Rheumatology

Sub-Speciality Training at ST3+

Specialty School of Medicine,

East Midlands Deanery (South)

 

This is a Whole-time Specialist Training Rotation in Rheumatology / General Medicine. It is envisaged that the rotation will consist of 3 years at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, 1 year at Kettering General Hospital and 1 year at Northampton General Hospital, although this cannot be guaranteed and so flexibility, understanding and co-operation is expected from the post holder.

 

The post is approved for higher specialist training by the Joint Committee on Higher Medical Training, in Rheumatology and General (Internal) Medicine.

 

Possession of the MRCP or equivalent is essential.

 

The Specialty Registrar Training Programme is normally for a term of five years, during which time work is monitored for evidence of satisfactory progress and is therefore subject to review after completion of the first year and every subsequent year in post.

 

The Postgraduate Dean has confirmed that this post has the required educational and staffing approval.

 

This is a training post. Specialty Registrars will at present work in Rheumatology wards and clinics.  GIM training will include GIM Clinics, Ward Rounds, and other on-take commitment.  In addition to this, modular attachments to other specialities will be arranged to complete their training.  Modular attachments will usually be for 3 or 4 month periods and their timing and nature will need discussion with trainees.  The following have in principle been agreed: -

 

·                    Paediatric Rheumatology             

·                    Clinic Immunology                         

·                    Orthopaedics/Back Problems                   

·                    Pain Management                          

·                    Hand Surgery                                              

·                    Bone Disease                                              

·                    Sports Medicine

 

As far as possible disruption to clinical sessions will be minimised but some changes will be inevitable.  The training proposes a “training led” as opposed to a “service led” programme and it will be up to the various programme directors to insist that this basic pattern is maintained. 

 


HOURS

 

 

Standard Hours

Leicester Royal Infirmary

40

Kettering General Hospital

40

Northampton General Hospital

40

 

Out of hours service is paid in accordance with local hospitals circumstances and service needs and may be undated from time to time.

 

Research

 

Good opportunities for clinical, epidemilogical and laboratory based research exist in Leicester.  Training will be encouraged to undertake research projects with a view to presenting such work at meetings of Learned Societies and followed by publications.  A full research day is included in the weekly time table.

 

Clinical Governance

 

An understanding of clinical governance issues is an essential part of training.  The trainee will be expected to undertake and present audit projects, and to be involved in clinical governance activities. 

 

Postgraduate Meetings

 

There are regular Postgraduate meetings held in Leicester, and ‘teaching days’ are provided by rotation at various sites in the Trent Region.  Attendance at regional area national meetings (such as the BSR meeting) will be encouraged.

 

Teaching

 

The teaching of both undergraduate and postgraduate students is also an essential training requirement.  All trainees will be expected to take part in ward based clinical teaching, as well as formal lecture based teaching.

 

Management Training

 

Attendance at appropriate courses will be encouraged.

 

Assessment

 

A meeting within the Programme will be arranged soon after the trainees appointment and then at least six monthly.  Any problems should be discussed as quickly as possible.

 

 

 


LEICESTER ROYAL INFIRMARY

 

The Leicester Royal Infirmary: is a very busy acute hospital with beds for each of the main specialities.  This hospital continues to be developed.  The hospital contains 798 Acute beds, a Burns Unit of 15 beds, an 8-bed Intensive Therapy Unit, 12 operating theatres, a theatre service centre, and the Accident and Emergency centre for the district.  There is also a Maternity Unit of 178 beds, and the District Pain Relief Unit.

 

The Clinical Sciences Building contains the Main Library, the Academic Departments of Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Child Health, Psychiatry, Ophthalmology and Community Health.  Further developments are planned on this site.

 

MEDICAL STAFFING

 

Rheumatology Consultants:                     Dr W Hassan, MD,FRCP

                                                            Dr A Samanta, MD, FRCP

                                                            Dr P Sheldon, MD, FRCP

                                                            Dr J Francis, MRCP UK

                                                            Dr A Kinder, MRCP UK

                                                            Dr R Neame, MRCP UK

 

Junior Staff:                                      2 Specialty Registrar posts

 

                                                            2 Senior House Officers (part of Medical SHO rotation)

                                                            Pre-registration House Officer

 

Specimen Job Plan

(To be used for guidance only)

 

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

AM

Rheumatology Clinic

Rheumatology Clinic

Research Specialist Clinic

Rheumatology
Clinic

Rheumatology Dept Education Session

PM

Rheumatology Clinic

Ward Work

Management /
 Admin

Research

Ward

 

 

This Job Plan is subject to modification to meet the needs of the post holder. 

