PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Registration as a specialist in the Specialist Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council in Ireland in the specialty of Neurology.
One year’s postgraduate experience in the area of maternal health (desirable).
Demonstrated higher postgraduate degree such as MD or PhD (desirable).

OTHER REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIC TO THE POST

Travel between services and units may be necessary.
In addition to the mandatory HSE qualifications for a consultant neurology post, the post-holder will be expected to be able to demonstrate a clear interest and experience in the area of maternal health with particular focus on the management and care of women during the antenatal and postpartum period.

SKILLS, COMPETENCIES AND/OR KNOWLEDGE

Other skills/abilities/knowledge &understanding:
Ability to liaise with colleagues on clinical and administrative matters.
Knowledge of current professional quality and audit issues/accreditation process.
Excellent computer skills.
Demonstrate the ability to lead on clinical practice and service quality.
Demonstrate promotion of evidence-based decision making.
Demonstrate practitioner competence and professionalism.
Demonstrate the ability to plan and organise effectively.
Demonstrate the ability to work effectively within a team.
Demonstrate strong communication, influencing and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build and maintain relationships.
Demonstrate initiative and innovation in the delivery of service.
Demonstrate resilience and composure.
Demonstrate openness to change.
Demonstrate integrity and ethical stance.

PROTECTION OF PERSONS REPORTING CHILD ABUSE ACT 1998

As this post is one of those designated under the Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998, appointment to this post appoints one as a designated officer in accordance with Section 2 of the Act. You will remain a designated officer for the duration of your appointment to your current post or for the duration of your appointment to such other post as is included in the categories specified in the Ministerial Direction. You will receive full information on your responsibilities under the Act on appointment.
This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.

PURPOSE OF THE POST

The HSE’s National Women and Infants Health Programme working with the National Epilepsy Clinical Care Programme has identified the absolute requirement for the implementation of an integrated model of care for the management of women with epilepsy (WWE) attending maternity services.
A practice guide for the safe management of WWE attending maternity services was developed in 2018 under the governance of the National Epilepsy Clinical Care Programme. However to date the dedicated resources to safely deliver this care in the Dublin North East Region have not been readily available.
Neurology services including the neurology regional hub in the Mater are under significant pressure from the overall demands on their specialist service, resulting in tertiary maternity services like the Rotunda Hospital struggling to access structured dedicated specialist medical resources and inputs that are aligned and protected for women attending their services. This presents a very real and significant clinical risk in the management and care of WWE attending maternity services, with this risk being further heightened in circumstances whereby the patient is no longer under the active care or clinical governance of a designated neurologist or neurology service.
The need for a resourced and structured integrated model of care between specialist neurology/epilepsy services and tertiary maternity / women’s health services is further compounded when other key elements and issues are factored in including the pathway that women travel with epilepsy and how their life decisions regarding their reproductive and sexual health impact the management and their experience of epilepsy, the requirement of the HSE to respond in a robust and structured manner to requirements surrounding the safe prescribing and use of sodium valproate; the specific recommendations of the practice guide regarding WWE attending maternity services and the need for these recommendations to be implemented by the HSE so to enhance the safety of women attending maternity services; and the clinical care needs of women attending maternity and other women’s health services who present with neurological conditions - new or existing - other than epilepsy.