CARDIFF AND VALE NHS TRUST
TRAUMA AND ORTHOPAEDIC DIRECTORATE

CLINICAL FELLOWSHIP IN LOWER LIMB ARTHROPLASTY

The Orthopaedic and Trauma Department is based in the two Major Teaching Hospitals in the City of Cardiff, the Capital of Wales. The Cardiff Lower Limb Arthroplasty Unit serves a local population of 500,000 and provides a tertiary referral service for a population of 1.5 million.

The post is provisionally for a six month contract attached to the Cardiff Lower Limb Arthroplasty Unit in the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust, at both the University Hospital of Wales and Llandough Hospital. The successful candidate will be exposed to clinical primary and revision surgery of the hip and knee. There is a fully established Research Unit with a Research Nurse. The successful candidate will be expected to take part in ongoing research projects together with specific research.

Candidates should have ideally completed a basic Orthopaedic Registrar training programme and passed the appropriate exit examination. As the post has a clinical commitment candidates will be expected to have appropriate GMC registration and medical insurance cover.

Interested candidates should contact Mr Marci Maheson, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Mr Alun John, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon.

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The Trust - Background

The Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust was launched on 1 April 2000. All the hospitals in the Trust portfolio are situated in and around the City of Cardiff, the Capital of Wales. The Trust is regarded as a 'centre of excellence' for many clinical services. There are close links with the University of Wales College of Medicine, each have a major teaching, research and development role both nationally and internationally. The Trust serves a population of approximately five hundred thousand residents with Bro Taf Health Authority being the main commissioner. In addition it provides a number of Regional specialties and acts as a tertiary referral centre for specialist services for a population of up to 1.5 million.

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The Hospitals

Llandough Hospital

Llandough Hospital is a Teaching Hospital with 480 beds currently in use. The hospital is situated five miles from the centre of Cardiff and all major specialties are represented providing a range of medical services to the people of Bro Taf particularly but not exclusively to those in the west of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

In addition to standard services offered, the hospital also provides specialist services including Paediatric Oncology and the Therapeutics & Toxicology Centre. The hospital also provides some services not available at the other major site, such as the CF Unit, Diabetic Retinopathy Service and the Sleep Studies Centre.

There is a major academic presence at Llandough Hospital. The Academic Centre houses research laboratories and offices of Professors in Medicine for the Elderly, Clinical Pharmacology, Respiratory Medicine, Connnunity Child Health and Diabetes. The Wound Healing Research Unit, Bone Research Unit and Research Department for Diabetic Medicine incorporating a Clinical Investigation Unit and Bro Taf Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service are based at Llandough. Considerable undergraduate and postgraduate teaching takes place and a new Postgraduate Centre was opened in 1998.

University Hospital of Wales

In 1971, UHW was officially opened and rapidly established itself as one of the foremost teaching hospitals in the UK and the flagship of Wales.
In addition the hospital manages a number of services of a regional and sub-regional nature, namely Cardiology, Cardiac Surgery, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Medical Genetics, Bone Marrow Transplantation and Renal Transplant. The University of Wales College of Medicine is based on the site and consequently the hospital is regarded as the major teaching hospital within Wales. With one or two exceptions the NHS service side is interlinked with professorial departments and both the NHS and College elements are heavily involved in research and development and have gained eminent reputations both nationally and internationally.

The hospital provides for the fullest integration of a 968-bed hospital and medical school in one complex. Three blocks running north south with 6 subsidiary 'link' blocks comprise the main complex. The main building is 1 0 storeys high with numerous peripheral developments.
Each week the hospital sees around 5,000 outpatients, 500 inpatients and 200 day cases. The Main operating theatre suite is one of the largest in Great Britain with 10 theatres and 12,000 cases per year.
In March 1999 Cardiff Royal Infirmary closed, and the emergency services transferred to a brand new state of the art emergency unit on the University Hospital of Wales campus. It is an extremely busy department, with approximately 100,000 attendances per year.

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The Work of the Department

Service Provision

UHW Emergency Services

The Accident and Emergency Department is based at this hospital and provides services for Southern Bro Taf. The Orthopaedic Trauma is based on this site with 82 adult and 6 paediatric beds available.

Approximately 4700 trauma in-patients are treated annually and over 3300 operations are performed.

Llandough Hospital

There are 56 adult orthopaedic beds and 6 paediatric beds and a day surgery unit. Llandough has three Lamina flow theatres where the majority of orthopaedic activity duties are undertaken. Number of operations per year on this site is approximately 4000.

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The Job Itself

Title of Job: Clinical Research Fellow in Arthroplasty

Duties of the Post

1. Clinical - See TimeTable Page.

2. Teaching - The Research Fellow has a teaching commitment for both undergraduates and nursing staff and will also be expected to help organise and participate in the regular postgraduate tutorial sessions in Orthopaedics.

