The Medicine and Emergency Directorate (MED), which includes all specialties in Internal Medicine, was established in 2014. Its mission, aims and objectives focus on safety (zero harm), quality (excellent outcomes), patient experience, access and flow. The Directorate has agreed a clinically led management cycle for continuous improvement for adoption across its specialties. Clinical Specialty Leads have been appointed and a common structure and data-driven approach to specialty and directorate operations meetings has been agreed.

At directorate level, patient flow in MED is divided into 4 “pillars” – the acute floor, inpatient care, day procedures and ambulatory care. The Ambulatory Care pillar is the administrative and organisational structure of the Chronic Disease specialities within the Medical Directorate.

The Department of Neurology at St James’s Hospital provides a multi-disciplinary service to patients suffering from the entire range of neurological disorders. Current staff include Prof David Bradley (Clinical Lead), Prof Colin Doherty (academic appointment), Prof Siobhan Hutchinson, Dr Deirdre O’Rourke and Dr Hugh Kearney, Dr Elisabeth Doran, Prof Peter Bede, Dr Aoife Laffan. We work in association with Dr Yvonne Langan, Consultant Neurophysiologist, Dr Eugene Wallace, Rehabilitation Medicine, and colleagues in Medicine for the Elderly and Psychiatry to provide joint services where appropriate. The department is a leader in the use of electronic health records and telehealth, has a strong education and training ethos and numerous research associations.

General Neurology Services

A primary function of the Neurology Department in St. James’s Hospital is the provision of an expert clinical service for outpatients in the area served by the hospital and inpatients admitted to the general medical and surgical units, and the regional and national specialty services located on site. There are multiple Neurology clinics each day and an in-patient consultation service to the general hospital population and subspecialty units shared across the consultant staff. Day services are also provided. The department contributes to the hospital’s emergency stroke call rota.

Subspecialty Neurology Services

A broad range of subspecialty services and clinics are provided under the governance of the Neurology Department, supported by NCHDs, clinical nurse specialists, and multidisciplinary allied health professionals. Services include Epilepsy, Dementia and Cognitive Disorders,

Neuromuscular Disorders, Parkinson’s Disease and related disorders, Movement Disorders, Spasticity and Dystonia Service, Headache Service, Sleep and Narcolepsy Service, Neurovascular Service, MS and Neuroinflammatory Service.

Epilepsy Service

The Epilepsy service as founded by Prof Colin Doherty, who now holds the Ellen Mayston Bates Chair in Epileptology; he retains a clinical link with the department. Dr Elisabeth Doran is the current director of epilepsy services. This post arises from Prof Doherty’s secondment to the role of Head of School of Medicine at TCD and successful appointee will collaborate Dr Doran on the development and delivery of the service. There are three NCHD positions, 4 WTE specialist nurses (3 at ANP level and 1 CNS), one WTE dietitian who runs the national adult ketogenic diet programme and two admin staff. There are 2-4 research staff at any one time. The epilepsy division has strong outreach links to other large hospitals (TUH) and residential care centres (Dr Stewarts and Cheeverstown) and is engaged in service developments on an ongoing basis, for example the community outreach project with SafetyNet GP services for epilepsy care for the homeless and other vulnerable groups, and support of the evolving chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) service with colleagues in intensive care, haematology and neurophysiology.

The division is leader in e-health services and uses a bespoke EPR as well as a patient portal for links to other national epilepsy services. The division subscribes to the HSE model of care for epilepsy (https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/ncps/epilepsy/moc/). There is a strong research ethic in the division with strong links to the Academic Unit of Neurology in TCD (https://www.tcd.ie/medicine/neurology/research/epilepsy/index.php) and the SFI research centre FutureNeuro (www.futureneuro.ie) in RCSI.

Clinical Neurophysiology

The Department of Clinical Neurophysiology offers a range of electrodiagnostic investigations and investigations in an ambulatory setting. The team includes Dr. Yvonne Langan, Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologist, two Clinical Measurement Technicians and a clerical officer.

The successful candidate will be based in St James’s Hospital, working within a team Consultant Neurologist Colleagues to ensure a seamless consultant-delivered Neurology service. The successful candidate will have a schedule of commitments as follows:

Clinical Practice

• Epilepsy services (Inpatient, Consultation, Ambulatory, Outpatient, Outreach, Regional, Subspecialty)
• General Neurology Services at SJH (including 1 outpatient session per week, day ward services, general and subspecialty inpatient consultation services)
• Contribution to Thrombolysis Rota as appropriate
• Neuroradiology MDT
• Provision and organisation of cross cover as appropriate

• Perform such other duties appropriate to his/her office as may be assigned to him/her by the Chief Executive Officer, or designated officer, of St. James’s Hospital

Education and Professional Development

• Participate in Continuous Professional Development in line with professional competency requirements and in accordance with the requirements of the Medical Practitioners Act, 2007
• Maintain registration on the Register of Medical Specialists of the Medical Council of Ireland.
• Participate in required hospital staff educational programmes
• Participate in departmental educational meetings and events

 Teaching

• Contribute to the training of Neurology/ General Medicine trainees (SHOs, Registrars and SpRs) in the department
• Participate in teaching, including undergraduate/postgraduate teaching as part of the Department of Clinical Medicine, Trinity College, Dublin
• Partake in teaching and education requirements for clinical and other allied health care staff.
• Contribute to the curricular development of the medical programme through the TCD School of Medicine

Research

The successful candidate will, be encouraged to develop their research and academic interests as follows:

• Conduct medical research under the direction of St. James’s Hospital and Trinity College Dublin.
• Contribute to research within the Department of Neurology.
• Develop and collaborate on clinical, laboratory or other research as appropriate to the specialty on a local, regional and national basis.
• Compete for research funding from appropriate bodies.

