Locum Consultant with Hospital and Home Team (HAHT)

Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a consultant for Hospital @ Home and Acute Medicine services at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust.

This new role has been created following the integration of Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) services, Hospital at Home and community partners to provide the local population with an integrated care pathway.

Successful implementation of SDEC in the new “SDEC Village” alongside the Frailty Assessment Unit and H@H ensures that timely care is delivered whilst avoiding unnecessary admission, reducing duplication and ensuring that sickest patients are prioritised.

Main duties of the job

This is a 10PA job (with option of participation in medical on call (1 in 16 )). This post in initially for 1 year with a plan to progress to a permanent post. It is envisaged that this post will evolve to attract more consultant colleagues to support Virtual ward and existing SDEC in the trust.

You will join the lead consultant on the “hot week rota”, providing four weeks in five cover for H@H and will be responsible for coordinating the care of the patients on the Hospital @ Home pathway. You will work with your team of experienced Nurses, Therapists, Pharmacist and Other allied health professionals to provide step up and step down care.

The aim of SDEC @ Home and virtual wards is to achieve a reduction of avoidable hospital admissions and to facilitate earlier, safe discharge of patients from the acute services.

You will work closely with the Acute Medicine colleagues and colleagues in the Frailty Assessment Unit. There will be flexibility in working pattern with the Acute Medical team.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Duties and responsibilities of the post will be;

• Clinical and administrative responsibility for patients in H@H & SDEC.
• Early and appropriate clinical decision making for emergency admissions
• Supervision of admissions into H@H and Virtual ward
• Promoting flow through from the Emergency Department and Step down from wards.
• Supervision and training of junior medical staff and allied health professionals working in the units.
• Ensuring that resuscitation and end of life care issues are appropriately and sensitively managed.
• Development of pathways in conjunction with the team
• Delivery of clinical audits and quality improvement relevant to the needs of the department.
• There will be an opportunity to participate on the GIM on call rota for the post holder