GP Cardiologist

OUHFT seeks to recruit qualified GPs to be trained to deliver cardiology services as part of a unified team at one of a number of community locations in the region.

The roles are part time, and GP Cardiologists are asked to consider undertaking 1-2 sessions per week (with time off for annual leave, study leave and CPD). Full training will be provided, as will a shadowing programme at OUHFT.

This approach to community cardiology is highly innovative, and seeks to integrate primary and secondary care; to make care more accessible and closer to home; to improve patient experience; to improve outcomes and quality of care, particularly via the identification and holistic treatment of risk factors and co-morbid conditions - including mental health conditions - in patients with known or suspected heart disease.

Each clinic will be supported by a healthcare assistant and secretarial support, who will support you with administrative tasks and enhance the patient experience. Consultant cardiologists will act as mentors, and will be available for advice and help when you need it.

The GP will be a substantive employee of Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and will have access to the resources of this tertiary centre cardiology service. It is anticipated that, when trained and where appropriate, GP Cardiologists will be able to refer patients directly for cardiac procedures, including advanced imaging, angiography, cardioversion, ablation and pacing.

Main duties of the job

Integration between primary and secondary care is widely acknowledged to bring advantages to patients and their families through, increased accessibility and improved patient experience; to health care economies through enhanced cost-effectiveness and better value; and to practitioners who may experience opportunities for enhanced professional satisfaction.

The aims of the posts are

1. To improve access to expert cardiovascular care
2. To improve patient experience and provide care closer to home
3. To enhance holistic patient assessment and treatment, particularly to improve the identification and treatment of co-morbid conditions, including mental health conditions
4. To create value in the healthcare system by allocating resources effectively
5. To strengthen primary care by enhancing interactions with secondary care and providing a wider variety of career paths for GPs.

GP Cardiologists will contribute to the management, organisation, governance, educational and academic programs of the clinical service unit. GP Cardiologists will attend and contribute to teaching sessions; will contribute to the intellectual development and academic activities of the department, and may contribute to teaching and training.