Job Advert
NHS HIGHLAND
RAIGMORE ,
Consultant Gastroenterologist x 3
Raigmore Hospital, Inverness
Not just a pretty face
Let’s face it, stunning mountain scenery, wide open spaces and unspoiled beaches are not the Highlands’ best kept secrets. Information about good transport links to the rest of the UK and excellent local education is readily available. But have you ever considered the challenges and opportunities associated with providing 21st century healthcare to a population of nearly 300,000 people living in an area of approximately 10,000 square miles?
We have, and that’s why we are looking for three consultant colleagues to join us in a dramatic expansion of our existing team to provide people in the Highlands with the gastroenterology service we think they deserve.
NHS Highland covers an area from Caithness in the far north of Scotland to Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula. Secondary healthcare is provided by Raigmore (district general) Hospital in Inverness and rural general hospitals (RGHs) in Wick, Fort William and Oban. Our team is based in Inverness and consists of 4.4 FTE consultant gastroenterologists (one of the three posts is a replacement for retirement), 9 specialist nurses across IBD, liver, viral hepatitis and nutrition and 2.5 specialist dietitians.
We provide a comprehensive gastroenterology, hepatology and clinical nutrition service for the whole of the Highlands. Radiology, endoscopy and infusion services are provided centrally and in RGHs. We strongly value and wish to strengthen our RGH and primary care links as part of our service development which includes the recruitment of additional specialist nurses and dietetic time as well as formal clinical psychology input.
The patient-centred approach of our gastroenterology and wider multidisciplinary teams is something which newcomers often comment upon and it is this, along with our unique geography, which means we have learned to be innovative in how we manage our patients. We were early adopters of remote consultation and over the years have developed skills in video and telephone consultation. Our inflammatory bowel disease team won a SAGE award in 2016 for its multidisciplinary working and as a wider gastroenterology and surgical team we have piloted the use of colon capsule endoscopy, now being adopted across Scotland.
We are keen to attract gastroenterologists whose skills and outlook complement those of the existing team and in order to do so can negotiate job plans which accommodate research, teaching (through our existing links with the Universities of Aberdeen and the Highlands and Islands) and global citizenship. NHS Highland recognises staff require access to opportunities to learn, maintain and develop skills and knowledge throughout their careers. The Scottish Government's International Development Strategy established the NHS Scotland Global Citizenship Programme, with the aim of supporting NHS staff who wish to undertake overseas work in low or middle-income countries (LMIs).
Out of hours responsibilities: there is a bleeding rota and General Medical receiving in place and available for successful applicants to participate in.
Applicants are expected to make contact with the department before applying and we would strongly encourage those who are shortlisted to ensure they have spoken to the informal contacts and other relevant senior colleagues. You can ask for a Teams meeting to be set up through the department contact.
Due to the current travel restrictions in place all interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams.
Informal enquiries will be welcomed by Dr Neil Jamieson (neil.jamieson2@nhs.scot) 01463 705755, Consultant Gastroenterologist or Dr Hazel Younger, Consultant Gastroenterologist hazel.younger@nhs.scot 01463 705442.
Closing date for completed applications: 20th April 2021
A job pack for this post can be accessed at https://apply.jobs.scot.nhs.uk/