Job summary
The ARCC (TVW) Transfer Service is hosted by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, in partnership with South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. The transfer doctor role involves working alongside a dedicated team of Transfer Practitioners (Paramedics/Ambulance Nurses) and Emergency Care Assistants.

The primary role of the service is to triage, coordinate and provide clinical support for all referrals to ARCC TVW, supporting the referring and receiving hospitals and clinical team(s) to prioritise, maximise the utilisation of resources.

The service provides inter-facility transfers for adult patients who require, or are likely to require, critical care monitoring and/or interventions during transfer. Transfers are primarily within the Thames Valley and Wessex region but also include out-of-region transfers and mutual aid to other regions and transfer services, including for older paediatric patients.

The successful candidate will have the role for a year, in which the candidate will work clinically within the service for 7 clinical shifts (10.5 hours) per month plus one day per month for service development of the role. This equates to 0.5 of a whole time equivalent.

The role will involve working closely with the ARCC TVW Leadership Team to design and deliver a standardised training programme that supports resident training. This may include but is not limited to the development of a Special Skills Year (SSY) or any other appropriate training programme.

Main duties of the job
ARCC (TVW) has been transitioning to a substantive service since its hosting through Buckinghamshire NHS Trust. We have now successfully established our permanent staff of clinicians and Transfer practitioners. This has given us the ability to now focus on establishing the training programme for residents.

The successful candidate will have the role for a year, in which the candidate will work clinically within the service for 7 clinical shifts (10.5 hours) per month plus one day per month for service development of the role. This equates to 0.5 of a whole time equivalent.

The role will involve working closely with the ARCC TVW Leadership Team to design and deliver a standardised training programme that supports resident training. This may include but is not limited to the development of a Special Skills Year (SSY) or any other appropriate training programme.

About us
Why colleagues think we are "a great place to work!"

What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?
As part of our BHT family, you'll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.

Alongside NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement and pension scheme, you'll have access to NHS discount schemes.

We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.

What do we stand for?
Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.

Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.

We are working hard to increase diversity at all levels within the trust. We believe a diverse workforce can have a positive effect on both staff wellbeing and patient outcomes.

We welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, candidates with disabilities and care-experienced candidates.

We are proud to achieve the Gold award for the Armed Forces Covenant and support applications from the Armed Forces Community. Please contact Pam.Daley@nhs.net (our Armed Forces Covenant Lead) if you would like guidance or assistance with your application.

We make employment decisions by matching our service needs with the skills and experience of candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.

Job responsibilities
Clinical

• Assessment, resuscitation, stabilisation, and transfer of critically ill adult patients referred to ARCC (TVW) from hospitals across Thames Valley, Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire, and surrounding areas.
• Safe and timely transport of all patients, including those requiring time-critical intervention.
• Collaborative working with Transfer Doctors and Transfer Practitioners to deliver high-quality care.
• Provision of telephone and telemedicine advice to referring hospitals and clinicians regarding patient management, transfer suitability, and optimisation.
• Triage and prioritisation of transfer requests, including joint agreement with referring units on transfer urgency and level of care.
• Accurate and comprehensive documentation of clinical decisions, transfer categorisation, and internal notes using systems such as Refer-a-Patient.
• Daily management of controlled drugs, including checking, documentation, and secure storage.
• Work in close collaboration with the Single Point of Contact (SPOC), and consultants at the transferring and receiving hospitals to coordinate a safe and successful patient transfer.

Management and Clinical Governance

• Active contribution to the administration, development, and operational delivery of the ARCC (TVW) service.
• Participation in clinical governance activities including audit, research, service evaluation, and continuous quality improvement.
• Regular attendance at clinical governance days (held face-to-face and virtually).
• Engagement with service development initiatives and feedback processes.
• Participation in post transfer debriefs, incident reviews and case reviews.

Education and Training

• Delivery of training and supervision for Transfer Doctors, Transfer Practitioners.
• Facilitation of case-based discussions, simulation, and equipment reviews during transfer shifts.
• Support for clinical education and transfer safety within referring hospitals.
• Help develop a robust training programme for resident doctors/ACCPs within the Thames Valley and Wessex region.

Outreach

• Contribution to the ARCC (TVW) outreach programme, acting as a named point of contact and liaison for a designated hospital.
• Promotion of safe transfer practices and collaborative working across the regional network.

Continued Professional Development

• Undertake the Trust Corporate and Directorate specific induction and engage with competency programmes appropriate to role.
• Comply with mandatory training and professional re-registration requirements.
• Maintenance of personal clinical competence and currency in critical care transfer.
• Attendance at education days and engagement with ongoing professional development relevant to the role.

Person Specification
Qualifications and Training
Essential

• Entry on to General Medical Council (UK) Register with no restrictions to practice
• Successful completion of RCUK ALS or equivalent
• CCT in Anaesthesia and/or ICM, or equivalent - consideration will be given to applicants due to CCT within 3 months of post start date

Desirable

• Diploma in Retrieval Medicine or other relevant diploma or membership
• Completion of ATLS or equivalent
• Postgraduate qualification in medical education
• FUSIC accredited

Experience
Essential

• Ongoing clinical activity within an Intensive Care Medicine or Anaesthesia setting with an interest in Intensive Care Medicine (minimum two shifts monthly)
• Extensive experience within Intensive Care Medicine or Anaesthesia of independently assessing, resuscitating, stabilising and treating critically ill and injured adult patients (synonymous with Level 4 capability of the FICM curriculum and Stage 3 learning outcomes for Intensive Care within the RCoA curriculum)
• Demonstrate an interest and understanding of transfer medicine
• Advanced airway competencies (able to deliver unplanned emergency anaesthesia outside the operating theatre to a critically ill patient with remote supervision)
• Compliance with GMC Good Medical Practice, appraisal and revalidation requirements

Desirable

• Experience using simulation for education
• Experience in postgraduate/ multidisciplinary education
• Previous experience working with ARCC TVW

Skills, knowledge, ability
Essential

• Competent in the assessment, resuscitation and stabilisation of critically unwell patients including emergency anaesthesia, ventilation and invasive monitoring
• Sound judgement and decision-making
• Good understanding of the principles of clinical governance
• Ability to communicate effectively through good verbal, non-verbal and written skills with patients, colleagues and staff at all levels
• Speak fluent English to at least I.E.L.T.S level 7.5
• Ability to cope with stressful situations and take responsibility
• Good IT literacy skills, including the use of Office 365 and patient record systems

Other Requirements
Essential

• Ability to travel between bases

Qualifications and Training
Essential

• Completion of SSY in Retrieval and transfer Medicine or equivalent demonstratable experience.

Skills, knowledge, ability
Essential

• Ability to work effectively and productively in a multidisciplinary team in a hospital and transfer environment
• Ability to lead a multidisciplinary team in the hospital and transfer environment
• Fitness levels sufficient to carry out critical care transfer work (e.g. delivering clinical care to the patient on a critical care transfer trolley, carrying equipment short to medium distances, manual handling of patients)
• Be comfortable working in the ambulance environment which includes confined space and motion

Desirable

• Ability to manage complex work and prioritise effectively
• Competent in the assessment, resuscitation and stabilisation of critically unwell paediatric patients
• Knowledge and skills in Human Factors and Crew Resource Management
• Leadership and Management Training

Aptitude and personal characteristics
Essential

• Uphold and embody the BHT and SCAS organisational values

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.

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).