Consultant in Acute and General Medicine

at  Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust

We are looking to recruit one full time General / Acute Medicine Consultant. This post is aimed at maintaining and developing the Acute medical service and will assist with the expansion of acute medicine and ambulatory care services. We would be willing to accommodate candidates with specialist interests to complement our current existing team.
The acute physicians will spend the majority of their direct clinical care, and supporting professional activity time, working on the Acute Medical Unit, where they will lead the multi-professional team in the management of the acute medical patients. It is expected that they will lead ward rounds, direct the management of patients, assess patients, perform practical procedures, teach both junior medical and other staff, attend multidisciplinary meetings, take part in the governance activity of the department, participate in the management and administration of the service and liaise with other professionals both within and outside the trust as required.
If the successful candidate has a particular specialty interest there may be scope to accommodate this within the job plan, subject to the needs of the Acute Medicine service and negotiation with the Clinical Director and Divisional Director.
Interview will be January 2025
The role of the Acute and general Medical Consultant is to undertake front line work in the Acute Medical Unit providing high quality, acute care to patients, overseeing the medical take, performing post-take ward rounds, making specialty referrals, caring for short-stay in patients for up to 72 hours on AMU, facilitating timely discharge and follow up
plans and where required following patients up as ambulatory care patients.
It will include supervision of junior staff both within AMU, but also Ambulatory Care and Same Day Emergency Care.
Same Day Emergency Care has a primary purpose of diverting ambulatory patients from the general medical take, reducing the number of admissions. This takes place by taking referrals from GP’s, LAS and 111 via consultant connect. Patients are also streamed to SDEC via the Emergency Department.
The successful candidate will lead development of protocols for the care of expected medical patients, those referred from the Emergency Department, admission avoidance, reduction of length of stay, optimisation of clinical guidelines, auditing patient experience and improved services in collaboration with current
post holders.
Our people are our greatest asset. When we feel supported and happy at work, this positivity reaches those very people we are here for, the patients. Engaged employees perform at their best and our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) initiatives contribute to cultivate a culture of engagement. We have four staff networks, a corporate EDI Team and a suite of programmes and events which aim to insert the 5 aspirations:
Improving representation at senior levels of staff with disabilities, from black, Asian, and ethnic minorities background, identify as LGBTQ+ and women, through improved recruitment and leadership development
Widening access (anchor institution) and employability
Improving the experience of staff with disability
Improving the EDI literacy and confidence of trust staff through training and development
Making equalities mainstream
Clinical Responsibilities
The support and further development of the initiatives within the Department of Acute Medicine (as described above).
To respond to inpatient and outpatient referrals from other specialties
To provide direct clinical care on the Acute medical ward, ACU and SDEC
To lead ward rounds and direct the management o patients
To assess patients and perform practical procedures whilst teaching other staff
To attend MDT meetings
To provide prompt advice for General Practitioners
To participate in educational and audit meetings
To meet CPD and revalidation requirements
To provide cover for Consultant colleagues during periods of leave
To support the Hospital’s Clinical Governance Strategy
To contribute to all other aspects of the Directorate and trust affairs
Medical Education & Teaching
Contribute to the weekly programme of educational activities, including foundation year and core medical training teaching programmes .
Volunteer as an educational supervisor for doctors in training.
Provide teaching and training to undergraduates and medical students both on the ward and in the outpatient department.
Clinical Audit and Clinical Governance
Take an active role in audit and governance projects to further the development of the service.
Participate in the department’s monthly governance meetings which provide the opportunity to share audits, journals, latest evidence, serious incident reviews, morbidity and mortality reviews and other similar activities.
Continuing Professional Development
Participate in continuing professional development at local and national level
Implement audit and research findings as appropriate in clinical practice
Prepare and participate in an annual appraisal in accordance with Trust policy
A willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional or national levels
Policy, Planning and Management
Support the Trust to deliver quality patient care
Contribute to the development of clinical and organisational protocols and guidelines
Assist in the development of the Annual Service Plan for the Directorate and Division and participate in the strategic planning of the service
Comply with all Trust policie

Please refer the Job description for details