Job Description
JOB DESCRIPTION: Medical Director, Transfusion
BASE LOCATION: Flexible, NHSBT Blood Centre
Advert Dates: Wed 14th Feb – Sunday 24th March 2024
Interview Dates: Thurs 2nd May 2024
ACCOUNTABLE TO: Accountable to the Chief Medical Officer
Operational accountability to Director Blood Supply
Professionally accountable to NHSBT Responsible Officer
ABOUT THE ROLE
NHSBT aims to meet both the present and future needs of the NHS in the provision of blood components and other substances of human origin, we constantly work to ensure we meet these needs. This post will play a key role with colleagues in innovation, change programmes and the reshaping of services to the advantage of both donors and patients and linking with external NHS partners. Obtaining a safe and sufficient supply of blood to meet patients’ needs has always been challenging and never more than now. Alongside this there is a need for NHSBT to continue to build on our strong relationships with the wider NHS and DHSC through delivery of expert advice, input and influence.
This post is one of four Medical Directors who work with teams in each of the operational Directorates (Blood Supply, Pathology, Cellular Apheresis and Gene Therapies and Organ and Tissue Donation and Transplantation). The MD Transfusion will provide medical leadership across the whole of the NHSBT Blood Supply and hospital Transfusion pathways e.g. from modernising donor management and blood collection procedures to working closely with the National Blood Transfusion Committee and clinicians treating patients in hospitals. The post holder will be encouraged and facilitated to develop strong partnership both across NHSBT and the wider NHS, where they will show system leadership and be responsible for clinical input and oversight. The Blood Supply Directorate is responsible for the collection and provision of blood components to hospitals, the Clinical Services Directorate is the interface with the NHS and also holds the responsibility for the delivery of the R&D agenda. The MD Transfusion will work across both of these and will be a member of both Senior Management Teams.
This is an exciting opportunity to manage and lead a national team of doctors, nurses and scientific staff developing them within multidisciplinary teams, ensuring clinical support to both NHSBT and the NHS more widely. The team includes Consultants with expertise in Donor Medicine, Component Quality and Transfusion Medicine as well as academics in these disciplines. In addition, the wider Patient Blood Management Teams, Hospital facing Customer Services Teams and the National Clinical Audit Team will also report to the MD Transfusion through an Assistant Director covering these functions.
The appointee will be a doctor with substantial clinical and management experience as a Consultant, who is also a successful and confident medical leader used to leading multidisciplinary teams. The appointee will have a talent for strategic thinking and the ability to focus on key objectives. The post holder will have a track record of building relationships and influencing in the wider NHS. Team building and good communication skills and the ability to develop and motivate colleagues will be particularly important in this post.
This role creates a tremendous opportunity to influence at the highest levels and make a real difference to both patients receiving blood and other components as part of their treatment and to improve the system of delivery. As with other senior clinical roles in NHSBT there is an opportunity for an individual to continue a small (20%) clinical commitment or to develop and lead an area of interest within the organisation, for example appraisal or RO or following an interest such as additional R&D or similar. This can be agreed on offer of the post.
Job Purpose
To deliver the overall clinical input for transfusion ensuring that this reflects relevant professional clinical guidance and is aligned with the strategic business plans of NHSBT, needs and requirements of the wider NHS and Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). To provide thought leadership, strategic thinking both to the internal Blood Supply Directorate and across the system. To lead academic teams to deliver R&D and clinical trials to improve the outcomes of recipients of blood components.
