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.

Queen Alexandra Hospital started life more than a century ago as a military hospital. Today it is one of the largest, most modern hospitals on the south coast, with 1,200 beds housed in light, bright, infection resistant, en-suite wards. With a turnover of close to £600m, we provide comprehensive secondary care and specialist services to a local population of 675,000 people across South East Hampshire. We also offer some tertiary services to a wider catchment in excess of two million people. The Trust employs over 7,300 staff and is the largest employer in Portsmouth.

Our Trust Vision is Working Together to drive excellence in care for our patients and communities.

We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated colleagues to join our subspecialist Head and Neck and Neuroradiology team. Major interests can be in Head and Neck imaging, diagnostic neuroradiology or both areas.

You will be expected to contribute towards the general radiology workload and the general on call rota (on a 1 in 14 basis), as well as audit, teaching of registrars on our local training scheme, research and MDT meetings. This is an excellent opportunity for a new CCT holder to commence consultant practice in a supportive environment, or for an experienced radiologist to further develop their career in a busy unit.

Being such a large hospital has allowed us to develop high quality sub specialty radiology services. We continue to build a reputation for innovation and excellence, consistently delivering outstanding performance, whilst developing the skills and abilities of our staff. The Trust has committed to expanding radiology services (currently 35 WTE consultants and 1 WTE Nuclear Medicine physician) with additional posts. The trust is also supportive of home reporting with many consultants having regular home reporting sessions, allowing for flexible working patterns and a good work life balance.

These posts will be based at The Queen Alexandra Hospital, a Head and Neck cancer centre, and will support an increased demand for imaging from the head and neck cancer, ENT, audiovestibular, maxillofacial and ophthalmology teams. In addition, the Queen Alexandra Hospital is a major hyper acute stroke centre with the highest stroke admission rate in the region. There are well developed links to the Wessex Neuro Centre in Southampton with provides tertiary neurosurgical and Interventional neuroradiology services (including Mechanical Thrombectomy). The existing radiology team provide a comprehensive Head and Neck imaging service and Neuroradiology cross sectional imaging for our patients and have developed more advanced diagnostic stroke imaging techniques such as perfusion imaging locally in recent years.

The department is well equipped with 1 Siemens multislice and 3 Canon CT scanners, 3 MRI scanners (GE 3T and 1.5T MRI scanners and a Siemens 1.5T MRI scanner). There are comprehensively equipped ultrasound, nuclear medicine and digital fluoroscopy rooms together with and two dedicated interventional radiology rooms all based at the Queen Alexandra Hospital. We were also recently awarded funding to develop a community diagnostic hub as part of the wider Wessex Diagnostic Imaging Network. In November 2024 the Queen Alexandra Hospital will open a new Emergency Department equipped with 3 X-Ray rooms and 2 Canon multislice CT Scanners.

The department operates with Sectra PACS and an HSS CRIS and is part of the SWASH consortium. Dragon voice recognition dictation is used throughout the department. 

Portsmouth runs its own radiology training programme with 15 specialist registrars who provide on call services. There are ample teaching and training opportunities for candidates with an interest in teaching.

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.

Applicants should hold FRCR or equivalent and entry on the GMC specialist registrar via CCT (proposed CCT date must be within 6 months of interview), CESR or European Community Rights. 

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the Radiology department at Queen Alexandra Hospital by arrangement with Robert Bunting via email [email protected]

Please telephone Miss Kay Taylor, secretary. Tel:  02392 286000 ext. 5302 or email [email protected]

Key Responsibilities:

• Participate fully in the provision of Head and Neck (and diagnostic Neuroradiology/Stroke imaging), in collaboration with the 5 (4.79 WTE) existing Consultants in the team. Colleagues will be encouraged to support the ethos of service redesign with flexible working, role extension and mentoring of junior and paramedical colleagues.
• General work 
  • Acute in-patient cross-sectional imaging 
  • On-call service. Max 1:9, currently 1:17 supported by local trainees until 2200hrs
  • Outsourced CT 2200hrs to 0900hrs
  • Weekend on call working is in and working for between 8-10 hrs, compensated with time in lieu (time and a half). This can be taken within three months of the on-call date.  
• Provide training for the Portsmouth Radiology Training Scheme Specialty Trainees and other Southampton based rotating Wessex SPRs.
• Share with colleagues in the training, supervision and support of Radiographers and Ultrasonographers, including skill mix training. 
• 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, home reporting etc.) Extra DDC PAs may be available following consultation with the Clinical Director, depending on departmental and personal requirements. Applicants interested in part time working are also welcome.

Head and Neck imaging and clinical teams.

This replacement post is to join our team of 5 (4.79 WTE) radiologists. Team members each currently provide a mix of Head and Neck and diagnostic Neuroradiology provision but there is flexibility to specialise in one or other area. The team work flexibly to provide 52 week cover for subspecialty imaging services, X-ray and MDT meetings and contribute to the general and emergency work of the department, giving a varied and interesting practice.

The imaging team has excellent relationship with the various Head and Neck teams including ENT, audiovestibular, maxillofacial and ophthalmology teams. The existing radiology team provide a comprehensive Head and Neck imaging service including ultrasound and FNA and ultrasound guided core biopsy lists, CT and CT guided biopsy, MRI, sialography and sialographic intervention, barium swallows including video swallows with speech therapy support. There are weekly Neck lump and thyroid one stop clinics.  PHU is a busy head and neck cancer centre with weekly head and Neck cancer MDT meeting and twice monthly thyroid cancer MDT meetings.

Additional Department Information

Job Description

Job Plan

Interview date: to be confirmed

Essential

• Full GMC Registration with a licence 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. 
• Subspecialty experience in Head and Neck imaging

Desirable

• Management course or experience.
• Fellowship level training in Head and Neck imaging

Clinical Experience

Essential

• Higher subspecialty training in Head and Neck imaging in a recognised cancer centre (min of 6 months) including demonstrable, significant and ongoing experience in Ultrasound, CT and MRI imaging of head and neck
• General Diagnostic Radiology skills to support local requirements for acute general radiology service weekday time and on call/ in and working at weekend.
• Understanding of clinical risk management.

Desirable

• Fellowship level training in Head and Neck imaging 
• Training and experience in teaching of medical, radiographic and nursing staff.

Skills

Essential

• Professional skills of high standard in Clinical Radiology.
• Demonstrable basic management skills.
• Excellent time management.
• Computer literacy.

Desirable

• Appropriate and relevant publications in peer reviewed journals; presentations at national or international meetings.
• Evidence of clinical research training and significant involvement in research projects.
• Advanced computer skills.
• Knowledge of the principles of service redesign.

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 speciality

Other

• Evidence of participation in audit
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Publications
• Prizes and honours
• Logical thinking, problem solving and decision making
• Demonstrable experience and ability in teaching, both formally and informally
• Multidisciplinary team working

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.