Fellow in Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery

University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust; Bristol; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare institution in Bristol is seeking a Senior Fellow in Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery for a 12-month fixed term. The role involves attending clinics, performing surgeries, and contributing to teaching. Applicants should possess a medical degree, MRCS, and experience in cleft surgery. This position offers an opportunity to engage in research and clinical care, enhancing both professional and personal growth within a supportive environment focused on excellent patient care.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in cleft lip and palate surgery above standard training level.
• Attendance at non obligatory training courses.
• Ability to organise oneself and own work.

Responsibilities

• Attend multidisciplinary clinics at the hub unit in Bristol.
• Participate in primary and secondary cleft surgery at specified hospitals.
• Contribute to undergraduate teaching and develop teaching materials.

Skills

Good manual skills and hand / eye co‑ordination

Experience of clinical risk management

Competent to work without direct supervision

Clear, logical thinking showing an analytical approach

Experience in multi professional teams

Particular skill in cleft lip and palate surgery

Education

MB BS / MB CHB or equivalent

MRCS

Intercollegiate Specialty Examination (Plastic Surgery/ ENT/ OMFS) or equivalent

Job description

Main area Dental, Surgery Division - South West Cleft Service Grade Senior Fellow Contract Fixed term: 12 months (12 months contract) Hours Full time - 40 hours per week Job ref 387-S5535-DY

Site Bristol Dental Hospital Town Bristol Salary £65,048 - £73,992 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 30/12/2025 23:59

As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under‑represented within the Trust.

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) describes algorithms that can be used to produce new content, including audio, code, images, text, simulations and videos. It is developing all the time and is now being used as a support mechanism for all kinds of content-based creations. Please note the use of AI is monitored and if applicants have used it then they are required to declare this.

Job overview

An excellent opportunity has arisen to provide a 12 months fellowship in Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery, following an exciting collaboration between The South West Cleft Services, The Cleft Collective and Craniofacial Australia.

The South West Cleft Services, based at the University Hospital North Bristol and Weston NHS Trust in Bristol, is one of the nine national cleft centres that caters for patients with cleft lip and palate from the South West of England. We are accredited to provide the whole spectrum of care for patients with cleft lip and palate, including surgery, psychology, speech therapy, dental and orthodontic care and specialist cleft nurse support. The hub unit at Bristol accepts referrals from the South West of England. Outreach Clinics take place in Gloucester, Taunton, Exeter, Plymouth and Truro throughout the year. We treat 70+ new babies per annum and also have a significant caseload of children and adults with non‑cleft related VPD (velopharyngeal dysfunction). We host specialist clinics for children and adults with 22q11 deletion and well as regular nasendoscopy and videofluoroscopy speech investigation clinics. We also manage a constant case load of patients with facial deformity and have an ever‑increasing case load of patients with craniofacial deformities.

Main duties of the job

Cleft clinics: The Fellow will attend all the multidisciplinary clinics based at the hub unit in Bristol. There will also be opportunities to attend peripheral clinics, speech investigation clinics and cleft audit clinics. All aspects of the management of the patient with cleft lip and palate will be covered.

Operative Surgery: The Fellow will attend operating lists at The Bristol Royal Hospital for Children and at The Bristol Royal Infirmary to achieve competence, including the management of complications, in the techniques of primary and secondary cleft surgery standardised in the unit. The Fellow will fully participate in pre‑ and post‑operative care of patients on the operating lists they attend.

Research Responsibilities: The Fellow will join the research team at The Cleft Collective and spend 1.5 days undertaking research. A research project will be allocated to the Fellow at the start of the fellowship, following discussion with the research team at The Cleft Collective and the clinical supervisors at The South West Cleft Services.

Teaching: The Fellow will be expected to contribute to the teaching of undergraduate medical students, core surgical trainees and higher surgical trainees on a regular basis either through lectures or tutorials. He or she will also participate in the development of teaching materials.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward‑thinking multi‑award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world‑leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more the detailed job description and person specification, please see the attached document. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Person specification

Knowledge and Experience

• Appropriate level of clinical knowledge
• Shows knowledge of evidence‑informed practice
• Shows awareness of own limitations
• Demonstrates breadth of experience and awareness in and outside specialty
• Information Technology skills
• Attendance at non obligatory training courses
• Demonstrated experience in cleft lip and palate surgery above standard training level

Skills and Abilites

• Good manual skills and hand / eye co‑ordination
• Experience of clinical risk management
• Competent to work without direct supervision where appropriate
• Clear, logical thinking showing an analytical/scientific approach
• Experience and ability to work in multi professional teams
• Particular skill in the field of cleft lip and palate surgery
• Attendance at relevant courses

Qualifications and Training

• MB BS / MB CHB or equivalent
• MRCS
• Intercollegiate Specialty Examination (Plastic Surgery/ ENT/ OMFS) or equivalent

Additional and Aptitudes

• Ability to prioritise clinical need
• Ability to organise oneself and own work
• Research experience, presentations, publications, prizes and honours
• Paper / presentation at a national or international meeting or published in a peer review journal
• Evidence of teaching experience
• Enthusiasm for teaching; exposure to different groups / teaching methods

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

• As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
• The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.
• UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.
• To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.
• If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.
• The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.
• By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.
• Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e‑mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

IMPORTANT

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification.

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work‑related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Name Shaheel Chummun Job title Cleft Surgeon Email address [e-mail]

Additional information

Azra Tejani

[e-mail]

Cleft Performance and operations manager