3. Research - A core function of the post is the research into joint and revision surgery.

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Study & Training

Postgraduate Training

Postgraduate/Audit meetings take place every 4 weeks and consist of morning or afternoon sessions. All other clinical activity is cancelled at this time to allow attendance at the meetings which include a discussion of Audit data, case presentation and presentations on surgical topics by local and visiting speakers. Postholders are obliged to participate fully in these meetings.

Facilities for Study Leave

Facilities for study leave exist and attendance at courses is encouraged.

Library Facilities

There is an excellent library in the University Hospital of Wales with on line search facilities.

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Main Conditions of Service

The post is covered by the Terms and Conditions of Service for Hospital Medical and Dental Staff (England and Wales) and the General Whitley Council Terms and Conditions of Service as amended in negotiation with the Trust Medical and Dental Staff Negotiating Committee. Details of these may be obtained from the Medical/Dental Personnel Department.

The post is whole-time, the hours of duty will be the standard working week of 40 hours.

The appointment is designated non-resident.

The junior doctor accepts that he will also perform duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances at the request of the appropriate Consultant, in consultation with his colleagues both junior and senior.

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Other Facilities

Cardiff, the City and the Capital of Wales, has a typical air of a cosmopolitan city, being the administrative, business, cultural and education centre for Wales. Cardiff has much to offer, modem shopping centres, Edwardian arcades with exclusive boutiques and a large indoor market.

Cardiff Castle sits in the middle of the city along with impressive buildings such as the City Hall and the National Museum of Wales. For entertainment, Cardiff has many venues - St David's Hall for world class concerts, the New Theatre and Sherman Theatre, large cinema complexes as well as Chapter Arts Centre.

The city also contains the Welsh National Ice Rink and the National Sports Centre and the new Millennium Rugby Stadium. The development of some 2,700 acres of Cardiff Bay has created a 500 acre lake, 8 miles of waterfront and a new commercial and leisure environment. The Vale of Glamorgan stretches to the coast and is dotted with small country villages. Situated in the Vale are the picturesque beaches of Southemdown and Llantwit Major. Within an hour from Cardiff is varied countryside - the Brecon Beacons and the Wye Valley.

Night Life

Restaurants in Cardiff are excellent and there is a wide choice of nightclubs, discos, a jazz centre and bars.

Clubs

All staff within the Trust are eligible for membership of the University of Wales Hospital Sports and Social Club which includes facilities for squash, badminton, swimming etc, a sauna and jacuzzi together with a large social club.

Car Parking

There are parking facilities at all the hospitals in the Trust.

Shopping

Adequate shopping facilities within a convenient distance of all Hospitals.

Transport

All Hospitals are on regular bus routes with rail stations nearby.

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Conditions of Appointment

The completion of a satisfactory health declaration questionnaire and screening is a condition of the appointment. The postholder must comply with the UK Health Department guidance on "Protecting Health Care Workers and Patients from Hepatitis B" (PSM(93)12) as implemented by the Trust.

Because of the nature of the work of this post it is exempt from the provision of Section 4(2) of the Rehabilitation of the Offenders Act 1974 (Exemption Order 1975). Applicants are therefore not entitled to withhold information about convictions of the Act. In the event of employment, failure to disclose such convictions could result in dismissal or disciplinary action. Any information given will be completely confidential and will be, considered only in relation to an application to which the order applies.

You must hold current registration with the General Medical Council throughout the duration of this contract.

You are normally covered by the NHS Hospital and Community Health Services indemnity against claims of medical negligence. However, in certain circumstances (e.g. in service for which you receive a separate fee or in an emergency situation outside of work) you may not be covered by the indemnity. The Health Departments, therefore, strongly advise that you maintain membership of your medical defence Organisation.

The lonising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000

This post may involve the direction of medical exposure of ionising radiation.

The lonising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 impose a legal responsibility on Trusts for all staff who refer patients for medical radiation exposure such as diagnostic x-rays to supply sufficient data to enable those considering the request to decide whether the procedure is justified.

Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust operates a No Smoking Policy within the Trust.

Removal expenses are in accordance with the Trust policy.

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Protection of Children (if applicable)

Disclosure of Criminal Background of those with Access to Children

In order to minimise any possible risk of abuse to children, a check will be made with the police on the possible criminal background of the successful candidate for this post. The police are authorised to disclose in confidence to the Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust's nominated officer, details of any criminal record, including cautions and bind over orders and 'spent' convictions.

Applicants being considered for this post must provide, if any exist, a list of convictions, bind over orders, or cautions, before they can be considered.

Any information disclosed will be treated in the strictest confidence and all circumstances will be taken into account before any decision is reached. The successful candidate will be asked to give his/her permission in writing for a police check to be carried out, although applicants should be aware that a refusal to comply with this procedure may prevent further consideration for the post.

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