Job summary
We are seeking an enthusiastic and experienced Locum Consultant Anaesthetist with an interest in Chronic Pain to join the Directorate of Theatres, Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Northampton General Hospital for a 5-month period. This is an excellent opportunity to join a large, supportive and collaborative department, with the role offering an approximately 50:50 balance between chronic pain and anaesthesia, including pain clinics, procedural work, elective and emergency theatre activity and participation in the general anaesthetic on-call rota.

The successful candidate will work alongside a dedicated pain team and wider anaesthetic department, contributing to the delivery of safe, high-quality and patient-centred care. There will also be opportunities to contribute to teaching, clinical governance, audit and service development within a friendly and forward-thinking department.

Main duties of the job
The successful candidate will provide consultant-level clinical care across the chronic pain and anaesthetic services, with an expected 50:50 balance between pain and anaesthesia. Responsibilities will include delivering new patient and follow-up pain clinics, undertaking pain procedures, providing elective and emergency anaesthesia across a range of surgical specialties, contributing to pre-operative assessment and participating in the departmental on-call rota.

The postholder will work closely with consultants, resident doctors, nurses, operating department practitioners and management colleagues, providing clinical leadership and supervision while ensuring high standards of patient safety and continuity of care. They will also contribute to clinical governance, audit and quality improvement activity, as well as teaching and training medical students, trainee anaesthetists and other healthcare professionals. There may also be opportunities to contribute to service development and innovation within the department, depending on experience and interests.

About us
Please submit your application as soon as possible, as we reserve the right to close adverts once sufficient applications have been received.

We recognise that AI tools can support application writing; however, candidates are asked to keep their use to a minimum. Responses should reflect your own experience, skills and knowledge, as over-reliance on AI-generated content may result in generic answers that do not accurately represent your abilities.

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) brings together Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. As a group, we are committed to improving services for our communities through collaboration, modernising care delivery and striving for excellence. Working together enables us to share expertise, strengthen services and create greater opportunities, and there may be a requirement to work across sites depending on service needs.

Our Excellence Values are Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage. UHN welcomes applications from all backgrounds and is committed to an inclusive working environment. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and hold the Gold Award under the Employer Recognition Scheme. Candidates who identify as members of the Armed Forces community and meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview.

Job responsibilities
*** Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details and information. ***

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• MBBS or equivalent
• Full GMC Registration
• FRCA or Equivalent

Desirable

• Membership of specialist societies
• Further postgraduate qualifications in or allied to anaesthesia
• CCT in Anaesthesia or within 6 months of the interview
• GMC specialist Register in Anaesthesia

Clinical Experience
Essential

• Anaesthetic management of a wide range of head and neck, obstetric, general, orthopaedic, emergency, trauma, and major surgery with the completion of higher training module set out by the RCOA old curriculum or Level 3 of the current curriculum.

Desirable

• Advanced training module or Specialist Interest area module of the new curriculum in relevant area for job plan 1
• Obstetric anaesthesia/Higher or advanced module or SIA equivalent for Job plan 2

Interpersonal Skills
Essential

• Commitment to team working
• Good organisational skills and punctuality
• Good written, verbal, and aural communication skills
• Caring attitude towards colleagues

Desirable

• Appropriate leadership development courses and structured activities

Management
Essential

• Willingness to work as a member of the wider trust
• Awareness of current service development opportunities and challenges
• Willingness to share administrative responsibilities

Desirable

• Desire to further develop in the appointed post and contribute to the service development

Audit & Research
Essential

• Experience of audit and quality improvement project
• Willingness to actively in the departments audit and quality improvement

Desirable

• Presentation at recognised national and or international meetings.
• Published or ongoing relevant research

Teaching
Essential

• Experience of and commitment to postgraduate teaching
• Experience of and commitment to undergraduate teaching
• Understanding of current education processes and requirements for training in Anaesthesia and ITU
• Evidence of attendance at anaesthesia meetings

Desirable

• Medical education qualification
• Evidence of training in teaching
• Evidence of achieving GMC standards Educational Supervisor role

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).