FACULTY OF MEDICINE, IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
IMPERIAL COLLEGE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST
Chair in Paediatric Allergy
1. THE POST:
Title of Post: Chair in Paediatric Allergy
School/Institute/Department: Medicine
Main site of activity: St Mary’s Campus
Honorary Contract with: Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Associated with: Women and Children’s Division
Responsible to: Professor Andrew Bush
Contract: Full time, open-ended
1.1 Background to the Post
We are seeking to appoint a clinician scientist with a strong track record of research excellence in Paediatric Allergy to lead, extend and enhance the existing academic and clinical paediatric activity at Imperial College and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
2. Department of Medicine
2.1 An Overview
The Department of Medicine, led by Professor Martin Wilkins, is sub-divided into five Divisions: Experimental Medicine; Immunology and Inflammation; Infectious Diseases; Brain Sciences; and Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism with particular strengths in infection, immunity and inflammation, genetics and clinical investigation. There is a broad spectrum of research “from the bench to the bedside” with a particular emphasis on the application of modern scientific techniques to questions relevant to understanding the pathogenesis of disease and developing new approaches to treatment.
Within the Department there are over 900 members of staff, based on six campuses. The Department has an annual research spend of £60m and currently trains around 400 PhD students.
2.2 Division of Infectious Diseases
The Division of Infectious Disease is headed by Professor Charles Bangham and is sub-divided into four sections: Virology, Infectious Diseases and Immunity, Microbiology and Paediatrics. There is a broad spectrum of research, “from the bench to the bedside”, with a particular emphasis on the application of modern scientific techniques to questions relevant to understanding the pathogenesis of disease and developing new approaches to treatment.
The Division is responsible for teaching a substantial part of the undergraduate and clinical curriculum to medical students. It also has an extensive programme of postgraduate teaching, comprising taught courses, short courses and supervised higher degree students. The successful applicant will be expected to participate fully in the teaching activities of the Division.
Within the Division there are currently 353 members of staff and over 100 research students, based on five campuses. A number of the Sections are based on more than one campus. The Division has around 380 research grants with a total value of around £60m, giving an annual turnover of around £20m in 2012/13.
2.3 Paediatrics
The Section of Paediatrics spans three campuses of the Faculty of Medicine. The largest grouping is on the St Mary’s Campus, where research is focused on paediatric allergy, respirology, infectious diseases, and intensive care – particularly severe sepsis, bacterial meningitis and HIV infection. At the Chelsea and Westminster Campus the focus is on neonatology.
The existing academic staff are:
St Mary’s
Professor Andrew Bush Head of Section
Professor Beate Kampmann Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity (clinical)
Professor Simon Kroll Professor of Paediatrics and Molecular Infectious Diseases (clinical)
Professor Paul Langford Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases
Professor Mike Levin Professor of Paediatrics and International Child Health (clinical)
Professor Kathryn Maitland Professor of Tropical Paediatric Infectious Disease (clinical)
Professor John Warner Professor of Paediatrics and Paediatric Allergy/Respirology (clinical)
Professor Thomas Williams Professor of Haemoglobinopathy Research (clinical)
Dr Parviz Habibi Reader in Paediatric Intensive Care and Respiratory Medicine (clinical)
Dr Gareth Tudor-Williams Reader in Paediatric Infectious Diseases (clinical)
Dr Jill Warner Reader in Allergy and Immunology
Dr Bob Boyle Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Allergy (clinical)
Dr Aubrey Cunnington Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Disease (clinical)
Dr Paul Turner Senior Lecturer in Paediatric Allergy (clinical)
Dr Sandra Newton Lecturer in International Child Health and Tuberculosis Research
Dr Jethro Herberg Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases (clinical)
Dr James Seddon Lecturer (clinical)
Chelsea and Westminster
Professor Neena Modi Professor of Neonatal Medicine (clinical)
Northwick Park and St Mary’s
Dr Mitch Blair Reader in Paediatrics and Child Public Health (clinical)
Hammersmith
Dr Sudhin Thayill Weston Reader in Neonatology (clinical)
3. The Post
This appointment is being made by Imperial College Faculty of Medicine in association with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
This appointment is key to maintaining and further developing academic paediatric medicine within Imperial College. The post is intended to provide academic input in the area of paediatric allergy, strengthening the activity in this area within the NHS, and to link this with the basic science based in the Wright Fleming Institute on the St Mary’s Campus.
