Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon

Job summary

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeon to join Somerset NHS Foundation Trust's county-wide breast service. Based primarily at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, you will join a highly experienced multidisciplinary team delivering comprehensive breast care across Somerset. Clinical sessions at Yeovil District Hospital will be undertaken as required.

Working alongside consultant breast surgeons, breast radiologists, consultant radiographers, breast clinicians, advanced practitioners and specialist nurses, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality, patient-centred breast cancer and benign breast services.

The breadth of expertise within the team supports a truly patient-centred approach to care, fostering close multidisciplinary collaboration across the entire breast care pathway and providing an excellent environment for service development, innovation, education and professional growth.

This post offers an excellent opportunity to contribute to the continued development of an innovative and expanding oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery service. It offers a Monday to Friday working pattern with no on call commitment and it attracts a 10 PA per week job plan.

Applications are welcomed whether you are an experienced Breast Surgeon looking to relocate to the beautiful somerset countryside or a newly qualified Consultant who has or will be completing their CCT within the coming months.

Main duties, tasks & skills required

• Deliver expert assessment, treatment and surgical care for patients with symptomatic and screening detected breast disease.
• Undertake outpatient activity, including one-stop, new diagnosis, reconstructive, surgical planning and postoperative clinics.
• Undertake regular operating lists, providing oncoplastic and reconstructive procedures within the post holder's scope of competence.
• Participate fully in breast multidisciplinary team meetings and support evidence-informed treatment decisions.
• Work collaboratively across the multidisciplinary breast team and with oncology, pathology, genetics and tertiary services.
• Provide clear and compassionate information to patients, supporting informed and shared decision making.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and practise in accordance with professional standards, Trust policies and clinical governance requirements.
• Contribute to service improvement programmes that enhance clinical outcomes, patient experience and staff experience.
• Support innovative and sustainable models of breast care, aligned with evidence-informed practice and the needs of patients across Somerset.
• Help develop the oncoplastic and reconstructive breast surgery service, including partial breast reconstruction and perforator flap techniques where appropriate.
• Use clinical audit, quality improvement methods, service data and patient feedback to identify and deliver improvements.
• Contribute to the development and review of clinical pathways, guidelines and standards.

About us

At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, we're committed to supporting our employees with a range of benefits designed to enhance your professional and personal life. We offer:

• Flexible working options to help you balance work and life
• NHS pension scheme for long-term financial security
• Generous annual leave allowance to recharge and relax
• A strong focus on career development to help you grow and achieve your potential

Additionally, you'll gain access to our Blue Light Card, unlocking exclusive discounts on shopping, dining, and leisure activities, as well as NHS-specific perks to support you both inside and outside of work.

We are proud to foster a diverse, skilled, and inclusive workforce, and we encourage applications from all backgrounds.

Why Somerset? Somerset offers the perfect blend of idyllic countryside, outstanding areas of natural beauty, and breathtaking coastlines, with vibrant cities like Bristol, Bath, and Exeter just a short drive away - and only two hours to London.

The region is home to excellent educational facilities, and with affordable housing compared to other parts of the country, it's a great place to build both your career and your future.

Somerset truly has it all - the peaceful countryside and cosmopolitan city life, with something for everyone to enjoy.

Job description

Transformation and Improvement:

• Promote equitable access and consistently high-quality care across both acute hospital sites.
• Work collaboratively with multidisciplinary colleagues and tertiary oncoplastic centres to support service development and innovation.

Learning and Culture:

• Promote a compassionate, respectful and inclusive culture based on kindness, teamwork and respect.
• Support multidisciplinary learning from incidents, complaints, audits, clinical reviews and patient feedback.
• Encourage staff participation in education, research, audit and quality improvement.
• Provide teaching, training, supervision and mentorship to medical, nursing and other professional colleagues.
• Foster collaborative working across professional groups and between the Musgrove Park and Yeovil breast teams.
• Champion patient involvement in service design, pathway development and quality improvement.
• Maintain continuing professional development and fulfil relevant appraisal and revalidation requirements.

Job Plan:

• Working in a team with five other Consultant Oncoplastic Breast Surgeons across the county, you will undertake 10 PA's of activity each week.
• Activity for this post will mainly be delivered at MPH with some clinical cover required at YDH. This activity would include one dedicated all day theatre session on a weekly basis and attendance at the weekly breast MDT.
• You will be expected to run a new patient clinic, reconstructive clinic, and surgical planning / post-operative results clinics.
• Wherever possible, we try to cross cover activity as a team in order to ensure the continuity of our service for patients.
• You will be responsible, in conjunction with colleagues, for planning future development of the service.

For full details about the role, responsibilities, job plan, and person specification, please refer to the job description and general information document attached.

Person specification

Qualifications

Essential

On GMC Specialist Register, or will obtain CCT in General Surgery within 6 months of date of interview for this post.

FRCS or equivalent

Primary Medical Degree

Desirable

MD, MS

Experience

Essential

Appropriate level of clinical knowledge, training and experience.

Ability to offer expert clinical opinion on Breast Disease.

Significant Oncoplastic and reconstructive exposure.

Ability to take full and independent responsibility for clinical care of patients.

Understanding of clinical risk management.

Clear, logical thinking showing an analytical/scientific approach.

Ability to mentor staff, both medical and nursing.

Desirable

Undertaken an Oncoplastic Breast Fellowship

Additional Criteria

Essential

Knowledge:

Shows knowledge of evidence-informed practice.

Shows awareness of own limitations.

Communication Skills:

Evidence of a good standard of Literacy / English language skills.

Planning and Organising:

Ability to prioritise clinical need.

Evidence of participation in audit.

Willingness to take a lead in developing/managing a clinical area.

Information technology skills.

Teaching:

Evidence of teaching.

Academic and Research:

Willingness to practice evidence based medicine.

Willingness to contribute to department teaching and training needs.

Research experience, presentations and evidence of publications and prizes.

Personal Skills:

Willingness to use technology to improve standards of care and support to our patients

Ability to take responsibility, show leadership, make decisions, exert appropriate authority.

Good interpersonal skills.

Non-judgmental approach to patients and colleagues regardless of their sexuality, ethnicity, disability, religious beliefs or financial status.

Flexibility, able adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.

Resilient, able to work under pressure, cope with setbacks, self -aware.

Other:

Ability to travel cross-county and between hospital site locations.

Desirable

Knowledge:

Understanding of NHS, clinical governance and resource constraints; management/ financial awareness; experience of committee work.

Demonstrates breadth of awareness of issues.

Planning and Organisation:

Management training and experience.

Teaching:

Exposure to different groups/teaching methods.

Higher qualification in medical education.

Highly experienced in post graduate, particularly multidisciplinary, teaching and training.

Academic and research:

Experience in development and implementation of guidelines.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website.

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants.

UK Professional Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website.

For help with your application, contact:

Maria Bramley

maria.bramley@somersetf.nhs.uk