Queen Marys Sidcup NHS Trust

APPOINTMENT OF
ASSOCIATE SPECIALIST OPHTHALMLOGY
JOB DESCRIPTION
LOCAL ORGANISATION OF OPHTHALMIC SERVICES
The Eye Department at Queen Marys provides a sub-regional service to a
population of approximately 700,000. At present, Queen Marys forms the hub
of a hub and spoke model of service provision. Out-patient services are
provided at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (for Greenwich), Queen Marys Hospital
(for Bexley) and Darent Valley Hospital (for Dartford) with day-case and inpatients services centred at Queen Marys. Emergency Ophthalmic services
are provided for the residents of the above areas plus Bromley. The whole
unit is thus the largest Ophthalmic Department in the South Thames Region.
The Princess Royal University Hospital provides outpatient clinics and daycase surgery for the residents of Bromley. This service is currently managed
by Bromley Trust, independently of Queen Marys. The Bromley Ophthalmic
Consultants take part in the Queen Marys teaching and on-call rota.
Discussions are underway to determine the future of the local health economy
and delivery of medical services. It is therefore likely that the present
organisation of local medical services will change and with it the delivery of
ophthalmic services.
THE POST
Queen Marys Sidcup Trust requires a full-time Associate Specialist in
Ophthalmology. This post will help support general ophthalmic services to the
wider Queen Marys catchments population, particularly in relation to the
Emergency Referral/Primary Care service.
QUEEN MARYS SIDCUP
Queen Marys is a District General Hospital of 433 Beds situated in Sidcup in
the London Borough of Bexley. Clinical departments within the hospital
include General Medicine (with specialist interests in Gastroenterology,
Diabetes, Cardiology and Respiratory Medicine), Paediatrics, Obstetrics and
Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, General Surgery, Maxillofacial
Surgery, Psychiatry, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation. There is an active
Elderly Medicine Unit. Diagnostic services include well-equipped pathology
services (with Consultants in Histopathology, Haematology, Bacteriology and
Chemical Pathology) and Radiology Department with specialist interest in
ultrasound and interventional radiology. The hospital has a spiral CT and MRI
scanners.

A new Day-Case Theatre suite was opened in October 1999 at Queen Marys
with the bulk of Ophthalmic surgery performed in this theatre complex. The
two Ophthalmic Operating Theatres are fully equipped for modern anterior
and posterior segment surgery.
One-stop cataract clinics are the norm for the hospital with the out-patient
appointment and pre-operative assessment occurring on the same day. The
department is on the local Choose and Book system for Ophthalmic
referrals.
There are new Outpatient and Emergency Eye Referral departments along
with Orthoptic and Ophthalmic Pre-assessment sections. The department is
well-equipped with Haag-Streit slit lamps, Humphrey visual fields analysers,
autorefractors, OCT, HRT, Zeiss IOLmasters, A-scan and B-scan ultrasound
and digital retinal photography.
GENERAL
Queen Marys Hospital opened in 1974 and is set in pleasant grounds on the
edge of the green belt. The hospital is situated adjacent to the A20. An
excellent trunk road network gives rapid access to the M25, M20 and M2
motorways.
OPHTHALMIC UNIT STAFF (as at September 2007)
Miss Mary Gibbens
Queen Marys and Darent Valley
Mr Jamil Hakim
Queen Marys and Queen Elizabeth
Mr Chris Hammond
Princess Royal
Mr Charles Hugkulstone
Queen Marys and Darent Valley
Mr Luca Ilari
Princess Royal
Ms Heather Jackson
Princess Royal
Mr Osama Kamel
Queen Marys and Queen Elizabeth
Miss Hania Laganowski
Queen Marys and Darent Valley
Mrs Lumina Lanigan
Princess Royal
Mrs Emma Richardson
Queen Marys and Queen Elizabeth
Miss Kate Stevenson
Princess Royal
Mr David Trew
Princess Royal
Mr Laurence Whitefield
Queen Marys and Darent Valley
Mr Tom Williamson
Queen Marys and St Thomas
Specialties
Paediatric and Strabismus
Mr Jamil Hakim
Mr Chris Hammond
Medical Retinal
Ms Heather Jackson
Mrs Emma Richardson
Mr Laurence Whitefield

