Role Summary
This fixed term post (12 months) will provide experience in interventional bronchoscopy as well as the management of pleural pathology. This post is suited to either trainees with minimal experience or more senior trainees wishing to consolidate or develop their procedural skills, whilst continuing to gain experience in respiratory medicine. A pre-requisite for this post is that applicants should ideally have some experience of standard fibreoptic bronchoscopy and Level 1 thoracic USS.
The successful candidate will be encouraged to take an active role in audit as well as the opportunity to pursue research interests. They will also be expected to help with general respiratory ward duties.
2. THE PLEURAL AND INTERVENTIONAL BRONCHOSCOPY SERVICE
The service consists of the following:-
Weekly Ambulatory Pleural clinic
Busy sub-regional EBUS service (2 lists per week)
Medical Thoracoscopy service
Indwelling Pleural Catheter Service (IPCs)
Bronchoscopy Service (2 lists per week, including a regional BAL service for ILD).
Fibero-optic bronchoscopies, EBUS and medical thoracoscopies are performed in a purpose-built endoscopy unit. The unit is equipped with video-bronchoscopies and has facilities for videoing procedures and capturing digital images. We also have a bronchoscopy simulator for training purposes.
About the Role
3. THE RESPIRATORY DEPARTMENT
The department provides a full respiratory medicine service for Exeter and surrounding parts of Devon and beyond. It serves a local population of approximately 450,000. It is a busy unit with a wide range of common and uncommon conditions seen. The department has special interests in interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, airways diseases, sleep-related breathing disorders, non-CF bronchiectasis, non-invasive ventilation and lung cancer. We are the NHSE Specialised Commissioned Regional Centre for ILD, Cystic Fibrosis, and Asthma. We also provide regional clinics for patients with alpha1 anti-trypsin deficiency.
There are close links with other departments within the hospital including: Radiothera-py/Oncology, Paediatrics, Intensive Therapy, Cardiology (including EKOS), Rheumatology, His-topathology & Microbiology. A multi-disciplinary approach to the care of patients with respirato-ry disease is facilitated by a team comprising clinical nurse specialists, specialist respiratory physiotherapists, 2 advanced care practitioners, sisters and nurses on 2 specialist respiratory wards, a large COPD early supported discharge and admission avoidance service (comprising 4 nurses and a dedicated physiotherapist), respiratory physiologists, dieticians, social workers and a respiratory pharmacist.
In-patients: respiratory patients are nursed on 2 dedicated respiratory wards. A fully equipped 5 bed respiratory high dependency unit is attached to the template. This provides facilities for non-invasive ventilation and acts as an intermediate care facility for patients discharged from ITU (with respiratory disease).
Out-patients: the department holds respiratory clinics in Exeter each week. A fast track lung cancer clinic is held at least once per week. There are specialist clinics in interstitial lung dis-ease, cystic fibrosis, non-CF bronchiectasis, asthma and complex ventilation.
Respiratory Nurse Specialists: the department is supported by 15 respiratory nurse specialists, including 2 ILD nurse specialists (one of whom has a combined clinical-research post), lung cancer nurse specialists, cystic fibrosis nurse specialists, a TB nurse specialist, a bronchiectasis nurse specialist and asthma nurse specialists. A clinical psychologist with an interest in respira-tory disease and a dietician are also attached to the department.
Lung Cancer Services: the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital is a designated cancer centre. Dr Tom Burden is our Cancer Lead. Patients suspected of having lung cancer are seen in a weekly “fast track” lung cancer clinic. All patients are discussed at a weekly multidisciplinary team meeting and a weekly histopathology meeting. The MDT is attended by respiratory physicians, 4 thoracic radiologists, a thoracic surgeon, 2 oncologists, together with associated junior staff, lung cancer nurse specialists and the audit/MDT facilitator. We actively recruit patients to clini-cal trials.
Audit & CPD: we have dedicated sessions for departmental audit meetings, morbidity and mor-tality meetings and multi-professional education sessions.
Research: the department has a very active research programme. We have a long history of clin-ical trials (commercial and non-commercial) in asthma and COPD, a very busy portfolio in CF and ILD trials (Phase I-IV) and have continued growth in pleural disease and other areas. There are close academic links with the University of Exeter Clinical Research Facility, the University of Exeter, the University of Exeter Medical School and the Exeter Clinical Trials Unit. The R&D de-partment has a small grants scheme to support local research, and in addition there are oppor-tunities for PA funding for basic and translational research from both the R&D department (through a dedicated competitive scheme) and the University of Exeter Medical School & Uni-versity of Exeter. Most of our department has roles at Regional, National and International Level, and our department has the Respiratory Lead and the Clinical Director of the NIHR Clinical Re-search Network: South West Peninsula.
