Consultant Radiologist with a major interest in Musculoskeletal Radiology

Here at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, we are proud to provide expert, compassionate care for our local population. We are ranked as the third in the country for research, embedding education and training across the organisation. Our main hub is the Queen Alexandra Hospital, which is one of the largest hospitals on the south coast employing over 8,700 staff.

Our patients come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds because it makes our hospital stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for getting it right for patients, colleagues, and our community, you will find a home at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust

We are looking for an enthusiastic and motivated colleague with a specialist interest in musculoskeletal radiology to join our team of 44 consultants.  We are a dynamic and innovative department, and the applicant will be expected to provide acute and sub speciality imaging and have a strong interest in teaching. Portsmouth Hospital University NHS trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, providing acute and specialist services to a population of greater than 675,000 people.  Portsmouth is part of the East branch of the Wessex specialist registrars training scheme, providing training to 20 specialist registrars.  Portsmouth University NHS Trust is in partnership with the Isle of Wight and hosts the new Portsmouth Medical School. 

Portsmouth is a vibrant seaside port, steeped in naval history and surrounded by the beautiful South Downs National Park.  It is only 1.5 hours from London, close to two international airports and has ferry links to Europe and the Isle of Wight.  There are exceptional schools in the region with very good OFSTED reports. Opportunity for both water and land based outdoor activities is exceptional, and working in Portsmouth offers an excellent work life balance.

To discuss the role in more detail please contact;

Dr Paula McParland, Clinical Director

[email protected]

Dr Fiona Witham, Consultant Lead Musculoskeletal Radiologist, 02392 286030, [email protected]

All applicants are welcome to visit the department for a tour.

Key Responsibilities:

• Participate fully in the provision of multimodality musculoskeletal radiology services in collaboration with existing consultant team, having flexibility during colleague leave to provide the acute, onsite and other priority weekday services.
• General work 
  • • Acute in-patient cross-sectional imaging 
    • On-call service. 1 in 9 maximum (Currently 1:18) There is 0.5 hours per week in job plan for unpredictable on call.
    • Supported by local Trainees until 22:00 hrs
    • Outsourced acute CT 22:00 hrs to 09:00 hrs and MRI 17:00 – 09:00
    • Occasional emergency ultrasound 22:00 hrs to 09:00 hrs
    • Weekend on-call working is in and working for 9 hours, compensated with time in lieu (time and a half). This can be taken within three months of the on-call date.  

• Share with colleagues in the training, supervision and support of radiographers and ultra-sonographers, including skill mix training.  There are several experienced reporting radiographers independently reporting differing ranges from ED trauma appendicular X-rays to wider bony X-ray reporting who require ongoing support from the MSK radiologists in a small volume of cases. We have a musculoskeletal ultra-sonographer to help with diagnostic MSK ultrasound demand, to whose support the appointee would be expected to contribute. 
• Provide training for the Radiology Registrars from the Wessex School of Radiology who will be working in different Wessex NHS Trusts. Willingness to contribute to regional level FRCR teaching sessions.
• The job comprises 8 direct clinical care (DCC) and 2 supporting programme activities (SPA).  One of the SPA sessions can be taken off site. We are happy to support flexible working (e.g., compressed job plan, four day working etc.) Extra DDC PAs may be available following consultation with the Clinical Director, depending on departmental and personal requirements.

Musculoskeletal Services:

The Musculoskeletal team currently consists of 3.5 WTE radiologists, contributing to the Emergency, Orthopaedic, Rheumatology, Diabetic foot, Paediatric, Pain, skin cancer and soft tissue lumps MDT, and Isotope Imaging services. PHUT is an extremely busy trauma unit as part of a Trauma Network with University Hospital Southampton (UHS) being the trauma centre.  

The PHUT Orthopaedic unit has 33 Consultants approximately 26 WTE. 

16 consultants who participate in the on-call rota.

It hosts the Regional Knee Revision hub and the Revision Knee MDT for Hampshire and Wessex every other week.

It includes 4 Foot and Ankle Surgeons, 4 Hand Surgeons, 4 Shoulder Surgeons, 1.5 Young Adult Hip Surgeons, 2 Trauma Surgeons, 1 Paediatric Orthopaedic surgeon and the remainder are arthroplasty surgeons.