The appointee will have an Honorary Consultant Contract in Paediatric Allergy with Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, will be expected to be clinically active in Paediatrics and to contribute to the arrangement of the paediatric allergy ambulatory service. In addition, he/she will have a key role as a leading figure in research and contribute to the education activities within the Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London.
3.1 Provide High Quality Care to Patients in Clinical Programme Group 5 (Women’s and Children’s)
· The post holder must be medically qualified and maintain GMC specialist registration.
· To develop and maintain the competencies required to carry out the duties required of the post.
· To ensure prompt attendance at agreed direct clinical care Programmed Activities.
· To ensure patients are involved in decisions about their care and to respond to their views.
The care of in-patients will be undertaken in conjunction with fellow Consultants in the associated hospitals.
3.2 Research
The clinical base is in the QEQM block at St Mary’s Hospital, where a dedicated paediatric clinical research unit has been constructed adjacent to the paediatric wards. The post holder will also be expected to collaborate with colleagues in the National Health and Lung Institute Allergy and Clinical Immunology Section.
The post holder will be expected:
· To develop a broad range of Paediatric Allergy research within the Department of Medicine
· To run a research area with scientists, clinicians, technicians and students at the highest scientifically rigorous levels.
· To successfully obtain funds and research grants for research and provide encouragement and guidance to junior research staff to do the same.
· To manage research projects.
· To write reports for submission to research sponsors and to take part in Audit.
· To publish research papers in high quality peer reviewed journals.
· To attend and present work at international conferences.
· To develop contacts with other research organisations.
· To collaborate with and strengthen links with colleagues within the Faculty of Medicine across all SIDs and contribute to the work of the Faculty and College.
· To collaborate with academic and clinical colleagues to enhance the NHS Trust’s translational research portfolio, at all times meeting the full requirements of Research Governance.
· It is expected that the post holder will devote the equivalent of a minimum of 7 programmed activities per week to these activities.
3.3 Teaching and Training
· To contribute towards the teaching and assessment of students at all levels – undergraduate, masters and higher research degrees – through lectures, seminars, tutorials, course work, clinical training and personal supervision, as permitted by the terms and conditions of the Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist award.
· To plan and review own approach to teaching.
· To act as a coach and role model through excellent practice and mentoring colleagues.
· To undertake the supervision of MD and PhD candidates.
· To provide pastoral support for students.
· To train junior medical and nursing staff in the clinical setting.
· To contribute to curriculum development.
· To contribute to the development of teaching and teaching methods and assessment.
· To contribute to the enhancement of quality teaching within the field.
· To contribute to postgraduate medical education with the Graduate School of Life Sciences and Medicine.
· To provide high quality teaching to medical undergraduates and members of other health care professions as required by the Head of Department and Deputy Head of Department (Teaching) in the Department of Medicine, and the Clinical Director and Head of Education in CPG 5.
· To act as educational supervisor and appraiser as delegated by the CPG Director/Clinical Director to ensure external accreditation of training post.
· To act as external examiner for postgraduate students.
· To work with national bodies on curriculum development and quality assurance.
3.4 Staff Management
· To take responsibility for the appointment, management and development of College staff, in line with College policy and procedure.
· To undertake the Performance Review and Development Plan annually for all College staff managed.
· To work with colleagues to ensure Junior doctors’ hours are compliant in line with EWTD and New Deal.
· To ensure that adequate systems and procedures are in place to control and monitor leave for junior medical staff and to ensure that there is appropriate cover within the clinical areas, including on-call commitments.
· To participate in the recruitment of junior medical staff as delegated by the CPG Director/Clinical Director.
· To participate in team objective setting as part of the annual job planning cycle.
· To be responsible for the annual appraisal of academic/research staff for whom the post holder is responsible as delegated by the Head of School/Institute/Department, all doctors in training, Trust doctors and non-consultant grades as delegated by the CPG Director/Clinical Director/General Manager.
