The successful applicant will have duties on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and transitional care at Derriford Hospital. The service undertakes approximately 3500 Intensive Care and High Dependency Care days and in around 4500 Special / Transitional Care days per year. The service benefits from a team of 9 Consultant Neonatologists, 2 Specialty Doctors, 1 Nurse Consultant, 9 ANNPs, 6 ENNPs as well as a two-tier team of resident medical staff whose cover duties are exclusively to the neonatal service. The unit supports the nursing team to train as Qualified in Speciality (QIS) adhering to BAPM staffing guidance.
Communication
The post-holder will be an excellent communicator and will need to convey sensitive and sometimes distressing news to parents. The post-holder will form strong relationships with other members of the team and will be a supportive and reliable presence to other members of staff on the team.
Patient Care
It is anticipated that the successful candidate will have prior paediatric and neonatal experience and have been working on the tier 2 rota in the UK (ST4+ equivalent). The successful candidate will be expected to attend deliveries to lead and supervise junior colleagues and be a competent NLS provider. They will be expected to have experience in neonatal procedures including umbilical line insertion. Long lines and have intermediate -advanced airway competences (BAPM). They will be expected to lead the medical team and deliver care to extremely preterm (22+ weeks) and ventilated complex patients and support the service consultant neonatologist (not resident overnight). There will be an expectation to develop competencies in neonatal transport and contribute to the SoNAR South transport service with support from a transport consultant.
Service Development and Research
The department has an active research programme and participation is encouraged. It may be possible to be involved in part of a large study or to undertake a small research project. The fellow receives the same study leave allowance and funding as other Tier 2 doctors within the department.
Plymouth is the largest maternity unit in the Peninsula (approximately 5000 births per annum) and is designated as one of three Network Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NNICUs) for the South West Neonatal Operational Delivery Network. The unit manages all the Peninsula’s medical neonatal intensive care infants (excluding those requiring specialist surgical or cardiac care, who are transferred to Bristol or Southampton). Some 3,500 intensive/high dependency care days (HRG 1 & 2) and 2,000 special care days (HRG 3) are provided annually. The Department of Neonatal Medicine is based in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) situated on Level 5 of the Maternity Department, which is connected to the main hospital by a link corridor. The NICU currently has 14 intensive / high dependency cots, 8 special care cots and 18 transitional care cots
Clinical:
- Management and delivery of care to local and regional neonates on delivery suite, the neonatal unit and transitional care in a tier 2 capacity.
- This is a resident post as part of a 1 in 8 rota (including nights and weekends)
- Involvement in the transport of term and preterm newborn infants, including those who are critically ill, as part of the SoNAR
- Participating in clinical audit of service provision in keeping with key performances indices for neonatal services
- Development and implementation of clinical guidelines and protocols.
- Involvement in relevant quality improvement programmes
- Attend, participate and contribute to the multidisciplinary departmental training programme. Participate in ongoing research - where possible to collaborate with academic and clinical colleagues to enhance UHP’s research portfolio
- Other areas of relevant special interest will be supported eg Cardiology, NLS/ARNI instruction, simulation etc
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