Locum Paediatrician

10 PA contract worked on a 10-week cycle with one 5 day “first on consultant of the week”, one 5 day “second on consultant of the week” and 8 standard weeks of 3 working days. On calls are on a 1 in 10 rota, with a mixture of non-resident shifts and 3 resident consultant shifts in 10 weeks.

INTERVIEW - 15/3/24

First on consultant of the week starts working the Saturday on call and then provides consultant cover 9am - 5pm Monday - Friday.

Second on consultant of the week (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm)

We run a hybrid on call model with some resident consultant shifts worked alongside an SHO. Weekday on-calls commence at 4:30pm handover. Typically, midweek night shifts (Monday - Thursday) are non-resident in support of a resident ST3+ paediatrician and SHO (FY2 or GP ST1/2). Friday night is a resident consultant shift and is linked to the Sunday where the consultant is resident in the day and non-resident overnight. Saturdays are worked on a separate weekend, being non-resident during the day and resident from 9pm.

The Child Health Department is an integrated service encompassing acute and community paediatrics, community paediatric nursing and paediatric therapy including dietetics. The Child Health Department is part of the Family Services Care Group within the Trust which also includes Maternity, Gynaecology and Genito-urinary Medicine. Tertiary outreach services including Paediatric Intensive Care retrievals, visiting clinics and clinical support are provided by University Hospital Southampton (UHS).

Kingfisher Paediatric Ward has 14 beds catering for both medical and surgical inpatients up to their 18 th birthday. The paediatric assessment unit operates 8am-8pm and has 6 beds and a treatment/stabilisation room. We have a separate day surgery unit and additional facilities such as Gully’s Place for end of life care and a de-escalation room.

The Special Care Baby Unit is designated as level One and takes neonates from 32 weeks gestation. Babies born at DCH before this, and other neonates requiring intensive care are retrieved by SONET neonatal transport services to tertiary centres in Southampton or Portsmouth.

First on consultant of the week starts working the Saturday on call and then provides consultant cover 9am - 5pm Monday - Friday. Responsibilities include care of patients on Kingfisher Ward, Kingfisher Paediatric Assessment Unit, level 1 Special Care Baby Unit and support to maternity and ED.

Second on consultant of the week (Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm) responsibilities include holding the “bat phone” for acute referrals and GP advice line, triaging outpatient referrals and Advice & Guidance, Rapid Access Clinic and child protection safeguarding medical assessments.

Standard working weeks are 3 days (days worked negotiable), with 2 outpatient clinics and 1.5 SPA time. Wednesday afternoons are ringfenced for departmental education and meetings. General paediatric clinics include some community paediatric patients such as those with ADHD or Down syndrome. Consultants also run special interest clinics and we would be keen to explore this with the successful applicant.

We run a hybrid on call model with some resident consultant shifts worked alongside an SHO. Weekday on-calls commence at 4:30pm handover. Typically, midweek night shifts (Monday - Thursday) are non-resident in support of a resident ST3+ paediatrician and SHO (FY2 or GP ST1/2). Friday night is a resident consultant shift and is linked to the Sunday where the consultant is resident in the day and non-resident overnight. Saturdays are worked on a separate weekend, being non-resident during the day and resident from 9pm.