Consultant Stroke

Job overview

The Wolverhampton Stroke Service was established in 1995.

Our Stroke service provides Hyperacute and Acute Care for the combined populations of Wolverhampton, Walsall and South Staffordshire which has a combined population of around 600000 people.

Our Stroke service is housed in a purpose built 39 bedded ward with an integrated TIA clinic directly adjacent to the ward.

We have around 1200 confirmed Stroke admissions each year.

We provide a 24/7 Stroke thrombolysis service and have a 24/7 Stroke thrombectomy pathway to UHNM Hospital in Stoke on Trent.

We currently have 8.0 WTE Stroke Consultants in post.

The advertised post is to replace a locum consultant post with a substantive post to maintain 8 WTE Stroke consultants in total.

All work duties for the successful candidate are within the Stroke directorate. There is no general medical on call commitment with this post.

Hyperacute Service

All suspected Stroke patients to our emergency department (ED) are reviewed by our Stroke specialist nurse 24 hours a day. The Stroke specialist nurse team are an independent team who will triage all Stroke clinical referrals. Our Stroke specialist nurses are currently using Pre – Hospital video triage with the West Midlands Ambulance service as part of a national pilot.

Main duties of the job

1. To act as a Consultant Physician providing, with colleasafe and effective 7 day Hyper-acute and acute stroke service and a daily TIA service

2.           To work with rehabilitation and community services to ensure timely and safe transfer of care

3.           To contribute to audit, the Stroke Data-base and performance review to ensure the service continues to meet the requirements of the National Stroke Strategy, Regional Stroke Specification and SSNAP

4.           To contribute to stroke service teaching and training

5.           To contribute to under-graduate teaching.

6.          To provide medical input as required to the Early Supported Discharge Team and Community Stroke Coordinators (this is usually provided by the Consultant  supporting Stroke Rehabilitation beds as part of the rotation across the pathway)

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Ward

39 bedded ward with 12 HASU beds and 2 ringfenced beds for direct admission

2 ward consultants are present on the ward during the working week. Our thrombolysis consultant for the day is independent of the ward to ensure rapid front door assessment for hyperacute patients.

We have 9 junior doctors on the ward, 5 medical grade doctors and 4 physician associates. They will rotate around the ward and also support front door activities.

TIA Service

We provide 7 day TIA clinics in our purpose built TIA clinic that is directly adjacent to the Stroke ward.

TIA clinics have access to all diagnostics 7 days a week that includes Carotid Ultrasound, ECG and blood investigations.

We have same day access to 4 dedicated daily MRI TIA slots during weekdays.

We have rapid access to outpatient CTAs and have a very efficient pathway with the Vascular service for rapid carotid endartectomy intervention if that is required.

Rehabilitation and Community Stroke Services

Patients admitted to our Stroke service have access to 3 dedicated rehabilitation units dependent on their served council area.

Wolverhampton patients access Stroke rehabilitation at West Park Rehabilitation Hospital. The Stroke Rehabilitation Unit is 22 bedded ward and supported by stroke specific therapists as well as dedicated Consultants in Rehabilitation Medicine.

Inpatient rehabilitation for Staffordshire patients is provided by Fairoak Ward at Cannock Chase Hospital which is also part of the Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals Trust.

Walsall residents are transferred back to Hollybank house which is a community facility for rehabilitation that includes Stroke rehabilitation. The unit is supported by a Stroke consultant from Walsall Manor Hospital.

Early Supported Discharge (ESD) is provided by the Community Rehabilitation Team which incorporates stroke specific therapists along with generic rehabilitation assistants and is provided for the 3 regions of Wolverhampton, South Staffordshire and Walsall.

Over 40% of our patients receive ESD on discharge.