This post is available to employees of Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and resident doctors employed by the Lead Employer Trust within the North East and North Cumbria.
We are seeking a Trust Doctor to support the delivery of high-quality patient care and to support flow across the Northumbria Hospital site and/or Wansbeck General Hospital. The posts available will be based within the Discharge Unit / Winter Medical Unit caring for adult medical patients and working as part of a multidisciplinary team to facilitate timely assessment, ongoing management, discharge planning, and patient flow across the organisation.
The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting safe and effective discharge processes, reducing length of stay, and maintaining patient flow during periods of increased demand. They will provide medical care for patients with a range of medical conditions, contribute to daily ward rounds, work closely with nursing, therapy and discharge teams, and liaise with specialty services as required to ensure coordinated patient care as well as linking closely with speciality teams on site.
This post offers an excellent opportunity to gain broad experience in managing adult medical inpatients within a dynamic environment focused on improving patient outcomes, supporting operational resilience, and enhancing the patient journey from admission through to discharge.
Please note we reserve the right to close this vacancy prior to the closing date.
Provide day-to-day medical care for patients admitted to the Units.
Undertake clinical assessments, formulate management plans, and review patients' progress throughout their admission.
Lead on daily ward & board rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings.
Support safe, timely, and effective discharge planning in collaboration with nursing, therapy, pharmacy, and discharge teams.
Liaise with specialty teams and community services to ensure continuity of care and appropriate follow-up arrangements.
Maintain accurate, timely, and comprehensive clinical documentation.
Request and interpret appropriate investigations and implement treatment plans in line with Trust policies and best practice.
Recognise and respond appropriately to deteriorating patients, escalating concerns to senior medical staff as required.
Contribute to maintaining patient flow across the organisation by supporting efficient clinical decision-making and discharge processes.
Work flexibly across the ward environment to support service delivery during periods of increased operational demand and winter pressures.
Communicate effectively with patients, carers, and colleagues to ensure a high standard of patient-centred care.
We manage three major locality hospitals at North Tyneside, Wansbeck and Hexham, plus a number of smaller community hospitals and clinics from Tynemouth to Berwick on Tweed, in addition to our state-of-the-art Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, the first of its kind in England. We also care for people in their homes and provide services from facilities in local communities such as health centres. We give people greater choice and control over their care to help them to live independently at home and avoid hospital admission where appropriate. High quality patient care is at the heart of everything we do and we strive to ensure every single patient and service user has an exceptional experience with us. We have one of the most extensive patient experience programmes of any trust in England.
The postholder will provide high-quality medical care to adult inpatients within the Discharge Unit / Winter Medical Unit and will play a key role in supporting patient flow, discharge planning, and operational resilience during periods of increased demand. The role involves working closely with a multidisciplinary team to ensure timely clinical assessment, ongoing review, and safe discharge of patients. The post will contribute to the Trust's Winter Escalation Plan and support the delivery of patient-centred care across the organisation.
Main Responsibilities
Provide day-to-day medical care for patients admitted to the Units.
Undertake clinical assessment, investigation, diagnosis, and management of patients with a broad range of medical conditions.
Review patients regularly, formulate management plans, and ensure timely clinical decision-making.
Participate in daily ward / board rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings.
Support proactive discharge planning from admission through to discharge.
Work collaboratively with nursing, therapy, pharmacy, social care, and discharge teams to facilitate safe and timely patient discharge.
Liaise with specialty teams, community services, and primary care colleagues to ensure continuity of care and appropriate follow-up arrangements.
Identify and respond appropriately to deteriorating patients, escalating concerns to senior medical staff when required.
Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and contemporaneous clinical records in line with Trust policies and professional standards.
Request and interpret appropriate investigations and implement evidence-based treatment plans.
Communicate effectively with patients, relatives, carers, and colleagues to support informed decision-making and patient-centred care.
Participate in handovers, case discussions, and other activities that promote safe and effective patient care.
Contribute to clinical governance, audit, quality improvement projects, and mandatory training requirements.
Attend relevant educational and development opportunities to support professional growth and maintain clinical competence.
Work flexibly to support service requirements and operational pressures, particularly during periods of increased demand and winter escalation activity.
Educational and Development Opportunities
The post offers opportunities to develop and enhance:
Clinical assessment and decision-making skills.
Communication skills with patients, relatives, and multidisciplinary teams.
Experience of discharge planning and admission avoidance pathways.
Understanding of multidisciplinary working and coordinated patient care.
Knowledge of treatment escalation planning and ethical decision-making.
Leadership, team-working, handover, and service improvement skills.
Experience working closely with community, social care, and hospital-based services to support integrated care delivery
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for full details of the role & responsibilities.
