'Employer: King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust & The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), Queen Square'

Applications are invited to apply for the RCS Eng approved advanced fellowship programme in Complex Spinal Neurosurgery, a joint fellowship based at University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College Hospital Foundation Trust. This clinical fellowship allows an experienced neurosurgical trainee to obtain sub-specialty experience across all aspects of complex spine neurosurgery. Both departments are national reference centres in the United Kingdom and are leading units in spinal oncology (primary and metastatic spinal cord), complex degenerative (including revision surgery) and spinal trauma. Fellows will be trained in complex intradural surgery, instrumentation and minimally invasive techniques using spinal robotics, navigation, ultrasound and spinal endoscopy.

This post will provide successful fellows experience sufficient for consultant appointment as a complex spine specialist. The fellow will learn the following techniques:

Tubular and endoscopic access (cervical and lumbar)

MIS fusion and cement augmentation

Advanced spinal trauma surgery

Mini thoracotomy surgery and transoral surgery

Lateral and anterior lumbar surgery

En Bloc Vertebrectomy

Revision surgery

Cervical and thoracolumbar deformity correction

Cranio cervical instrumentation (trauma and deformity)

Pelvis Instrumentation

Advanced dural repair techniques

The fellow is expected to complete the full 18 fellowship and will be fully supported in consultant job applications. Surgeons preparing to work as consultants must be intimately involved with the running of the neurosurgical service and in providing continuity of care for the patients since this will be an integral part of their practice as consultants. The fellow will therefore participate in the general neurosurgical rota during their rotation at King’s and Queen Square.

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK’s largest and busiest teaching Trusts with a turnover of c£1 billion, 1.5 million patient contacts a year and around 14,000 staff based across 5 main sites in South East London. The Trust provides a full range of local hospital services across its different sites, and specialist services from King’s College Hospital (KCH) sites at Denmark Hill in Camberwell and at the Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) site in Bromley.

King’s is committed to delivering Sustainable Healthcare for All via our Green Plan. In line with national Greener NHS ambitions, we have set net zero carbon targets of 2040 for our NHS Carbon Footprint and 2045 for our NHS Carbon Footprint Plus. Everyone’s contribution is required in order to meet the goals set out in our Green Plan and we encourage all staff to work responsibly, minimising their contributions to the Trust’s carbon emissions, waste and pollution wherever possible.

The trust-wide strategy Strong Roots, Global Reach is our Vision to be BOLD, Brilliant people, Outstanding care, Leaders in Research, Innovation and Education, Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at the heart of everything we do. By being person-centred, digitally-enabled, and focused on sustainability, we can take Team King’s to another level.

The duties will comprise data collection, assistance with the care of patients on the wards, assistance in the operating theatre, attendance at appropriate clinics and review of appropriate literature and clinical data. Excellent neurosurgical operative experience can be obtained with senior supervision and feedback provided. The timetable for these activities is dependent upon which consultant the post holder will be working for, as is a list of possible review and research topics. The post holder will collect data relevant to the spinal pathway but will also be involved in the management of patients on the ward, assisting with operations in the theatre or operate within their experience, and assist at Outpatient Clinics which may involve travel to other hospitals.

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has an enviable track record in research and development and service innovation. In partnership with King’s College London the Trust has recently been awarded a National Research Centre in Patient Safety and Service Quality. It is also a partner in two National Institute for Health Research biomedical research centres. The first is a Comprehensive centre with King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and the second is a Specialist centre with the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation

There are 22 Consultant Neurosurgeons with a variety of interests, who provide both the general neurosurgical service as well as their special interests. There are currently 6 neurosurgical fellowships offered at King’s

Further information about King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust can be found on its website www.kch.nhs.uk .