Job overview

The Birmingham Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation Trust is seeking to recruit experienced cardiac surgeons to join the middle-grade cardiac surgery team on fixed term contracts, with posts available for 12 months.

Candidates with more than 1 year experience in cardiac surgery will be considered, with a preference for candidates with previous experience in a paediatric cardiac unit. The applicant will join the existing team of cardiac surgical middle grade staff at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, working on a 1:4 on-call rota. Posts are available to start in April 2026, August 2026, and later if necessary.

Applicants must possess GMC registration and Licence to Practice, or have acquired the requisite scores in the IELTS or OET to be eligible for GMC registration. The position is not recognised for training. Applicants from outside the UK not in possession of the requisite IELTS certificate to prove proficiency in English will not be shortlisted.

Main duties of the job

The cardiac surgical fellow at Birmingham Children’s Hospital is a member of a team of middle-grade surgeons within the Department of Cardiac Surgery.

Within this team, the cardiac surgical fellow supports the clinical activity of the unit by assisting in the operating theatre, taking responsibility for the care of post-operative surgical patients on the cardiac ICU, providing resident and non-resident surgical cover, and with minor administrative duties.

These duties are combined with an active teaching programme, opportunities to participate in research and audit projects, present cases and papers, and learn from wet-labs and morphology sessions.

The Surgical Fellow will share the responsibilities within the team with 3 other fellows/trainees, a staff-grade surgeon, and two surgical care practitioners. 

This is a consultant-led service, with support from consultants for all procedures and decision making, and easy access to senior surgeons both on the ICU and in the operating theatre.

There is no junior grade of trainee in paediatric cardiac surgery. Although ward care of patients is the responsibility of cardiologists, the surgical fellow will be available for advice and support on the wards when called upon.

Working for our organisation

Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust is the first of its type in the UK. Our Trust was formed in February 2017 to drive forward our commitment to provide the highest quality, world-class physical and mental health care for our women, children and families. Uniting our hospitals means more seamless care; more investment to make greater advances in our specialist treatment and world-leading neo-natal and fetal work. Importantly, it also gives us a greater voice in shaping the future of family-centred care.

Birmingham Children's Hospital is a UK leading specialist paediatric centre with an international reputation in several areas.

Birmingham Women's Hospital is one of two dedicated women's hospitals in the UK, with the busiest single site maternity unit, delivering more than 8,200 babies a year offering a full range of gynaecological, maternity and neonatal care.

Forward Thinking Birmingham (FTB) Mental Health Services are a unique, innovative community and inpatient mental health partnership. Alongside partners FTB offers care pathways of mental health assessment and treatment for young people aged 0-25 years old.

Our Trust is committed to creating the best place to work. We believe in promoting and enhancing inclusion, diversity and equality and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, race, religion or sexual orientation.