3.5 Clinical Performance Management
To work with medical, nursing and managerial colleagues to ensure high performance in the following areas:
§ Clinical efficiency e.g. LOS reductions, reducing cancelled operations and DNA rates.
§ Quality of outcomes e.g. infection control targets, reducing re-admission rates
§ Financial management e.g. identification, implementation and achievement of cost improvement programmes and participating in efforts to ensure services are provided cost effectively e.g. managing locum agency spend, monitoring and managing the drug budget to target, ensuring accuracy of clinical data for the team
§ Operational efficiency e.g. day-case rates, waiting list activity and demand management.
3.6 Clinical Governance
· To review clinical outcomes in designated area using external benchmarking data where appropriate, to identify and advise variances to the CPG Director/Clinical Director.
· Participate in clinical audit, incident reporting and analysis and to ensure resulting actions are implemented.
· To work closely with the Directorate, Patient and Public Involvement panels in relation to clinical and service developments as delegated by the CPG Director/Clinical Director.
· Participate in ensuring NICE requirements are reviewed and implemented and monitored in the speciality areas.
· To ensure clinical guidelines and protocols are adhered to by junior medical staff and updated on a regular basis.
· To keep fully informed about best practice in the speciality areas and ensure implications for practice changes are discussed with the CPG Director/ Clinical Director.
· To role model good practice for infection control to all members of the multidisciplinary team.
· The post holder will be required to maintain a programme of continuous professional development and revalidation of registration as required by external agencies an also to comply with the NHS Trusts’ clinical governance procedures. The NHS Trusts have clinical governance structures to deal with Clinical Risk Management, Clinical Effectiveness and Clinical Service Development.
· The post holder will be required to participate in regular clinical audit meetings, both departmental and across the NHS Trust, including mortality meetings and participation in Grand Rounds.
3.7 Strategy and Business Planning
· To participate in the business planning and objective setting process for the Academic Department, Clinical Programme Group and NHS Trust where appropriate.
· To make a significant contribution to building and establishing links between the appropriate research sections of the Department and colleagues in other parts of the Faculty and wider College.
· To play an active part in the strategic planning of financial, staff and research resources.
· To represent the Department, Faculty and College at external meetings, as appropriate.
· To represent the NHS Trust at appropriate clinical networks/other external clinical meetings, as delegated by the CPG Director/Clinical Director.
3.8 Leadership and Team Working
· To demonstrate excellent leadership skills with regard to individual performance, academic teams, the Department, Faculty, College, clinical teams, the NHS Trust and when participating in national/international initiatives.
· To work collaboratively with all members of the multi-disciplinary team and Imperial College as required.
· To chair regular meetings for the specialties.
· To resolve conflict and difficult situations through negotiation and discussion, involving appropriate parties.
· To adhere to College/NHS Trust guidelines on leave including reporting absence.
3.9 Management and Administrative duties
· To play an active part in the management of financial, staff and research resources, in line with College policy and procedure.
· To undertake any other appropriate administrative duties, as required.
4. Appraisal and Performance Review Systems
Clinical staff
A system of joint Academic/NHS Appraisal is in place for all Consultant Clinical Academic staff of Imperial College London with honorary contracts at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. This is conducted on an annual basis in conjunction with a review of the post holder’s job plan. The job plan will be a prospective agreement that sets out the duties, responsibilities and objectives for the coming year. It should cover all aspects of a Consultant’s professional practice including clinical work, teaching, research, education and managerial responsibilities. It should provide a clear schedule of commitments, both internal and external. In addition, it should include personal objectives, including details of their link to wider service objectives, and details of the support required by the Consultant to fulfil the job plan and objectives.
5. Job Plan
A formal job plan will be agreed annually between the post holder, the Head of Department and CPG Director, on behalf of the Medical Director. The example given below is not designed to be exhaustive.
The post holder, the Head of Department and the CPG Director/ Chief of Service will review the job plan annually in line with the provisions of the Terms and Conditions of employment. Either may propose amendment of the job plan.