Up to one advanced inflammatory bowel disease full-time fully-funded Fellowships are available at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. They are designed to complement the existing gastroenterology service and offer advanced training in IBD. These post, available from March 2024, will involve 12 months as an advanced IBD Fellow (2 IBD clinics per week, plus IBD MDT, luminal xray meeting, IBD endoscopy, plus coeliac clinic for 6 months). The two IBD fellowships are designed to complement each other, such that the Fellows develop advanced IBD knowledge and management skills with appropriate support. Typically, the IBD SCF will spend 6 months fulfilling IBD SCF role, and 6 months as IBD + coeliac SCF role. As with all our SCF posts, the principle is that there are 6 clinical and 4 academic sessions/week, the academic sessions being allocated 1 each to clinical trials, a personal project, teaching and administration. As with all 6 Senior Clinical Fellows in Oxford, one of the endoscopy sessions is flexible and may need to be worked on a Saturday. The John Radcliffe provides an integrated service with Horton General Hospital.
Clinical activity will be under the supervision of Dr Emma Culver (Fellowship Programme Director), and Dr Oliver Brain (IBD Lead), or nominated Consultant colleague. Inflammatory bowel disease is one of the particular strengths of the department, with a combination of clinical and basic science expertise whose integration is a singular feature of our translational unit. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal failure are jointly managed between medical and surgical teams. The medical service consists of Prof Travis, Prof Satsangi, Dr Brain, Dr Walsh, Dr Palmer, and Dr Ambrose. The consultants are clinically supported by four IBD nurse specialists, one biologics nurse, Gastroenterology Dietitians, and a two Gastroenterology Pharmacists (one a Consultant Pharmacist). There is close liaison with the Intestinal Failure team, and Paediatric Gastroenterology, especially for adolescent IBD.
These consultants all contribute to the IBD service, and have a range of subspecialty clinical and research interests. Prof Travis is internationally recognised for the assessment and management of acute severe UC, endoscopic scoring, and clinical trials. Prof Satsangi has international expertise in IBD genetics, and active 2 research in epigenetics and predictors of treatment response. Dr Walsh is the Endoscopy Lead and has active research in real-time patient data monitoring, and the relationship between stress and disease flares. Dr Palmer is the lead for IBD Transition and the 2WW service. Dr Ambrose combines intestinal failure with IBD. Dr Brain has an interest in biologic monitoring and runs the Virtual Anti-TNF clinic, as well as having a clinical and basic science interest in cancer immunotherapy-colitis. As an active research unit they are supported by 4 IBD research nurses (with 3 additional nurses recruited), a trial unit manager and administrative assistant, and there are currently >20 open IBD trials with 5 pending initiation. The trials are a mix of international interventional trials, and investigator-initiated research.
The successful applicant will be expected to contribute to the Gastroenterology out-of-hours cover rota, and to weekday emergency endoscopy and ward referral weeks at ≤1:12 frequency. The latter provides an opportunity to enhance endoscopic management of upper GI bleed and provide supported consultations for inpatients.