Oculo-plastics
Mr Charles Hugkulstone
Mrs Lumina Lanigan
Mr Osama Kamel
Corneal and External Eye Disease
Mr Luca Ilari
Miss Hania Laganowski
Miss Kate Stevenson
Lacrimal
Mr Osama Kamel
Miss Kate Stevenson
Surgical Retinal
Mr Tom Williamson
Glaucoma
Mr David Trew
In line with Modernising Medical Careers, the junior staff will be changing from
August 2007 to include one ST1, one ST1/2, one ST2 and three ST3+
working between Queen Marys and the Princess Royal; with three Trust
Grade Doctors, one Associate Specialist and three Clinical Assistants
supporting services at Queen Marys, Queen Elizabeth and Darent Valley
Hospitals.
DUTIES OF THE POST
The timetable is developed to provide:1. A Primary Eye Care service with support to the junior doctors in the
Emergency Referral Unit.
2. On-going care for Ophthalmic Out-patients.
3. Cover for operating lists and/or clinics when Consultants are away. It is
anticipated that the post-holder will cover two to three such sessions
per week, moving Primary Care Clinics into flexible sessions as
necessary to accommodate this.
DAY
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

MORNING
Admin/Audit/flexible
Primary Care Clinic - QM
Primary Care Clinic - QM
Primary Care Clinic - QM
Theatre

AFTERNOON
Admin/flexible
Out-patients - DVH
Teaching St Thomas
Out-patients - DVH
Primary Care Clinic

The timetable may be subject to agreed change with the Lead Clinician if the
needs of the service change in the future.
In the event that a flexible session is used as a theatre list or Primary Care
Clinic an alternative admin/audit session will be allocated in order to provide
appropriate CPD time.

HOURS OF DUTY
This post will be for a maximum of 11 sessions (38.5 hours) per week.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Every staff member has a responsibility to ensure that the working
environment is free from health and safety hazards and to draw to the
attention of the department Safety Officer and/or Head of Department any
hazards that they have identified. All staff must take reasonable care of their
own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by their work.
CLINICAL RESPONSIBILITY
The Associate Specialist is responsible to Consultants in clinical matters and
must have:
1. Commitment to and participation in medical audit.
2. Commitment to personal continuing medical education and
professional development.
3. Responsibility for and arrangement of communication and liaison with
other medical and service departments within the hospital and with
General Practitioners, including telephone discussion of problems and
the writing of letters about patients attending the department.
4. Good communication with other hospitals and outside agencies eg.
Local authorities.
5. Ability to observe agreed policies, procedures, standing orders and
financial instructions of Queen Marys Sidcup Trust.
6. Ability to comply with Trust Health and Safety policies.
CONFIDENTIALITY
You may have a right and duty to raise with the Trust any matters of concern
you may have about issues concerned with the delivery of services to
patients, together with a duty of confidentiality to patients.
In addition, the Data Protection Act, 1984 regulates the use of computerised
information and any unauthorised disclosure of such data may involve an
individual employee and the Trust in legal action.
The Trust recognises Paragraph 330 of the Medical and Dental Conditions of
Services (England and Wales) and the foregoing confidentiality statements
are not intended to limit that condition.
USE OF COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER SOFTWARE
The Computer Misuse Act, 1990 regulates the use of computers. You must
not gain or attempt to gain unauthorised access to a computer system or
make unauthorised alterations to software or data. You must also not make,
acquire or use unlicensed copies of computer software on Trust computers. A
breach of these rules will lead to disciplinary action and possibly legal; action.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
The Trust is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants for
employment regardless of ethnicity, gender, disability, religion or belief, age,
sexual orientation, or other diversity factors.

At all times staff must conduct themselves and carry out their duties in a
manner which supports the Trusts Valuing Diversity policy and ensure that the
working and learning environment provided within the Trust is free from bias
and harassment.
CONDITIONS OF SERVICE
The post is subject to the Whitley Council Terms and Conditions of Service for
Medical and Dental staff.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
1. Doctors must have full registration with the General Medical Council
2. The salary scale is the NHS Associate Specialist scale (MC01)
3. Satisfactory pre-employment checks.
4. The appointment is subject to the agreed policies and procedures for
Medical and Dental staff.
EFFECTIVE DATE OF APPOINTMENT
The appointment will become effective from a date to be mutually agreed.

August 2007

PERSON SPECIFICATION
ASSOCIATE SPECIALIST IN OPHTHALMOLOGY
Queen Marys Sidcup NHS Trust
Essential
1. Full registration with the General Medical Council
2. Ability to perform a range of Ophthalmic surgical procedures
independently and without supervision.
3. Fellowship of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists or equivalent
4. Wide experience in clinical ophthalmology
5. Good interpersonal and communication skills with patients, staff and
relatives.
6. A positive attitude towards personal development, clinical audit and
continuing medical education.
Desirable
1. Appreciation and understanding of the needs of the local population,
the department and the hospital.
2. Skills in teaching and training staff
3. Experience in research and clinical audit.
4. Managerial skills

August 2007