Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

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Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

The closing date is 05 November 2026

Thisis a full time post for a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicinebased at Darlington Memorial Hospital (DMH), County Durham and Darlington NHSFoundation Trust. A fantastic opportunity to continue your career inAnaesthetics and Intensive Care in a supportive and enthusiastic districtgeneral hospital with a focus on multidisciplinery contiuity of care and a teambased approach.

Main duties of the job

The main duties of the role are to provide consultant ledcare in anaesthetis and intensive care medicine within a District GeneralHospital with a variety of elective and emergecny specialities.

In hours anaesthetic job planned sessions have theopportunty to work within a variety of specialites and the intensive care rotaincludes fixed 1 in 8 continuity week comprising of morning sessions with additionallong day job planned sessions.

On call commitment will cover intensive care medicine andpaediatric stabilisations. This is afrequency of 1:12 and are based on weekday out of hours cover from 18:00 to08:00 and split day weekend 12 hour sessions from 08:00 to 20:00 plus additionalweekend morning cover to allow support the unit ward round.

Paediatric stabilisations are covered by both theatre andintensive care consultants to provide robust support, with the first responderresponsibility being shared on alternative weekly rota.

Progress to non clinical department development includingteaching, governance, research and management.

About us

If you are being interviewed you must accept an interview slot in the system to continue, even if you have arranged with the manager.

You must be able to produce ALL certificates stated essential in the person specification or you will not be able to complete pre-employment checks.

We provide hospital services from two acute sites - Darlington Memorial Hospital and University Hospital of North Durham. We have a centre for planned care in Bishop Auckland and provide care from community hospitals in Chester-le-Street, Shotley Bridge, Barnard Castle, Sedgefield and Weardale as well as over 80 other community based settings and providing care in patients' homes.

We particularly welcome applications from disabled and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates as BAME and disabled people are currently under-represented.

Full Job Descriptions can be found in the adverts supporting documents.

Over reliance onAI-generated content is discouraged and may diminish the applicant's chances ofsuccess.

For the most up-to-date information on visa requirements and eligibility, please check online to determine whether you can apply.

Job responsibilities

Intensive care medicine and anaesthesia fall within the surgicalcare group specifically within the anaesthetic department at DarlingtonMemorial Hosptal. Complimetary anaestheticsub-specialities including Chronic Pain, Acute Pain, Pre-assessment, DaySurgery and obsterics. The care group director for Anaesthetics, Theatres andIntensive Care Medicine is Dr James Limb (trust wide). The lead clinician forthe anaesthetic department at Darlington Memorial Hospital is Dr JothikaThimappa and the lead clinician for the Intensive Care department is Dr SimoneCarbert.

The successful applicant will primarily work at DMH but wedo provide anaesthetic cover for elective surgical lists at the electivesurgical hub based at Bishop Aukland Hospital. The anaesthetic departments culture is one of mutual respect withcollective responsibility for the workload within the hospital.

At DMH site surgery is provided within 11 operating theatrescovering Community Dental, ENT (Day case), General Surgery (including majorcolorectal surgery, breast surgery and bariatric surgery), Orthopaedic andTrauma Surgery, Obstetric andGynaecological Surgery,Ophthalmology and Urology (Day case). Plastic surgery team is based at University Hospital North Durham. Regional Anaesthesia is well established andsupported by a regional fellow post.

Emergency lists are provided in routine hours forOrthopaedic trauma, General surgery and Gynaecology, as well as an out ofhours emergency theatre. There is a Consultant-led pre-assessment servicewith weekly clinics including CPEXtesting. Anaesthesia for CT scanningand MRI services is available. Monday toThursday we have a PACU to provide Level 1 care of elective patients under thesupport of the surgical and anaesthetic teams.

There is an obstetric department, located on the 6th floorhas its own theatre with dedicated elective lists in the main theatre suite. Ananaesthetic nurse provides assistance for all theatre cases.

The medical department consisits of in house acute internalmedicine, cardiology (including a 4 bedded monitored CCU), respiratory(including 6 bedded ARU), haematology, endocrinology, gastroenterology and careof the elderly. Outpatient dermatology,rheumatology and psychiatry will provide virtual and face to faceconsultations. Palliative care provideface to face support with a team of consutlant and specialist nurses.

DMH intenisve care unit admits approximately 580 patientsper year with a mix of emergency surgical and medical take. We have 11 funded bed spaces combining level 3and level 2 care in a unit located near the theatre suite. The consultant rota provides a supoprtive andcontinuous approach to patient management. The unit is in the process of becoming fully electronic with itsdocumentation.

Consultant led RaCI plus nurse led IV, renal outreach andAcute Intervention Teams (critical care inreach) support our work. Weekend work is completed as part of the outof hours commitment with 12 hour shifts. The majority of specialist support is provided via in house referrals withotherwise good relations with our tertiary referral hospitals. Renal and neurology specialities based atJames Cook University Hospital provide in house reviews. Our consultant group form a supportive teamand recent appointments include a job share with James Cook Hospital and withAcute Internal Medicine. Trust widecollaboration between the intensive care units and specialist support withinthe trust occurs with regular Critical Care Delivery Group meetings involvingthe multidisciplinery team from both Durham and Darlington sites.