Audit

The Neurology Service is focussed on providing a quality service and actively participates in the SJH Quality Programme. 

• Plan, develop and maintain responsibility for clinical audit programmes within the Neurology Department in conjunction with consultant colleagues and in accordance with the Hospital’s clinical governance structure.
• Assist in the collation of all data/information required in accordance with regulatory, statutory and corporate policies and procedures

Administration

• Service team meetings and service data review
• Clinic Administration
• Contribution to emergency stroke management services
• Together with colleague(s) who also have a similar appointment in Neurology Medicine, take a leadership role in shaping Hospital Policy with regard to the management of Neurology services, best practice and accreditation.
• Attend and participate in meetings relevant to the post
• Liaise with relevant senior medical, nursing and the executive management team in all matters pertaining to the general efficiency of the Hospital

Management and Organisational Aspects

• Work within the Hospital’s governance and Clinical Directorate structure

• Work within the framework of the hospital’s service plan and/or levels of service (volume, types etc.) as determined by St James’s Hospital. Service planning for individual clinical services will be progressed through the Clinical -Directorate structure
• Participate in the development and operation of the Clinical Directorate structure and in such management or representative structures as are in place or being developed.
• Participate in and facilitate production of all data/information required to validate delivery of duties and functions and inform planning and management of service delivery

Collaborate with Hospital Management, Directors of Nursing, Medical and Surgical Staff of the hospital in all matters pertaining to the general efficiency of the hospital

Registration as a Specialist in the Specialist Division of the Registrar of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council in Ireland in the specialty of Neurology. To be eligible, applicants must be registered as a Specialist in the relevant Specialty on the Specialist Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council of Ireland within 180 days of the day of interview. Should the successful candidate not be registered as a Specialist at that time, the post may be offered to the next suitable candidate.

The successful candidate should have appropriate training and experience in the provision of inpatient and outpatient neurology services. Specific experience in Epilepsy management is preferred.

Clinical Care: To demonstrate the ability to provide a level of clinical care required by this post according to the standards and requirements set by statutory and regulatory bodies

Communication: To illustrate a high level of verbal and non-verbal skills in order to effectively communicate with and relate to patients and / or parents / family, colleagues, hospital staff and management.

Administration & Management Skills: To demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency so as to enable the appointee to manage his/her staff and service and to be able to interact with and participate in hospital management structures as required. Furthermore, the appointee should demonstrate the ability to lead, supervise and be responsible for the clinical work of his / her multi-professional team.

Organisational Awareness: Provide evidence of knowledge and understanding of the structure and governance of this and similar organisations

Teaching: To demonstrate skills required for educational training to medical students, professions.

Research: To demonstrate a proven ability and track record of engagement in research relating to the speciality.

Continuing Education: To demonstrate a proven record of undertaking continuing medical education and continuous professional development.

Audit: The appointee will be required to provide evidence of undertaking and initiating audit and quality projects. 

To apply for this position, you may submit an updated Curriculum Vitae by e-mail to consultantappointments@stjames.ie . Alternatively, you may forward a letter of application with CV to Medical Workforce Unit, HR Directorate, Hospital 1 Top Floor, St James’s Hospital.

A level of proficiency in the English language, written and spoken, is a requirement of all roles within St James’s Hospital. Your proficiency in spoken English will be assessed during the interview process appropriate to the role available. Nursing and other general staff will be required to self-assess their proficiency level in the Standard Application Form.

1. The Hospital Board will not be responsible for the loss or theft of personal belongings.
2. Fire orders must be observed and staff must complete fire training every 2 years.
3. All accidents within the department must be reported immediately.
4. In accordance with the “Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005”, all staff must comply with all safety regulations.
5. St James's Hospital is a tobacco free Campus. The use of tobacco or electronic cigarettes is not permitted within the hospital buildings or on the grounds.

In the course of your employment you may have access to or hear information concerning the medical or personal affairs of patients and/or staff, or other health services business. Such records and information are strictly confidential and unless acting on the instructions of an authorised officer, on no account must information concerning staff, patients or other health service business be divulged or discussed except in the performance of normal duty. In addition records must never be left in such a manner that unauthorised persons can obtain access to them and must be kept in safe custody when no longer required.

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

It is the responsibility of all staff across the hospital to ensure that infection control and hygiene standards are adhered to and maintained at all times.

• Approval to hire (VAF process)
• Hiring Manager – role profile
• Advertising
• Application Process
• Shortlisting of Candidates will be based on information provided
• Interview Process
• All applicants who move to the 2nd stage of the Selection process (i.e. post interview) will be subject to Reference Checking X 2, Self-Declaration, Garda Clearance and Occupational Health Screening (Questionnaire)

St James's Hospital is an Equal Opportunities Employer