Teaching: The Respiratory Department has a substantial commitment to delivering the under-graduate programme for the University of Exeter Medical School, and several members of staff have Postgraduate Educational roles.
Medical & Nursing Staff: The department has 11 consultants who work collaboratively to pro-vide a 7 day respiratory service. They are supported by the ward matrons, and respiratory nurs-ing service.
The Cancer Team:
Dr Tom Whitehead
Dr Bip Patel
Dr Tom Burden
Dr Kate Cockcroft
Pleural Physician Associate- Ben Callow
The Respiratory Consultant Team:
Dr Matt Masoli- Lead Clinician
Dr Lee Dobson
Dr Phi Mitchelmore
Dr Michael Gibbons
Dr Bip Patel
Dr Kate Cockcroft
Dr Tom Burden
Dr Thomas Whitehead
Dr Chris Dickson
Dr Nick Withers
4. THE POST
TITLE: Interventional Bronchoscopy and Pleural Fellow in Respiratory Medicine
GRADING/EQUIVALENT: ST3 level or above
DURATION OF POST: August 2023 start (12 months duration)
SALARY SCALE: ST3+
ON-CALL COMMITMENT: N/A (unless requested)
STUDY LEAVE: 30 days total (not pro-rata)
CONDITIONS OF APPOINTMENT: The post is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Service of Hospital Medical and Dental Staff as amended from time to time.
All appointment to Trust posts are subject to:-
1) Appropriate Registration with the General Medical Council
2) Satisfactory Medical Examination including documentary validated evidence of Hep B, Hep C and HIV
3) Satisfactory clearance with the Criminal Records Bureau
4) Two satisfactory references, one of which must be your present or most recent employer.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Can be obtained from:
Respiratory Cancer Consultant
Dr Tom Burden
Royal Devon & Exeter NHS Foundation Trust,
Barrack Road,
Exeter EX2 5DW
(Thomas.burden@nhs.net)
About Us
Stretching across Northern, Eastern and Mid Devon, we have a workforce of over 15,000 staff, making us the largest employer in Devon. Our core services, which we provide to more than 615,000 people, cover more than 2,000 square miles across Devon, while some of our specialist services cover the whole of the peninsula, extending our reach as far as Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
We deliver a wide range of emergency, specialist and general medical services through North Devon District Hospital and the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (Wonford). Alongside our two acute hospitals, we provide integrated health and social care services across a variety of settings, including community inpatient hospitals, outpatient clinics, and within people’s own homes. We also offer primary care services, a range of specialist community services, and Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC).
Our state-of-the-art equipment, leading technologies and strong links to local universities put us at the forefront of research and innovations, enabling us to provide world-class care to our local communities.
Our values are at the heart of everything we do, click here to find out more
It has never been a more exciting time to join the Royal Devon, as you will help to shape our services as we continue along our integration journey.
Benefits
Looking after you is important to us.
We strive to help our staff create a healthy work-life balance through flexible working schemes and our family friendly policies.
If you are starting out in the NHS, you’ll start with 27 days paid annual leave (plus bank holidays), rising to 34 days plus bank holidays depending on grade and years of service.
You will benefit from access to our own comprehensive occupational health services, including counselling, onsite wellbeing activities and groups.
We will work together to maintain a culture that develops and supports you and your team.
This might include funding for a care certificate, a degree or leadership qualifications. Or it might include days off to study, engage in CPD or rotational placements to help you hone your skills. Wherever you are heading in the NHS, we will help you get there.
Salary is not the only financial benefit
You will have access to an extensive range of staff discounts on shopping, fitness and leisure options and you can spread the cost of technology and home appliance purchases from major retailers. You will also have access to other benefits including:
- National discount services such as the Blue Light Card and Health Service Discounts.
- Salary sacrifice options including our OFSTED rated outstanding nursery onsite at Exeter
- Car lease schemes.
- The NHS Pension scheme (one of the most generous and comprehensive in the UK).
- Cycle to work scheme
These are just a few of the benefits available – if the role is something you are interested in, we would love to hear from you.
