Consultant in NeurophysiologyinPlymouthinPlymouthPUBLISHED FRI 27 SEP 2024

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHPNT) wishes to appoint a replacement Neurophysiology Consultant to replace clinicians who retired last year. These are replacement substantive posts to help our current establishment of Neurophysiology scientists to meet the demands of an increasing in- and out-patient workload, and to contribute to the development of a forward-thinking and ambitious department.

The UHPNT Neurophysiology Department is a dynamic and welcoming team with a clear vision to provide the best care possible to our patients. We would encourage applicants to collaborate in the development of a Neurophysiology Service that is fit for purpose and sustainable in the new NHS environment. The appointee will also be encouraged to take an active and enthusiastic part in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research.

We will, however, work with any successful candidate to develop a job plan that meets their needs and interests, whilst complementing the expertise of colleagues within the department and supporting the continued delivery of a high-quality service for our patients. Flexible and/or less than full time working, including job sharing, will be accommodated for any candidate(s) to whom this is important, with arrangements to be discussed and agreed on an individual basis.

The Neurophysiology department is part of the wider Medicine Care Group, situated within the Cluster of Neurology & Stroke, Neurophysiology, Neuropsychology and Respiratory Medicine.

The Services provided include diagnostic testing on adults and children for the following conditions:

• EEG: epilepsy, genetic disorders, memory disorders, acute meningitis, encephalitis, status epilepticus, post neurosurgical procedures and in critical care.
• Prolonged EEG/video Telemetry & Ambulatory EEG studies: disorders of consciousness including epilepsy and complex epilepsy syndromes.
• EMG/NCS: neurological, neuromuscular, rheumatological disease and trauma
• Evoked Potentials: optic nerve disorders, spinal cord compression, congenital disorders, multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory conditions.
• Visual electrodiagnostics: genetic and acquired retinal disorders.
• Daytime and nocturnal sleep studies: narcolepsy, insomnia, hypersomnolence and parasomnias.

About us

The Services provided include diagnostic testing on adults and children for the following conditions:

• EEG: epilepsy, genetic disorders, memory disorders, acute meningitis, encephalitis, status epilepticus, post neurosurgical procedures and in critical care.
• Prolonged EEG/video Telemetry & Ambulatory EEG studies: disorders of consciousness including epilepsy and complex epilepsy syndromes.
• EMG/NCS: neurological, neuromuscular, rheumatological disease and trauma
• Evoked Potentials: optic nerve disorders, spinal cord compression, congenital disorders, multiple sclerosis and other inflammatory conditions.
• Visual electrodiagnostics: genetic and acquired retinal disorders.
• Daytime and nocturnal sleep studies: narcolepsy, insomnia, hypersomnolence and parasomnias.

The successful candidate will work constructively with the clinical physiologists to develop the service in a multidisciplinary fashion. UHP is one of the Early Adopters of the Modernising Scientific Careers agenda. This is a national initiative, led by the NHS Chief Scientific Officer Prof Sue Hill and it aims to re-structure the training programmes for Healthcare Scientists in all disciplines within the NHS. Neurophysiology falls with the Physiological Sciences division and the subdivision of Neurosensory Sciences. This subdivision includes three specialties: Audiology, Neurophysiology and Vision Science.There are training programmes at undergraduate, Masters (MSc) and Doctorate levels (DClinSci), with the Scientists Training Programme (STP) and Higher Specialist Scientific Training (HSST) that aims to produce Clinical Scientists and Consultant Scientists respectively, who will carry out independent work equivalent to that of consultant medical staff. The success of this project depends on the active co-operation of existing medical consultants to impart knowledge and skills to senior physiologists to enable them to achieve competence in complex nerve conduction studies and EMG. This is a long-term project which is envisaged to be approximately 4-years post MSc and will incorporate a doctoral level qualification. It will be expected that the successful candidate will contribute to this project by engaging in training, research supervision and assessment.