King's and Queen Square Complex Spinal Neurosurgery SCF

King's and Queen Square Complex Spinal Neurosurgery SCF King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Employer: King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), Queen Square

Applications are invited to apply for the RCS Eng approved advanced fellowship programme in Complex Spinal Neurosurgery, a joint fellowship based at University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King's College Hospital Foundation Trust. This clinical fellowship allows an experienced neurosurgical trainee to obtain sub-specialty experience across all aspects of complex spine neurosurgery. Both departments are national reference centres in the United Kingdom and are leading units in spinal oncology (primary and metastatic spinal cord), complex degenerative (including revision surgery) and spinal trauma. Fellows will be trained in complex intradural surgery, instrumentation and minimally invasive techniques using spinal robotics, navigation, ultrasound and spinal endoscopy.

Main duties of the job

This post will provide successful fellows experience sufficient for consultant appointment as a complex spine specialist. The fellow will learn the following techniques:

• Tubular and endoscopic access (cervical and lumbar)
• MIS fusion and cement augmentation
• Advanced spinal trauma surgery
• Mini thoracotomy surgery and transoral surgery
• Lateral and anterior lumbar surgery
• Cervical and thoracolumbar deformity correction
• Cranio cervical instrumentation (trauma and deformity)
• Pelvis Instrumentation

The fellow is expected to complete the full 18 months of fellowship and will be fully supported in consultant job applications. Surgeons preparing to work as consultants must be intimately involved with the running of the neurosurgical service and in providing continuity of care for the patients since this will be an integral part of their practice as consultants. The fellow will therefore participate in the general neurosurgical rota during their rotation at King's and Queen Square.

Job responsibilities

The duties will comprise data collection, assistance with the care of patients on the wards, assistance in the operating theatre, attendance at appropriate clinics and review of appropriate literature and clinical data. Excellent neurosurgical operative experience can be obtained with senior supervision and feedback provided. The timetable for these activities is dependent upon which consultant the post holder will be working for, as is a list of possible review and research topics. The post holder will collect data relevant to the spinal pathway but will also be involved in the management of patients on the ward, assisting with operations in the theatre or operate within their experience, and assist at Outpatient Clinics which may involve travel to other hospitals.

Person Specification Education/Qualifications

• Full registration with the GMC
• MBBS (or equivalent)
• MRCS/AFRCS/FRCS or equivalent postgraduate surgical qualification
• ST8 or post CCT
• PhD, MD (original research) Other degrees/qualifications
• Experience of spinal surgery and data collection.
• ALS (or equivalent) within 2 years
• Research experience, presentations, publications

Skills/Knowledge/Ability

• Knowledge and experience of Neurosurgical emergencies.
• Competent to work without direct supervision where appropriate
• Evidence of participation and active involvement in an audit project
• Experience and ability to work in multi-professional teams
• Understanding of clinical risk management
• The ability to take responsibility, show leadership, make decisions, exert appropriate authority
• Evidence of teaching experience; involvement in organised teaching
• Understanding of NHS, clinical governance & resource constraints; mgmt/financial awareness exp of committee work
• Demonstrates breadth of experience and awareness in and outside specialty/medicine
• Enthusiasm for teaching; exposure to different groups/teaching methods
• Eligible for full registration with the GMC at time of appointment and hold a current licence to practise
• Evidence of achievement of Foundation competences from a UKFPO affiliated Foundation Programme or equivalent by time of appointment in line with GMC standards/ Good Medical Practice
• Not previously relinquished, released or removed from a training programme in this specialty unless under exceptional circumstances
• Evidence of achievement of CT/ST6 competences in medicine at time of application (as defined by the curricula relating to Core Medical training) by the commencement of the ST3 training post (August 2012 or later), supported by evidence from work-based assessments of clinical performance (DOPS, Mini-CEX, CBD, ACAT) and Multi-Source Feedback or equivalent, ARCP or equivalent.

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.

Salary: £64,237 to £71,696 a year per annum plus London allowance, plus 1 additional PA £7,169.60