Foot & Ankle Fellow Trauma and Orthopaedics

Applicants are invited for the post of the Leicester Foot and Ankle Fellowship commencing 2nd August 2023 for a period of 12 months.

The Leicester Foot and Ankle Fellowship is specifically designed for a senior trainee [post-FRCS (orth)] who has planned for a career in Foot and Ankle surgery. The fellowship is a multi-consultant fellowship There will also be opportunity to be involved in trauma surgery.

This post does not attract an NTN and is aimed at speciality registrars who have neared completion of their training and want a fellowship experience in Foot and Ankle surgery

The main duties of the post will be to be part of a team providing a surgical service for foot and ankle surgery to the local community. It is expected that the post holder will be competent in straightforward common procedures involving the foot and ankle and in other basic lower limb surgery. The posts offer additional training in complex hindfoot, midfoot and forefoot reconstruction as well as arthroscopic procedures around the ankle.

The post holder will work under direct Consultant supervision for 50% of the working week. For the remainder of the week the postholder will be expected to see patients independently in clinic and utilise available operating space to undertake routine foot and ankle procedures.

It is expected that the postholder will assist the mentoring consultant in the teaching of orthopaedic trainees, the more junior members of the medical team and undergraduate medical students. The post-holder will be expected to contribute to the delivery of the foot and ankle component (half a day) of our plenary teaching program held six times per year, they are also encouraged if possible to deliver foot and ankle anatomy teaching (half a day) on the same program which takes place in the dissection room.

We are one of the biggest and busiest NHS trusts in the country, incorporating the General, Glenfield and Royal Infirmary hospitals. We have our very own Children’s Hospital and run one of the country’s leading heart centres.

Our team is made up of more than 17,000 staff providing a range of services primarily for the one million residents of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.

We work with partners at the University of Leicester and De Montfort University providing world-class teaching to nurture and develop the next generation of doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals, many of whom go on to spend their working lives with us.

Our purpose is to provide ‘Caring at its best’ and our staff have helped us create a set of values that embody who we are and what we’re here to do. They are:

- We focus on what matters most
- We treat others how we would like to be treated
- We are passionate and creative in our work
- We do what we say we are going to do
- We are one team and we are best when we work together

Our patients are at the heart of all we do and we believe that ‘Caring at its best’ is not just about the treatments and services we provide, but about giving our patients the best possible experience.

It is expected that on average there will be two lists per week to receive training in complex surgery as detailed above. Opportunity to attend lists delivered by other foot and ankle Consultants will be available and it is expected that as the post-holder becomes more experienced they will undertake independent operating through backfill sessions.

It is expected that the post holder will undertake one independent clinic a week and one clinic with the mentoring consultant seeing both new and follow up patients under their supervision.

It will be expected that the post holder will be responsible for daily care of patients on the ward, together with a Junior doctor under their close supervision, and deal with the administration of their practice (lists and clinics), separately from the mentoring consultant.

On average two half days will be provided for audit, research activity and continuing professional development under the guidance of the mentoring consultant.

There is an expectation that the successful applicant may undertake limited out of hours work in the department; along with all other Trust Fellows in the department. This is yet to be decided but may take the form of weekend ward rounds/cover for the elective wards at the Leicester General Hospital or support for the trauma service with operating lists.