from north west London and beyond every year.

We have a rich heritage and an ambitious vision for the future of our patients and local communities.

With our partners, Imperial College London, and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, we form Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre, one of 6 academic health science centres in the UK, working to ensure the rapid translation of research for better patient care and excellence in education.

We are proud of our heritage in innovation and we are early adopters of new insights in technologies, techniques and treatments for improving health.

Job overview

The London Trauma System went fully live across all four trauma networks in January 2011 at four Major Trauma Centres, located at The Royal London Hospital (Whitechapel), King's College Hospital (Denmark Hill), St George's Hospital (Tooting) and St Mary's Hospital (Paddington). The networks are formally linked into areas adjacent to London, giving a total resident population served by the London Trauma System of 12 million people. In addition to this number there is a significant transient daily working commuter population (approximately 1.1 million people) and tourists (of which were 21 million visits in 2019).

Data from LAS demonstrates that the St Mary's MTC consistently receives around 35% of all patients in London who trigger the Major Trauma Tool. The department is seeing now over 3000 trauma calls per annum, and around 700-800 patients in the most injured category (Injury Severity Score ISS>15). The unit was fundamental in managing trauma patients affected by the 2017 major incidents across London.

St Mary's Major Trauma Service consists of Consultants drawn from General Surgery, Vascular, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics and Plastics services across Imperial, contributing to a Surgeon of the Week model. The service is supported by Consultants and Registrars from neurosurgery, cardiothoracic, anaesthetics, radiology, intensive care, plastics, vascular, general surgery, and visiting consultants from other specialist centres to support burns and maxillofacial requirements.

Main duties of the job

Following a review of trauma services across London led by Healthcare for London, the Joint Primary Care Trusts Committee agreed that four Major Trauma Centres and associated Trauma Networks should be established in London. The Major Trauma Centre based at St Mary's Hospital is the hub for the North West London Trauma Network.

The post holder will be expected to gain experience in the acute and ongoing management of severely injured patients, including the ability to provide damage control surgery to the chest, abdomen and vascular systems. Although bone injuries are part of the trauma system. The aim is to allow the Fellow to become proficient in the evaluation of critically-ill and severely injured polytrauma patients; providing leadership which facilitates the interaction within the entire team of caregivers and with the patients and their families.

There is a growing emergency surgery service at St Mary's Hospital. With other Senior Fellows, the post holder will rotate to join the consultant of the week for General Surgery to provide acute surgical care to non-selective surgical emergency take. This will include the initial assessment of non-trauma surgical emergencies in the Emergency Department, Surgical Assessment Unit, as well as day-to-day management of admitted patients. It is anticipated that the post holder will assist the consultant in supporting the coordination of NCEPOD operating sessions along with the on call Specialty Registrar for Surgery.

Working for our organisation

At Imperial College Healthcare you can achieve extraordinary things with extraordinary people, working with leading clinicians pushing boundaries in patient care.

Become part of a vibrant team living our values - expert, kind, collaborative and aspirational. You'll get an experience like no other and will fast forward your career.

Benefits include career development, flexible working and wellbeing, staff recognition scheme. Make use of optional benefits including Cycle to Work, car lease schemes, season ticket loan or membership options for onsite leisure facilities.

We are committed to equal opportunities and improving the working lives of our staff and will consider applications to work flexibly, part time or job share. Please talk to us at interview.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

1. General responsibilities

To gain experience and become competent in the management of the trauma patient, particularly the management of penetrating and blunt trauma, whilst continuing emergency work in their base speciality.

To gain operative/clinical competencies at the management of the poly-trauma patients.

To undertake a research project during the fellowship period.

To participate in formal and informal teaching of junior doctors, medical and nursing students and paramedics.

2. Operative/Clinical Exposure

On average a fellow is expected to assist in the management approx. 500-600 major cases with a mix of blunt and penetrating trauma as described above.

The fellowship is a one-year program involving patient care, research, and education. The program may include the following rotations:

Trauma surgery
• Chest and abdominal trauma
• Vascular Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Plastic Surgery
• Orthopaedic Surgery

Critical Care Unit

Electives (Trauma Radiology, Trauma Anaesthesiology, Emergency Medical Services).

6. Daytime commitments

- ICU & Major Trauma Ward multidisciplinary ward round

- Attendance at trauma calls

- Prioritise and organise trauma operating

- Experience in emergency neuro-surgical theatres

- Attendance at multi-disciplinary trauma follow-up clinic

7. On-call commitments

- Attendance at out of hours trauma calls penetrating, code red and at the discretion of the Trauma Team Leader.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential criteria

• On GMC's register/Licensed Medical Practitioner
• MRCS
• Within 2-3 years of CCT

Desirable criteria

• FRCS
• CCT

Language

Essential criteria

• Spoken and written English to the appropriate standard necessary to fulfil the job requirements

Academic achievements including research/track record of publications

Desirable criteria

• Ongoing research interests
• Postgraduate research degree

Audit

Essential criteria

• Understanding of audit principles

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of completed projects with relevant action plans in place.

Teaching & Training

Essential criteria

• Experience of teaching and training

Desirable criteria

• Experience of development of relevant guidelines and protocols
• Posgraduate level education qualification
• Training the Trainers course or equivalent

Management skills

Essential criteria

• Appropriate to job description

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of leadership skills

Clinical skills

Essential criteria

• Clinical and/or surgical skills appropriate for a peri-CCT trainee

Desirable criteria

• Evidence of management of polytrauma patients

Relevant experience

Essential criteria

• Appropriate to job description
• Previous experience of major trauma in a UK/non-UK Level 1 trauma centre

Desirable criteria

• Previous experience of chest, abdominal and vascular trauma in a UK/non-UK Level 1 trauma centre

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Documents to download

• Job Description and Person Specification (PDF, 568.5KB)
• FRF (PDF, 246.7KB)
• Aspire to values (PDF, 132.8KB)
• Our Strategy 2023-25 (PDF, 230.4KB)