 

It is anticipated that the Rheumatology component of the job will be subject to rotation among the consultants at four or six monthly intervals to provide the broadest possible experience. 

 


Duties of Post

 

The post-holder will participate in the diagnosis and management of patients with a full range of Rheumatic Diseases under the supervision of the Consultant Rheumatologist. Duties will include the provision of in-patient and out-patient care. Training will be provided in all aspects of Clinical Rheumatology including a comprehensive range of practical procedures.  He or she will provide day to day supervision of the house officer and any other junior staff attached to the department.  The post-holder will provide opinions on other Consultants’ in-patients, assist in supporting the monitoring of patients on diseased modifying agents, take calls from GP’s seeking advice on Rheumatological conditions, assist in arranging education sessions, and supervise the activities of the House Officers and Senior House Officers

 

POSTGRADUATE TRAINING

 

The Leicestershire, Northamptonshire & Rutland Deanery are committed to developing postgraduate training programmes for both general and higher professional training as laid down by Colleges and Faculties, and by the Postgraduate Deans' network.  At local level, college/speciality tutors work with Unit Postgraduate Clinical tutors in supervising these programmes.  Trainees will be expected to take part in these programmes (including audit) and to attend counselling sessions/ professional review.  Study leave will form part of these educational programmes and will be arranged in conjunction with the appropriate tutor.

 

Monitoring Doctors Performance

 

The Trusts within the Trent Region are committed to providing safe and effective care for patients.  To ensure this there is an agreed procedure for medical and dental staff that enables them to report, quickly and confidentially, concerns about the conduct, performance or health of medical colleagues (Chief Medical Officer, December 1996).  All medical staff, practising in the Trust, should ensure that they are familiar with the procedure and apply it.


KETTERING GENERAL HOSPITAL

 

Rheumatologists:

Dr I M Morris

Dr P C Mattingly

Dr G U Kallarackal

Dr AV Camp

 

Introduction

 

Kettering General has approximately 600 beds and provides the health care needs of a population of about 300,000. There are 122 acute medical beds and a dedicated 15-bedded ward for rheumatology / dermatology shared with haematology. Trainees will have the opportunity to train in general rheumatology and gain competence in all of the core areas of rheumatology.  In addition they will be able to acquire experience in electromyography and nerve conduction studies and osteoporosis.

 

There is also opportunity to gain a wide General Medical experience in addition to the experience gained in General Rheumatology

 

General Description of the scheme

 

The aim of the scheme is for trainees to obtain a CCST in Rheumatology and /or General Internal Medicine. A total of four years experience will be required for accreditation in Rheumatology and five years in all to obtain dual accreditation.

 

It is proposed that the scheme will rotate specialty registrars between the district general hospitals (including Kettering General Hospital) along with two years spent at the teaching hospitals in Leicester. Each trainee would spend a period of approximately 12 months in each of the training units. The training scheme will enable candidates to train in Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine the total duration of which would be five years.

 

It is envisaged that registrars recruited to the first year would usually commence their training in the district hospitals and the final years of training would be completed in the teaching hospitals. The trainer / educational supervisor (one consultant rheumatologist) along with the trainee will agree a weekly program. This will include a half day a week for education / research and also protected time for monthly training half days. Trainee will also be encouraged to take a year out for research.

 

Rheumatology

 

The trainee will be able to become familiar with all areas of diagnosis and management of common rheumatological conditions. They would have the opportunity to gain experience in the following core areas with regard to history, investigations and management of:

 

§         Rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritis

§         Spondyloarthropathies

§         Connective Tissue disorders

§         Inflammatory muscle disease

§         Regional pain syndromes

§         Metabolic bone disease

§         Rheumatological manifestations of endocrine and other systemic diseases

§         Vasculitis

§         Degenerative joint disease

  • Soft tissue rheumatism

 

Core competences and skills

 

§         Ability to examine and evaluate signs and symptoms of musculoskeletal disease.

§         Understand the basic principles of management of patient with rheumatic diseases and the provision of a rheumatological service

§         To request appropriate serological tests and to interpret them in clinical context.

§         To learn about appropriate imaging techniques and the ability to interpret them.

§         Aspiration and injection of joints and periarticular tissues

 

Additional skills and competencies

 

§         Ability to understand an acquire the basic skills in electromyography and nerve conduction studies

§         Management of osteoporosis

§         Evaluation and treatment of early arthritis

§         Ability to work in liaison with orthopaedic surgeons with special interest in joint replacement surgery, hand surgery and spinal surgery

§         Ability to acquire skill in musculoskeletal ultrasound.

