Job summary
- Main area
- Anaesthetics
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 10 sessions per week
- Job ref
- 210-2025-377
- Employer
- Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Countess of Chester hospital
- Town
- Chester
- Salary
- £105,504 - £139,882 pa
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 28/07/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Consultant in Intensive Care Medicine & Anaesthesia
NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, staff pride themselves on not only leading through clinical excellence, but also by creating an environment where all staff are valued and appreciated. To achieve this, the Trust has embarked on an exciting new strategy focused on continuous improvement.
Our vision is to improve the lives of our community and provide excellence in healthcare, through partnership and innovation
Our High Performance Culture will support everyone to be the best version of themselves by being true to our Trust vision, values and behaviours.
We welcome applications from colleagues from our local and neighbouring communities of all backgrounds and identities, who are currently under-represented within our region such as Black, Asian, Minority ethnic and those with disabilities.
As a region we are reviewing the way we work, and exploring how new working practices that support flexible working can create a positive work-life balance. As part of our recruitment process we will explore how our inclusive employment policies, flexible working, staff engagement forums, Trust facilities and services can be of mutual benefit.
Job overview
Working Full time : 10 sessions per week
The department is seeking to appoint a consultant intensivist, with sessions in anaesthesia. The candidate will integrate into the team of existing consultants to provide a complete intensive care service, including the equivalent of a full-time commitment to ICU hot weeks, ICU on call and weekend cover.
This post has arisen from a vacancy in the Department of Anaesthesia & Intensive Care. It will add resilience to ICU consultant staffing and support an appropriate ratio of consultants to patients as described in GPICS guidelines.
The job plan can be adapted to accommodate a single specialty ICM candidate.
The Intensive Care Unit consists of 21 single rooms, each of which can be used for either level two or three care. Fifteen beds are commissioned on a flexible level 2/3 basis, funded as seven level three and eight level two beds. The additional rooms allow for future expansion, provide surge capacity and allow the ICU team to work flexibly to accommodate patients while maintaining staff patient ratios. The unit supports the tertiary South Mersey Arterial hub’s activity.
The successful candidate could be a single-CCT intensivist or hold CCTs in both ICM and anaesthesia or another specialty such as emergency medicine. It is also open to those who are within six months of attaining CCT.
Main duties of the job
The successful post holder will be responsible for providing intensive care cover along with the other intensivists. Currently all the Intensivists are also anaesthetists who provide elective and emergency anaesthesia care when not on their intensive care hot weeks or on the ICU. The on-call commitment will be 1:11 (including this post) to cover the intensive care on call rota. The weekend on-call commitment will be 1:11 for long days and overnight on call. There are additional short-day weekends (so that there are two intensivists for the morning ward rounds) making the overall weekend commitment 1 in 7.5 or approximately 7 each year.
Irrespective of other commitments, the post holder will contribute fully to the ICU on call, daytime and weekend ICU consultant cover. If the candidate undertakes anaesthesia (in a consultant or non-consultant capacity), they will work a 10 PA contract with core 1.5 SPA included to meet the needs for appraisal and revalidation.
Working for our organisation
The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides services to West Cheshire and to Welsh patients covered by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. The Trust works collaboratively within the wider Cheshire and Merseyside Health and Care Partnership. Its services are provided from three locations:
- The Countess of Chester Hospital: providing 438 general and acute beds
- Ellesmere Port Hospital: providing 56 beds as a rehabilitation, intermediate and outpatient facility
- Tarporley War Memorial Hospital: a base for community services which serve the local rural population.
The Trust employs over 5916 staff (headcount) which includes temporary bank staff and provides acute emergency and elective services, primary care direct access services and obstetric services to a population of approximately 411,000. This includes 361,000 residents in Chester and West Cheshire which includes Ellesmere Port and Neston as well as the Deeside area of Flintshire which has a population of approximately 50,000.
The Trust is a busy district general hospital and in 2022/2023, there were more than 503,342 patient attendances (inpatient, outpatient and diagnostic) ranging from a simple outpatient appointment to major cancer surgery. This is an increase of nearly 10,000 compared to the previous year when there were 494,387 patient attendances.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
See Job Description for further details.
Recruitment selection processes are based on competence (see Person specification) and values.
Please note applicants will be required to pay for their DBS check. Costs will be deducted from their salary over the first three months of employment.
You are encouraged to enrol for the DBS Update Service. A small annual fee of £16 per year applies.
New entrants to the NHS will commence on the minimum of the scale stated above.
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Good luck with your application.
Person specification
Qualifications & Skills
Essential criteria
- Full registration with the GMC with licence to practise
- FFICM or equivalent Diploma
- CCT (or equivalent) with entry on Specialist Register for Intensive Care or within six months of anticipated CCT on the date of interview
- If proposing to undertake consultant-level anaesthesia sessions: FRCA or equivalent Diploma. CCT (or equivalent) with entry on Specialist Register for Anaesthesia or within six months of anticipated CCT on the date of interview.
- Minimum of 7 years’ experience in ICM and anaesthesia/emergency medicine/acute medicine
- Minimum of 1 year worked within NHS
Desirable criteria
- Additional degree or post-graduate qualification (MRCP, MD etc)
Clinical Experience and Effectiveness
Essential criteria
- Smooth progression through training consistent with personal circumstances
- Evidence of ALS competencies.
Desirable criteria
- APLS, ATLS or ETC
Teaching & Training Experience
Essential criteria
- Evidence of achieving GMC standards to be recognised as a clinical supervisor
- Active regular participation in teaching and training of medical and para-medical colleagues
Desirable criteria
- Extensive / formal experience in medical education including regional teaching.
- Formal Educational Qualification
- Life support course instructor
Clinical governance/ management
Essential criteria
- Active consistent engagement with clinical audit
- Regular commitment to continuing medical education
- Evidence of reflective practice
- Good understanding of NHS management structures
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of implementing change to improve patient care
- Evidence of leadership in anaesthesia/critical care
- Evidence of involvement in clinical research
- Presentations at regional and national meetings
- Publications in peer reviewed journal
Personal Attributes
Essential criteria
- Evidence of: Good organisational skills, Commitment to team working, Leadership qualities, Good interpersonal skills, Excellent written and spoken English, Industry and enthusiasm, Flexibility in a changing work environment, Caring and responsible attitude to colleagues
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of: Potential for wider hospital leadership roles.
Other Requirements
Essential criteria
- To live within 10 miles of the Trust (unless negotiated otherwise)
Desirable criteria
- Member of a medical indemnity organisation
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Eoin Young
- Job title
- ICU Clinical Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01244365461
- Additional information
For informal discussion about this post please contact the consultant as detailed above.
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