Locum Consultant Anaesthetist (interest in Obstetric Anaesthesia)

Locum Consultant Anaesthetist (interest in Obstetric Anaesthesia)

The closing date is 26 March 2026

We seek a dynamic individual with a broad range of specialist skills in anaesthesia to join our team as a Locum Consultant. This post covers maternity leave and is available from 16 July 2026 until 15 July 2027. It is aimed at adult anaesthetists with a very broad range of specialist skills, particularly those with experience in obstetric and regional anaesthesia. Sessions will be available within a flexible job plan according to the successful applicant's skill set.

The Employer offers commitments to teaching, education, research and audit alongside the challenges of the role. Candidates must be registered medical practitioners and on, or eligible to join, the Specialist Register within six months of the appointment date.

As a flexible working friendly organisation we can accommodate a flexible working arrangement if it meets the needs of the service. Please read the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Main duties of the job

To provide anaesthesia, peri operative management and pre operative assessment services to elective and emergency patients on the RVI site and, potentially, on occasion, at the Day Treatment Centre (DTC) on the Freeman site.

For an informal discussion and further information regarding the opportunity and Directorate, please contact one of the Clinical Directors:

Dr Ian Clement - ,
Dr Barry Paul - ,
Dr Sarah Metcalfe - ,
Dr Danny Morland - ,

Please read the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

About us

Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the busiest, largest and most successful teaching NHS foundation trusts in the country, with around 16,000 staff and an annual income of £1 billion. We provide high quality care, clinical excellence and innovation in medical research regionally, nationally and internationally.

We are the second largest provider of specialised services in the country, supporting people with rare and complex medical, surgical and neurological conditions, cancers and genetic disorders. Our staff oversee approximately 1.84 million patient contacts each year, delivering high standards of healthcare.

We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and recognise the benefit of an inclusive environment. All applications are welcomed regardless of race, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion or belief, age, gender identity, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, and particularly from under represented groups.

Job responsibilities Clinical

Clinical duties include elective and emergency adult theatre anaesthesia, on call, and some day time commitments in obstetric anaesthesia. Commitments in obstetric anaesthesia will involve providing obstetric anaesthesia and analgesia on the tertiary level obstetric unit, delivering a resident consultant evening session on the Delivery Suite combined with overnight on call (currently 1:8 rota).

The exact makeup of the job planned week is open for negotiation and will involve service delivery across various surgical directorates including major upper and lower GI, endocrine, breast, neurosurgery, plastic surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, maxillo facial surgery, ophthalmology, oculoplastics and dental anaesthesia. The RVI is a Major Trauma Centre; the successful candidate will manage major trauma presentations and interact with peri operative and pain services. On call for obstetric anaesthesia will be approximately 1 in 8 frequency.

Administrative

Participate in all aspects of Clinical Governance, contributing to multidisciplinary quality improvement and risk management in peri operative and critical care. Activities include ensuring compliance with national guidelines, continuous quality improvement, and attendance at multidisciplinary governance meetings. Administrative duties will involve cooperation with department heads, specialty managers and clinical directors, and potential membership of the Medical Staff Committee. Obstetric anaesthetists will contribute to maternity services governance structures, including monthly meetings, guideline drafting, incident investigation and risk management. CME will be pursued in accordance with Royal College of Anaesthetists guidelines, reviewed at annual appraisal and job planning.

Research

The Trust encourages research within the National Institute of Health Research portfolio. The Peri operative and Critical Care Directorate is an Academic Clinical Directorate, providing access to research funding. Active CLRN activity and awards for Greenshoot and Research Capability funding are available.

Teaching

Significant emphasis on undergraduate and postgraduate education. Expected to contribute to medical student education, nursing staff, allied health professionals, paramedics, armed forces personnel, and postgraduate residents. The Northern School of Anaesthesia provides a hub for post graduate education with teaching opportunities. All consultants are expected to supervise postgraduate residents and may have specific responsibility as educational supervisors under RCoA guidance. Multidisciplinary teaching, learning and simulation are key components of safety culture on the Delivery Suite.

Flexibility

Trust core value places patients at the heart of everything we do. Staff may be asked to work flexible patterns, including evening or weekend work, to meet patient needs. Any offer of employment will be subject to agreeing to a new flexible pattern or working in the future if required.

Please read the attached Job Description and Person Specification.

Person Specification Education, Qualifications and Specialist Skills

• Primary Medical Qualification.
• Full GMC Registration.
• Entry onto the GMC Specialist Register at the time of application.
• FRCA or equivalent.
• Other relevant undergraduate or postgraduate scientific or medical qualification.

Clinical Experience

• Extensive experience in all aspects of general adult anaesthesia.
• Extensive experience caring for major surgical patients, including emergency and major trauma cases.
• Ability to manage on call demands and workload, providing leadership within an on call team in a major, acute hospital.
• Higher/advanced training in obstetric anaesthesia (RCOA Stage 3 SIA equivalence) with experience of managing complex obstetric patients, including cardiac and predicted massive haemorrhage.
• Skills and experience in acute pain management and regional anaesthesia, including upper and lower limb blocks.
• Experience in peri operative medicine, pre operative assessment clinics and multidisciplinary team working.
• Experience in management of neurosurgical cases, including interventional neuroradiology.
• Experience and expertise in anaesthesia for children and adolescents.

Management and Administration Experience

• Involvement with management and project leadership within the specialty.
• Understanding of Clinical Governance.
• Evidence of having implemented change.
• Proven management and administrative experience and understanding of management goals.
• Evidence of delivering projects within multi agency teams.
• Expertise in the utilisation of medical IT applications.
• Evidence of engagement in theatre efficiency and productivity improvement work.

Teaching

• Experience supervising junior medical staff.
• Experience participating in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching.
• Postgraduate qualification in medical education.
• Evidence of broad educational interest and skill set beyond department teaching.
• Multidisciplinary teaching and simulation in the obstetric environment.

Research

• Evidence of involvement in and understanding of research methodology and publication of findings.
• Publications in the last five years.

Audit

• Evidence of participation in QI or audit.
• Evidence of having changed practice as a result of audit.
• Evidence of having revisited the audit to assess improvement.
• Presentation of QI work at regional or national level.

Personal Attributes

• Alignment with the Trust's values.
• Flexible approach to service delivery and committed approach to development.
• Committed to share in professional, managerial and teaching responsibilities necessary to fulfil the obligations of the Directorate to the Trust and its workforce.
• Commitment to personal / unit CPD.
• Ability and willingness to work the on call rota.
• Ability and willingness to work a more flexible pattern of working in the future if required, including evening and weekend work.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. A submission for Disclosure to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly CRB) will be required to check for any previous criminal convictions.

The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£109,725 to £145,478 a year per annum pro rata