Job summary
This new appointment at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is designed to support both the Acute Stroke Unit and the TIA and Stroke Clinic.

The postholder will contribute to the continued development of Homerton's high-performing stroke service, which manages around 275 stroke patients and 500 TIA referrals annually. Responsibilities include direct clinical care within the 19-bed stroke unit, supporting rapid TIA and acute stroke assessments, and working collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team to maintain excellence in acute stroke care and effective and early stroke rehabilitation. The service consistently ranks in the upper quartile of the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme, and the post-holder will contribute to delivering the highest standards in evidence-based acute stroke unit care. The postholder will also contribute actively to service development and stroke education within the wider Trust.

Main duties of the job
Specific Duties of the Post at Homerton University Hospital include:

• To share in the provision of acute stroke service including inpatient rehabilitation.
• To share in the provision of outpatient TIA services locally.
• To provide patients with rapid access to Hyperacute stroke services at Barts Health where necessary.
• To aid and facilitate the rapid transfer of stroke patients from RLH HASU to the Homerton Acute Stroke Unit along the relevant pathway.
• To lead the daily medical team on the Acute Stroke Unit and provide effective supervision, support, and education for the stroke resident doctors in-post.
• There will be no on-call commitment at the Homerton site. Out of hours cover will be provided by the hospital medical team.
• To support the lead clinician for stroke in furthering service developments and driving positive changes including initiating a programme of liaison work with the community stroke team.
• To be actively involved in stroke research by enrolling patients in currently opened trials (national and international research studies as part of the National Stroke Research Network and the NIHR portfolio) as well as promoting new studies on site.
• To maintain quality and ensure continued top performance in the Stroke Sentinel National Audit Programme.

About us
The Stroke department at Homerton Healthcare manages approximately 275 stroke patients per annum and in the region of 500 TIA referrals. It serves a population base of 300,000 and is generally performing in the upper quartile of the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme for clinical activity. The multi-disciplinary stroke service aims to ensure all stroke patients are admitted, when appropriate, directly to the Stroke unit and all TIA referrals are seen within 24 hours (or 7 days when low risk) across a 5 day week currently. A 7 day service is provided via central cover at the Royal London Hospital Hyperacute Stroke Unit (HASU). The unit provides a liaison stroke review service to the wider inpatient hospital bed base including the intensive care unit.

The current Stroke service comprises a 19-bedded unit based on Graham Ward on the main Homerton Healthcare site. The unit provides high-quality multi-disciplinary inpatient acute care and early rehabilitation after stroke for patients of all ages from City and Hackney CCG together with some Haringey residents in adjacent post-codes. There is a skilled and specialist team of doctors, nurses, therapists (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists; psychologists and dieticians) working with the patients in a closely co-ordinated manner to ensure a high standard of care.

Job responsibilities
General Duties

• To share responsibility for providing evidence-based standards of care for all inpatients and outpatients.
• To have regard at all times to the clinical and quality standards set out in the Patients Charter and the local purchasers contracts.
• To liaise effectively and on a timely basis with General Practitioners, community services and all healthcare agencies.
• To encourage and foster the governance process at clinical, managerial and medical levels and to take part in regional audit in support of evidence-based medicine.
• To participate fully in the management of the Stroke Departments and to liaise closely with the relevant General Manager and the Clinical Director.
• Continuing responsibility for the care of patients in his/her charge, including all administrative duties associated with patient care.
• Leadership and proper functioning of the services in his/her charge in line with agreed policies at the Trust.
• Development of his/her own specialty interests, including active participation in research programmes.
• Corporate and singular responsibility for the management of the resident medical staff including the approval and monitoring of resident staff rotas and locum appointments.

Person Specification
Qualifications & Higher qualifications
Essential

• Fully registered with GMC MRCP (or equivalent) On specialist register or within 6 months in one of the stroke parent specialities. Stroke experience (at equivalent level to Stroke CCT)

Desirable

• Higher Degree (MSc, MD or PhD) CCT in Stroke Medicine

Relevant experience in speciality / sub speciality
Essential

• Ability to practice independently in Acute Medicine and Stroke and offer expert clinical opinion on a range of stroke and general medicine related problems

Desirable

• Expertise in the leadership of an acute care team or stroke care team Experience in emergency or critical care medicine

Clinical skills
Essential

• Excellent clinical skills

Leadership and professionalism
Essential

• Ability to take responsibility, lead, make decisions and respond appropriately to service need

Desirable

• Familiar with current structure of the health service and conversant with recent initiatives and changes

Management skills
Essential

• Awareness of the overall business environment in which the hospital operates Understanding of the importance of good clinical coding Knowledge of relevant regulatory frameworks e.g. EWTD

Desirable

• Management of team or programme or project

Teaching & training
Essential

• Experience of undergraduate and post-graduate teaching

Desirable

• Experience of educational supervision, teaching skills course/ qualification

Clinical Governance
Essential

• Evidence of contribution to effective audit and clinical risk management

Desirable

• Evidence of dedication to driving excellence and safety in stroke care.

Research
Essential

• Understanding of principles and application of clinical research

Desirable

• Relevant research experience Publication of peer reviewed papers

Communication skills
Essential

• Ability to communicate with clarity and intelligently in written and spoken English IT skills and computer literacy

Desirable

• Computer skills course/certificate

Patient focused skills
Essential

• Empathy, understanding, listening skills, patience, social skills appropriate to different types of clients

Personal attributes
Essential

• Personal attributesAn awareness of own strengths and weaknesses coupled with an ability to deploy them effectively Professional attitude towards work, good record of attendance

Interpersonal skills
Essential

• Good interpersonal skills coupled with an ability to co-operate, persuade and negotiate within a senior clinical and management team. A collegiate and collaborative attitude to working with colleagues.

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).