Trust wide ICM specifc a teaching programmeis in place with availability of on site simulation equipment.

At the weekend there are 3 dedicated consultants who seperatelycover critical care, emergency theatres and orthopaedic. trauma lists

Consultants and Speciality Doctors are actively encouragedto support the weekly DMH teaching programme and attend our regualar M&Mand clinical governance sessions.

MAIN DUTIES ANDRESPONSIBILITIES

The post holder will undertake clinical work in conjunctionwith their clinical colleagues (24 Consultants, 9 specialty / specialistdoctors and an average of 13 trainees) and other professional staff in order tomaintain and develop both the intensive care and anaesthetic service and beencourage to develop specialist skills in accordance with the needs of thedepartment and progress to hold departmental non clinical roles.

The postholder will have a continuing responsibility for the care of patients inhis/her charge and will contribute to the proper functioning of the department ofAnaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine. Furthermore, the post holder will berequired to undertake administrative duties directly associated with the careof patients. The post holder will supervise junior medical staff and haveresponsibility to ensure continuing patient care at all times. For managementpurposes, the post holder will be accountable to the Lead Clinician forensuring the effective and efficient use of resources allocated.

The postholder will have scheduled activity with regular sessions, fixed continuityweeks and some flexible sessions. SPA activity will be timetabled within theweekly job plan but can be completed flexibily and diarised for review. Duringsome working weeks, flexibility in the ratio of DCC:SPA may be requiredalthough SPA time will always be paid back. As additional responsibilitiesare acquired, the number of SPAs may alter with remuneration agreed through thejob planning process.

The postholder must possess a UK driving license and be able to present for scheduledlist start times as required by the Trust.

The postholder will be expected to participate in teaching.

Researchand clinical audit activities, which are considered to be an integral part ofnormal duties, will be encouraged. Research funding may be available followingsuccessful application to local committees.

The postholder will be encouraged and supported to develop services, courses and toundertake innovation.

The postholder will be expected to deputise in the absence of colleagues.

Thepost-holder will be expected to perform additional duties in emergency andunforeseen circumstances as are essential for continuity of patient care.

The postholder will be responsible for the professional management and supervision ofjunior medical staff. The post holder will be expected to receive training andparticipate in educational and clinical supervision.

The postholder will be expected to participate in clinical governance arrangements inline with national and local guidelines.

If you areinvolved in the care of a patient who subsequently initiates a claim againstthe Trust you will be expected to provide, free of charge, an opinion andstatement of facts about the case.

PROPOSED TIMETABLE AND JOB PLAN

This is an indicative job plan, the final job plan/on-callarrangements will be agreed in partnership prior to appointment.

Each session is 5.25 hours. Remuneration is 1.313 PAs perworking session (which includes pre andpost ward round care).

Person Specification

Special Skills & Knowledge

• Clinical skills appropriate for a Consultant in Anaesthesia with an Interest in Intensive Care Medicine
• Ability to train at the bedside and in classroom settings
• Experience of supervising trainees
• Ability to organise and prioritise own work. Ability to delegate appropriately to trainee / non-consultant career grade anaesthetists
• An understanding of the importance of research
• A recognised qualification in post-graduate teaching
• Feedback from delivered teaching demonstrating high quality delivery
• Formal training in management and demonstrable administrative skills
• Evidence of completion of management projects

Special Requirements

• Ability to innovate and develop services
• Willingness to undertake additional professional duties to develop the division and the Trust
• A commitment to developing Intensive Care Medicine within the Trust

Statutory Registration

• Full registration with GMC.
• Specialist Registration with the GMC in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine.
• Applicants should have attained or be within 6 months of CCT date
• Evidence of adherence to appraisal and GMC revalidation processes
• Applicants are required to be fully registered with a licence to practise with the GMC and either on, or within 6 months of entry onto the Specialist Register on the date of interview
• If applying for Full GMC Registration & Licence to Practice simultaneously with a CESR application, supporting documentary evidence must be provided at interview, to confirm an application has been submitted & is under consideration by the GMC

Experience

• Experience in providing intenisve care medicine in the patient population and specialities supported at Darlington Memorial Hospital.
• Experience of a significant quality improvement project and a good knowledge of the principles of clinical governance.
• Evidence demonstrating commitment to clinical audit with implemented outcomes benefiting patients.
• Publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and academic awards.

Qualifications

• MBBS, MBChB or equivalent
• FRCA
• FCICM / EDIC
• ALS, ATLS, APLS/EPLS or other complimentary qualification

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust

£113,565 to £150,569 a yearYC72 Pay Scale per annum pro rata