They run a weekly Microbiology MDT, weekly periprosthetic fracture list and are one of the busiest DGHs for trauma in the UK. 

Our National Hip Fracture Database outcomes put us consistently in the top 5 nationally in terms of our hip fracture care.

We are now taking complex trauma from the IoW, including foot & ankle, shoulders, hand and periprosthetic lower limb fractures.

There are rolling subsection orthopaedic radiology meetings currently of paediatric, and shoulder and elbow groups. Orthopaedic robotic surgery for TKR started in 2018 (the first in the NHS). There are orthopaedic research links with Portsmouth University, particularly focusing on AI in radiology.

Spinal surgery is based at University Hospitals Southampton, but radiology support is provided to a Spinal Pain MDT at PHUT of extended scope physiotherapists and a pain service anaesthetist. Community pathways for spine, upper limb and lower limb problems, are provided by extended scope physiotherapists, supported with alternate month educational radiology meetings.

Diagnostic services for sarcoma are provided locally, referring on to treatment centres and treatment MDTs of RMH, RNOH or Oxford. Due to surgical team configuration, metastatic melanoma is managed by the same, SMART MDT (Sarcoma, Melanoma and Rare Tumours). The SMART MDT currently happens once in 2 weeks, however, to meet the national cancer guidelines, the MDT is soon expected to run weekly, and a significant proportion of this MDT is for the skin cancer pathway. The appointee would be expected to provide support for the skin cancer and  the SMART MDTs along with the current consultant team.

The reporting of CT Skeletal survey for Myeloma is shared between the musculoskeletal and oncology radiology sub teams.

There are 8 rheumatology consultants each with an area of leadership, and a number of rheumatology SpRs. A new consultant is soon to be advertised. The rheumatology team are supported by a weekly clinic-radiological Rheumatology meeting and involved in a number of research trials.

Intending applicants may obtain further information and/or arrange a visit by contacting Dr Fiona Witham, on 02392 286000 Ext 6030 or via email [email protected]

Job Description

Job Plan

Qualifications

Essential

• Full GMC Registration with a license to practice
• Entry on the GMC specialist register via CCT (proposed date must be within 6 months), CESR or European Community Rights
• Fellowship of Royal College of Radiologists, or equivalent

Desirable

• Management course or experience
• Additional training in related areas (e.g. medical education, etc)
• Fellowship level training in Musculoskeletal imaging 

Clinical Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable, significant, and ongoing experience in Musculoskeletal radiology with evidence of significant subspecialist training, including competence in a broad range of ultrasound (diagnostic, injections, aspirations, and soft tissue biopsies), MRI, CT, arthrography, and radiography interpretation as applied to Trauma, Orthopaedic and Rheumatological patients and Musculoskeletal manifestations of Oncology.
• General Diagnostic Radiology skills to support local requirements for acute general radiology service weekdays daytime and on-call in and working at weekend. To support the skin cancer pathways and provide the radiology opinion at the  MDT.
• Understanding of clinical risk management.
• Experience in medical education and medical education course

Desirable

• Fellowship level training in Musculoskeletal imaging 
• Experience in spinal intervention and bone biopsy
• Experience in isotopes pertinent to musculoskeletal pathology
• Experience in paediatric areas of musculoskeletal radiology

Skills

• Professional skills of high standard in Clinical Radiology.
• Demonstrable basic management skills.
• Excellent time management.
• Knowledge of the principles of service redesign.
• Have organized significant teaching of medical students and Radiology SpRs.

Knowledge

• Able to demonstrate appropriate level of clinical knowledge
• Knowledge and use of evidence-based practice
• IT skills
• Effective, confident presentation ability
• Experience in and outside specialty

Other

• Evidence of participation in audit
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Publications
• Prizes and honours

Logical thinking, problem sol

The health and wellbeing of our staff is at the forefront of everything we do. We are proud to be able to offer our staff some fantastic benefits including our on-site Nursery, access to our free Beach Hut for those long summer days, our on-site Wellness Centre including a gym and a swimming pool, access to our fantastic staff networks including LGBTQ, Race Equality and DisAbility, and awards ceremonies to recognise your achievements. We believe we can offer support to all of our staff when they need it the most.

We welcome the unique contributions that you can bring in terms of your education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, colour, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and beliefs.