 

Formal teaching

 

There is an ongoing structured teaching program. The department meets weekly on Tuesday afternoons for formal education. There is regular journal reviews and presentations by consultants and junior staff. The rheumatology departments of Kettering and Northampton General hospitals meet once a month to share clinical cases along with presentation by guest speakers on specialist issues. There is a quarterly educational meeting held jointly with the department of orthopaedics. In addition the “Midshires Rheumatology Group” (Rheumatologists form Kettering, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton) meet at least three times a year. There is also a regional rheumatology meeting held twice a year.

 

The department is involved in regular and rigorous audit programs evaluating various aspects of rheumatological care. These are presented regularly at the above-mentioned meetings.

 

Research

 

There are opportunities to develop and run clinical research with in the department. There will be opportunity to further develop this according to the trainee interests.

 

General Medical Training

 

The post will be suitably designed that the trainee will have experience of unselected acute medical intake and will also have a regular commitments towards the day to day care of general medical inpatients and a duty to supervise the junior staff on the team. They would be able to participate in the medical intake at least four days a month as resident on call along with post take ward rounds commitment. They would also be able to lead the ward round once a week along with the junior staff (SHO/HO) and also participate in one Consultant ward round a week. There will be opportunities to learn and become proficient in all the practical skills necessary to execute their duties while on acute medical take.

 

Proposed time table / schedule

 

  • 4 outpatient clinics – 1 General Internal Medicine and 3 Rheumatology
  • 1 Independent SpR led Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine ward round
  • 1 Consultant led Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine ward round
  • 1 session for research / education
  • 1 session for general administration duties
  • Approximately 4 General Internal Medicine unselected intakes/month – resident on call
  • 1:8 SPR on call for General Medicine
  • Overall responsibility in coordinating inpatient care of Rheumatology and General Internal Medicine on the ward
  • Weekly ½ day release for  SpR training
  • Ward Duties include cover for Rhumatology patients on Lilford ward and cover for General Medical patients on Ashton ward.
  • GUK – Dr G Kallarackal (Rheumatology); PCM – Dr P Mattingly (Rheumatology); GC – Dr G Clifford (General Medicine).

SpR Provisional Time Table Rheumatology and Internal Medicine

 (August 2004)

 

 

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

AM

Ward Round

Ashton / Lilford

Rheumatology Clinic Corby – GUK

Ward Round

Ashton / Lilford

Rheumatology Ward Rounds

Teaching session Junior Doctor / Students

Half day release for Training

PM

Rheumatology Clinic

Isebrook
GUK

Combined Ortho/ Rheum Clinic
once a month

Weekly departmental X-ray Meeting

Rheumatology
Ward Rounds

Rheumatology Clinic

Isebrook - PCM

 

General Medicine

Clinic KGH - GC

Research / Study
Half day

Medicine Academic
Half day


NORTHAMPTON GENERAL HOSPITAL

 

Rheumatologists:

Dr JC Taylor

Dr RCS Jeffery

Dr M Ho (Honorary Part time)

 

Other posts:             1 Specialist Registrar (ST3+) as part of training rotation between Leicester, Kettering and Northampton

 

                                    1 ST1-2 Shared with neurology

 

2 Specialist Nurse Practitioners

 

Introduction

 

Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust is a large (800 beds) district hospital providing a full range of acute services from a site located close to the centre of the town. The hospital services a population of 380,000 centred around Northampton but including a mixture of rural and urban areas for the southern half of the county of Northamptonshire. Our vision is to become a ‘DGH Plus’, providing all the secondary care services normally found in a district general hospital, including emergency care, planned care, maternity care, diagnostic and therapy services. In addition we will also provide specialised services for a wider population including designated regional cancer services, interventional cardiology, renal medicine, plastic surgery and level three neo-natal intensive care.

NGH aims to be the hospital of choice for patients and staff, and has developed its corporate objectives around five key principles:

§         To provide clinical excellence in achieving the best outcome for the patient

§         To improve the patient experience by providing the best possible environment within which to receive care

§         To give the highest level of access to care by providing the most appropriate care where the patient needs it

§         To improve the quality of working life by creating a great place to work, learn and develop

Trainees will have the opportunity to train in general rheumatology and will gain competence in all of the core areas of rheumatology.  In addition they will be able to acquire experience in specialist clinics for connective tissue disease and vasculitis, paediatric rheumatology and combined orthopoedic/rheumatology clinics.

 

There is also the opportunity to gain a very good General Medical experience in addition to the experience gained in General Rheumatology should the trainee wish to undertake dual accreditation.

