The Trust provides a wide range of acute hospital services at their main 1000-bed hospital and provides a full range of acute clinical services to three populations of the South West of England. Specialist services such as neurosciences, renal care, urology, plastic surgery and burns treatment are provided and trust is a major specialist centres with links to other local regional hubs in cancer, pathology, dentistry and stroke.
WHAT IS THE PATHOLOGY DEPARTMENT & TEAM LIKE?The existing Cellular Pathology service was formed in 2016 following mergers of several services and now the main service is delivered from new, purpose-built accommodation on the main hospital site. The department does however continues to provide an Essential Services Laboratory at the neighbouring hospital. A new Laboratory Information System, Clinisys WinPath Enterprise, was implemented four years previously.
The service currently runs with a full time WTE of 30 consultants, with currently two vacancies open, and the service is well funded, highly regarded and one of the better UK trusts to be joining in 2021.
WHAT IS LIFE LIKE IN THE REGION?Based in a buzzing and culturally rich city, it is now a cultural and artistic hub for the UK offering everything that a UK city can offer. The City Centre is just 15 minutes away from the hospital, and has a great array of shops, theatres, restaurants and has an array of annual festivals and events including the International and local Fiesta and Art and Film Fairs. For those who cycle, the city boasts excellent cycling facilities and was chosen as England’s first cycling city in 2008 and voted the European green capital in 2015. In 2017 the areas was named ‘best place to live in Britain’ by the Times “the city is a worthy winner thanks to its ideal combination of extraordinary culture, impressive schools, buzzing culinary scene, exciting redevelopment and community spirit.”.
For those moving with families it offers an excellent family lifestyle with green space, parks aplenty, rolling Somerset countryside and some excellent primary and secondary schools along with some of the UK's most well known universities. Cost of living is very low compared to other major cities in the UK whilst offering a fantastic lifestyle to compliment it.
An excellent NHS Foundation Trust is inviting applications for the position of Trust Grade Specialty Doctor in Histopathology. This full-time role is ideal for experienced histopathologists looking to advance their careers within the UK’s esteemed NHS framework. This position offers the potential for highly experienced specialty doctors to progress to the specialist grade. The role promises a healthy work-life balance as it comes with no on-call commitments. The successful applicant will join a dedicated team of Consultant Histopathologists, a specialty doctor, and supportive secretarial and laboratory staff. The position includes access to CESR support programme.
Overseas applications from experienced Specialty Doctors and Consultants are welcomed.
What is the NHS Foundation Trust like?
The NHS Foundation Trust is a district general hospital trust managing three hospitals. The Trust serves the different towns, delivering a broad range of medical services. They are performing at a good level across their services and continuously provides huge opportunities and benefits to the way they deliver patient care. The Trust focuses on delivering excellent general hospital services, serving a population of approximately 750,000 with the help of more than 9,000 staff members. The hospitals have around 1,100 beds in total, offering services including General Medicine, General Surgery, Neurology, Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, Dermatology, Gynaecology, and Paediatrics.
The Trust achieved foundation status in 2005 and, in October 2020, merged two of its hospitals to create a new organization, establishing one of their hospitals as the emergency care site and another as the planned care site. The Trust remains dedicated to continuous improvement, striving to provide high-quality, patient-centered care across all its facilities.
What is the department & team like?
The Histopathology Department is a highly specialized unit. The department is staffed with a dedicated team of five full-time equivalent (WTE) Consultant Histopathologists and one Specialty Doctor. They are supported by a team of Biomedical Scientists (BMS) at various levels and trainees/associate practitioners, with secretarial staff providing essential administrative support.
Annually, the department processes approximately 22,000 surgical requests at one of their sites alone, with around 17% originating from GP users, and similar volumes reported at their other hospital. The department handles a wide range of cases including Urology, Colorectal, Breast, Upper Gastrointestinal, Dermatology, and Lung biopsies. The department is notable for being a Breast and Bowel Cancer Screening Centre, dealing with Head and Neck, Endocrine, Medical Liver biopsies, and Gynaecology among others.
Facilities at the department include an advanced processing laboratory, immunohistochemistry services, and limited molecular genetics capabilities. The department is fully accredited with ISO 15189:2012, ensuring high standards in diagnostic accuracy and patient care. Operating Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00, the department is committed to continuous improvement and the integration of new technologies such as Digital Pathology to enhance service delivery.
Career Development & Opportunities Available
With an extremely active education/teaching programme supported by the consultant team, there is opportunity to work towards and complete CESR, get involved in active research and many aspects of CPD. Participation in research and educational activities will be encouraged.
UK based candidates:
Applications welcome for UK based or overseas radiologists for a Locum Consultant Breast Radiologist, working towards a substantive appointment.
The role offered is 10 sessions full time, 9 clinical (DCC) session and one supporting (SPA) session. There is no on-call commitment and the successful applicant would join a team of 4 consultant breast radiologists and a consultant breast radiographer delivering a symptomatic and screening radiology service.
The unit is modern and energetic, purpose built and well organised. The main role would be to work in symptomatic one-stop clinics, breast assessment clinics, to film read for the NHS Breast Screening Programme (must have a proven track record of doing this), localisation, MDT presentation, with the option to assist in reading Breast MRI studies.
The hospital are an active teaching department with radiology registrars frequently moving through the department, and advanced practitioners training.
Empathy and sensitivity, good communication skills, team-working and a cheerful and positive ethos is required, in addition to the following:
The Department of Cellular and Anatomical Pathology is the largest provider of Histopathological services in the region and is located within the main hospital site, integrating histopathology, neuropathology and cytology laboratories, and a mortuary.
The workload is diverse and compliant with the hospital’s status as the Regional Cancer and Renal Transplant Centre.
The department has recently been granted funding from NHS England to implement digitization of histopathology within the region, which once implemented will allow more flexible working and further working from home capabilities.
In addition the Department is in the planning stages of designing a purpose built laboratory which will offer good quality offices and a modern laboratory suite. The Department is committed to the development of advanced practitioners to support the role of Consultant Histopathologists.
Requirements for this position are the following:
The Department of Cellular and Anatomical Pathology is the largest provider of Histopathological services in the region and is located within the main hospital site, integrating histopathology, neuropathology and cytology laboratories, and a mortuary.
The workload is diverse and compliant with the hospital’s status as the Regional Cancer and Renal Transplant Centre.
The department has recently been granted funding from NHS England to implement digitization of histopathology within the region, which once implemented will allow more flexible working and further working from home capabilities.
In addition the Department is in the planning stages of designing a purpose built laboratory which will offer good quality offices and a modern laboratory suite. The Department is committed to the development of advanced practitioners to support the role of Consultant Histopathologists.
Requirements for this position are the following: