West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Consultant Community Paediatrician

The closing date is 03 December 2026

Job summary
We are looking for a committed clinician to join the team of paediatric staff providing integrated Community Services to children and young people across Suffolk.

The post-holder should have wide experience in all aspects of Community Paediatrics. The post-holder will work within the community paediatric team in East Suffolk and liaise with services within a geographical cluster.

We have extremely good working relationships with Nursing and Allied Health Professionals as well as Consultant colleagues at West Suffolk Hospital and with Education and Social Care staff. We also work as part of a wider paediatric community medical team, with our colleagues in the east locality. The Trust aims to provide equitable community paediatric services across the whole of the county. The provider for the service is led directly by West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust but within an Alliance framework with partners.

Please See Full Job Description attached for details.

Main duties of the job

• Responsibility for the assessment and management of children referred with neuro-developmental problems from a geographical area including the participation in multi-disciplinary assessment where appropriate
• Management of children and young people with long term neuro-disability such as cerebral palsy. The post holder would be encouraged to develop the movement clinic for consideration of botulinum injections to children with cerebral palsy working closely with the orthopaedic team.
• Assessment of school aged children with suspected autism spectrum disorder following a multidisciplinary triage process
• Provision of medical advice for Education Health and Care Plans for children under our care.
• Assessment of children where there are safeguarding concerns raised by other Health or Educational professionals, Police and Social Services. The post-holder will be expected to be experienced in safeguarding assessment.
• Initial Health Assessments for looked after children
• Clinical and educational supervision of trainees and medical students working within the Child Health Department.
• Providing clear standards, encouraging high quality care, with encouragement of audit and fully participating in the clinical governance arrangements of the Trust

The post-holder will be based at St Helen's House in Ipswich, with the potential for some peripheral clinics based in Stowmarket.

About us
#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?

Details
Date posted: 12 November 2026
Pay scheme: Hospital medical and dental staff
Grade: Consultant
Salary: £113,565 to £150,569 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
Reference number: 179-8314265-MSC
Job locations: St Helen's House, 571 Foxhall Road, IPSWICH, IP3 8LX, United Kingdom

Job description
Job responsibilities
Children and Family Services contracts are commissioned by Suffolk and North East Essex Integrated Care Board for the East and West of the County. Integrated Community Paediatric Services provide care to the children in Suffolk and are managed by the Associate Director of Integrated Community Paediatric Services.

The integrated community paediatric services include community paediatricians, paediatric physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, children's community nurses, clinical psychologists, audiologists and other associated allied health professionals and administrative staff.

The services are based at Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich providing services throughout the West and East of the county respectively.

Community Paediatric Services work in partnership with Suffolk County Councils Children and Young Peoples Services, who employ the universal children and family services (health visiting and school nursing) to support children and young people in Suffolk.

Please See Full Job Description attached for details.

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Essential: Full GMC registration with a licence to practise; MRCPCH or equivalent; Entry on the GMC specialist register in Paediatrics or be eligible for entry (within six months of attaining Certificate of Completion of Training) at the time of interview and hold a licence to practice. (Consultants only)
• Desirable: Other relevant qualification, e.g. MD, MSc

Training and Experience

• Essential: Wide range of experience in hospital and community child health; Two years higher specialist training in community paediatrics; Experience in working in a multi-disciplinary team; Experience in recognition and management of child protection cases.
• Desirable: Specific training and experience on the use of assessment tools for diagnosis of ASD (e.g. DISCO/ ADOS); Assessment and management of behaviour problems; Experience in management of spasticity including assessment for botulinum toxin treatment for children with cerebral palsy; Experience with looked after children and adoption medical assessments and processes

Management and Administration

• Essential: Experience of clinical leadership and clinical governance
• Desirable: Evidence of management training; Experience of leadership and implementing service developments

Teaching Experience

• Essential: Ability to teach both medical and non-medical staff involved in children's services; Interest in teaching under-graduates and post-graduate students
• Desirable: Experience of organising teaching/training programmes; Formal training in teaching skills

Research

• Essential: Knowledge and interest in appropriate current research methods in paediatrics
• Desirable: Research experience and/or publications

Skills and Qualities

• Essential: Ability to communicate clearly; To be able to work effectively in a team; Leadership skills; Committed to work within Trust policies; Committed to CME as laid down by the RCPCH; Committed to own professional development and be responsible for own revalidation; Demonstrable skills in written and spoken English adequate for effective communication about medical topics (e.g. PLAB 1 or PLAB 2, or evidence of adequate communication skills)
• Desirable: Willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities; Computer skills; Ability to travel to rural locations

Appraisal

• Essential: To understand the aim and need for appraisal
• Desirable: To have training and experience in appraisal systems

Clinical Governance

• Essential: To have a broad understanding of all elements of, and a commitment to the principles of Audit & Clinical Governance

Standards

• Essential: To have a thorough knowledge and demonstrable understanding of "Good Medical Practice" from the GMC

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship
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.

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 on the UK Government website for criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see the NHS Careers website.

Employer details
Employer name: West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust
Address: St Helen's House, 571 Foxhall Road, IPSWICH, IP3 8LX, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.wsh.nhs.uk

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Consultant Community Paediatrician, Dr Ankit Mathur, ankit.mathur@wsh.nhs.uk

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