 

 

 

 

 

Rheumatology

 

The Department consists of 2 full time consultants and 1 honorary part time cosultant, an SpR on the Leicester, Northampton and Rutland (LNR) Rheumatology training rotation, an ST1-2 on the LNR training rotation, 2 Rheumatology Nurse Specialists, a health care assisstant and full secretarial support. In addition the clinic is co-ordinated by 1 clinic manager and 2 clerical staff. There is full IT support with access to a PC, e-mail and full internet facilities.

There is a dedicated Out-Patient Rheumatology Department with office and clinical accommodation. There are no dedicated rheumatology beds but there is ready access to the general medical wards.

There are good clinical links with the department of orthopoedics which runs a back pain service and there are monthly combined clinics with 4 of the orthopaedic consultants providing lower limb, upper limb and specialist hand surgery and there is good support from a chronic pain service.

There are close links with the 4 consultants rheumatologists at Kettering General Hospital and the two departments meet on a regular basis.

Regional meetings are held with the academic departments of rheumatology at Oxford and Leicester. In addition we also hold quarterly meetings with the Mid-Shires Rheumatology group and twice yearly meetings with the Midlands Rheumatology Society.

We are part of the LNR school of medicine training rotation which offers training posts at Foundation and Specialist Training levels rotating through Leicester, Kettering and Northampton. We also provide undergraduate tuition to medical students from Leicester and Oxford.

 

General Internal Medicine

The trainee will be able to undertake acute medical on-call as part of a medical team. If undertaking dual training the post will be suitably adapted so that the trainee will have experience of unselected acute medical intake and will also have a regular commitments towards the day to day care of general medical inpatients and a duty to supervise the junior staff on the team. They would be able to participate in the medical intake at least four days a month as resident on call along with post take ward rounds commitment. They would also be able to lead the ward round once a week along with the junior staff (FY and ST1-2 trainees) and also participate in one Consultant ward round a week. There will be opportunities to learn and become proficient in all the practical skills necessary to execute their duties while on acute medical take. 

 

 

Formal teaching

 

There is an ongoing structured teaching program. The department meets weekly on Monday afternoons for formal education. The ST3+ trainee is responsible for maintaining the attendance log and together with the consultants discussing the preparation and content of these meetings. There is regular journal reviews, presentations, an X ray meeting once a month and a business meeting once a month. The rheumatology departments of Kettering and Northampton General hospitals meet once a month to share clinical cases along with presentation by guest speakers on specialist issues. In addition the “Midshires Rheumatology Group” (Rheumatologists form Kettering, Northampton, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Luton) meet at least three times a year. There is also a regional rheumatology meeting held twice a year and the East Midland Rheumatology Meeting.

 

The ST3+ trainee will attend the formal weekly educational meetings at Leicester (every Friday am) and is also part of the South Trent Rheumatology Trainee teaching program which runs once a month rotating through every hospital in the region.

 

The Department of General Medicine provides protected teaching every Wednesday afternoon. This consists of a clinical vignette, clinical cases, a lecture and MRCP teaching every week. In addition there are regular audit presentations of projects carried out by trainees.

 

The department is involved in regular and rigorous audit programs evaluating various aspects of rheumatological care. These are presented regularly at the above-mentioned meetings.

 

Research

 

There are opportunities to develop and run clinical research within the department.  A full half day every week is given to the trainee to further develop his interest towards undertaking audit and research projects.

 

 

 

Specimen Job Plan for ST3+ Trainee

 

This sample planner describes the likely duties of the post the trainee undetakes although there is some flexibility in session allocation depending on whether the trainee wishes to undertake dual accreditation.

 

 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

am

 

Rheumatology clinic

 

 

 

 

 

G(I)M clinic or Rheumatology Clinic

(Depending on training requirements)

 

ST3+ trainee led ward round/ Ward work / referrals

Administration

 

Rheumatology clinic

 

Educational half day

  

Leicester

pm

X ray meeting (45-60mins) followed by

Rheumatology ward round

 

 

 

 

Rheumatology clinic

 

Department of medicine postgraduate teaching

 

Study / research

 

 

Consultant led G(I)M ward round/ Administration

 

Research half day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Visiting

 

If candidates wish to visit the hospitals concerned, they are at liberty to make arrangements direct with: -

 

Dr A Samanta

Consultant Rheumatologist &

Programme Director for Rheumatology

Leicester Royal Infirmary

Leicester

LE1 5WW

Tel: (0116) 258 5940

 

Dr G Kallarackal

Consultant Rheumatologist

Kettering General Hospital

Rothwell Road

Kettering

NN16 8UZ

Tel :

 

Dr J Taylor

Consultant Rheumatologist

Northampton General Hospital

Billing Road

Northampton

NN1 5BD

Tel :

 

 

 

 

 

December 2006 (Northampton updated Jan 2008)

Specialty Registrar in Rheumatology-Leicester