Trust Resident Doctor

The is a full time, substantive position as Trust Resident Doctor in General Surgery. Duties include the management and care of emergency general surgery patients and of elective general surgery subspecialty patients. The initial subspecialty covered is colorectal surgery with the opportunity by mutual consent to rotate to other specialties after a minimum of 6 months. The job is based at Watford General Hospital with some work across sites in St Albans City Hospital.

You will be required to work to a 1:10 on-call duty rota, which will be produced in advance and will include prospective cover for annual leave for colleagues., The Main duties of the post will involve seeing, diagnosing, and treating General Surgical patients, referring to other clinicians or general practitioners where appropriate and theatre, including CEPOD. You will be expected to work closely with appropriate nursing, professional, technical, administrative and support staff.

You will be responsible jointly with the Registrars for ensuring high standard of care is delivered to patients. In particular, the teams should organise themselves to give safe cover on the wards at Watford General Hospital. You will be responsible for ensuring adequate clinical notes are made in accordance with good medical practice. You may, on occasion, be asked to assist in the teaching of medical students., VALUES: The post holder will uphold and display Trust values., Junior doctors are required to perform duties over and above their contracted hours in occasional emergencies and in unforeseen circumstances, at the request of the Clinical Director of the service.

It has been agreed with the profession and the Department of Health that these additional commitments are exceptional and juniors should not be required to undertake work of this kind for a prolonged period or on a regular basis. MEDICAL AND CLINICAL AUDIT: The department is fully committed to the practice of Medical and Clinical Audit and you will be expected to take part in this process. The department has a programme of continuing quality improvement, in which you may become involved.

STUDY AND TRAINING: You are encouraged to formulate clinical projects and be capable of performing and interpreting audit findings. This Trust encourages junior medical staff to study for approved postgraduate qualification, and it is therefore important that junior doctors should discuss their study leave requirements with their consultants and the clinical tutors early in their appointment. RESEARCH: The SHOs and Trust SHOs, though heavily committed to the service needs of the department, will be encouraged to pursue an appropriate research interest.

POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL CENTRE: There are very active Postgraduate Medical Centres on both hospital sites, with lecture theatres, seminar rooms and well-stocked libraries taking a number of journals. There are facilities for on-line literature searches and MEDLINE available on CD-ROM at both sites. There is a full-time administrator and librarian at both hospitals. Regular lunchtime meetings are held for local General Practitioners and hospital medical staff (weekly Grand Round) on both sites.

There is in addition a wide variety of Postgraduate training in other disciplines and the trainee will be able to attend a range of such meetings. The respective Postgraduate Medical Centres Administrators issue a full programme each term. TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICE The post holder will be indemnified by the trust for all NHS work undertaken as part of the contract of employment. It is advised however that in addition the post holder should take out adequate professional defence cover for such activities as do not fall within the scope of the Trust indemnity scheme, such as work undertaken outside the NHS, such as Good Samaritan acts.

This post is covered by the Medical and Dental Terms and Conditions of Service. The post is subject to the policies and procedures of the West Hertfordshire Hospita