Employer information
The employer for these posts, except psychiatry, is Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
The GWH is a modern medium sized acute NHS Foundation Trust providing emergency care, surgery, diagnostics, paediatrics, maternity, out-patient and day case services.
The hospital opened in December 2002, replacing the Princess Margaret Hospital in Old Town, Swindon. The GWH is superbly designed and equipped and offers a first class environment for patients, visitors and staff, with over 30% of our beds provided in single rooms with en-suite facilities, helping maintain patients’ privacy and dignity whilst under our care.
With more than 600 beds, the GWH offers a range of services and facilities from a busy Emergency Department, a dynamic radiology department and one of the best maternity units in the country which includes the new ‘White Horse Birthing Centre’.
Psychiatry and GP Placements
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will remain your employer during your psychiatry or GP placement.
Psychiatry placements are with Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP), a significant provider of specialist mental health services to adults and older people in: Bath and North East Somerset (BANES), Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and Swindon.
They provide specialist drug and alcohol services and specialist and secure mental health services including prison mental health services, to people living across a wider area.
Increasingly AWP provide treatment and care in people’s own homes and other community settings, reflecting the preferences of our service users. AWPs community services are supported by high quality inpatient services that provide short term assessment, treatment and care.
F1 Placement Descriptions
Information on the placements that make up the F1 rotations at Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Click on the specialty to learn more.
F1 Acute internal medicine (AAU)
F1 Cardiology
F1 Endocrinology and diabetes mellitus
Placement F1 Endocrinology and diabetes mellitus
Great Western HospitalThe department The Diabetes Care Team is made up of four Consultants, eight Diabetes Specialist Nurses, two Dieticians, two Podiatrists, a Clinical Psychologist, three Medical Secretaries and one Diabetes Specialist Nurse Secretary. The type of work to expect and learning opportunities All F1 Doctors in hospital posts will generally be ward based during the ‘normal’ working day and expected to deliver the daily medical care of all the patients on their ward irrespective of specialty. The overall educational objectives of the F1 year are to provide the trainee with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to
- Take a history and examine a patient
- Identify and synthesize problems
- Prescribe safely
- Keep an accurate and relevant medical record
- Manage time and clinical priorities effectively
- Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues
- Use evidence, guidelines and audit to benefit patient care
- Act in a professional manner at all times
- Cope with ethical and legal issues which occur during the management of patients with general medical problems
- Educate patients effectively
- Become life-long learners and teachers
Where the placement is based Mercury Ward (Endocrine side) 18 beds Clinical Supervisor(s) for the placement Allocated upon commencement of the rotation Main duties of the placement The F1 doctor is responsible with other staff for the ward care of patients and the maintenance of the patient’s medical record. They are expected to attend the structured teaching programmes provided by the department. The doctor will be responsible for such other specific clinical duties as allocated by consultants including performing other duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
Typical working pattern in this placement Mon: Ward work am. Consultant WR pm Tues: Ward round til lunch. Ward jobs afterwards
Wed: Ward round til 1245. F1 teaching til 2pm. Jobs afterwards
Thurs: Ward round all day different cons
Fri: Ward til lunch. Departmental teaching at 1245 – 2pm. Jobs afterwards
Sat: off or ward cover (1100 to 2000)
Sun: off or ward cover (1100 to 2000)
On call requirements: ONCE A WEEK, WARD COVER FROM 5PM TO 9PM. WEEKEND ONCALL EVERY FEW WEEKS
It is important to note that this description is a typical example of your placement and may be subject to change.
F1 Gastroenterology
Placement F1 Gastroenterology
Great Western HospitalThe department Neptune Ward isa 39 bed medical ward which specialises in treating adult male and female patients with gastro-intestinal conditions. We are on Level 4 of the Great Western Hospital.
The type of work to expect and learning opportunities All F1 Doctors in hospital posts will generally be ward based during the ‘normal’ working day and expected to deliver the daily medical care of all the patients on their ward irrespective of specialty. The overall educational objectives of the F1 year are to provide the trainee with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to
- Take a history and examine a patient
- Identify and synthesize problems
- Prescribe safely
- Keep an accurate and relevant medical record
- Manage time and clinical priorities effectively
- Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues
- Use evidence, guidelines and audit to benefit patient care
- Act in a professional manner at all times
- Cope with ethical and legal issues which occur during the management of patients with general medical problems
- Educate patients effectively
- Become life-long learners and teachers
Where the placement is based Neptune Ward Clinical Supervisor(s) for the placement Allocated upon commencement of the rotation Main duties of the placement The F1 doctor is responsible with other staff for the ward care of patients and the maintenance of the patient’s medical record. They are expected to attend the structured teaching programmes provided by the department. The doctor will be responsible for such other specific clinical duties as allocated by consultants including performing other duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
Typical working pattern in this placement Mon: Registrar Morning wards rounds/Jobs/ Consultant afternoon ward rounds
Tues: Consultant Morning ward rounds/afternoon registrar rounds/jobs
Wed: All day Registrar ward rounds/jobs afternoon journal club/ SWIFT teaching
Thurs: Morning registrar ward rounds/ward jobs/consultant afternoon ward rounds
Fri: Consultant morning ward rounds/ward jobs/Lunch time Gastro radiology meeting/registrar afternoon ward rounds
Sat: as per rota
Sun: As per rota
On call requirements: Once weekly ward cover
It is important to note that this description is a typical example of your placement and may be subject to change.
F1 General psychiatry
F1 General surgery
Placement F1 General surgery
Great Western HospitalThe department The Surgical department comprises 3 Emergency and General Surgical Consultants, 3 registrars, an F2 and a team of nurses who are based in the Brunel Treatment Centre. They also cover General Surgical cases. SAU
The Surgical Assessment Unit is currently an 15-bedded mixed-sex assessment unit for surgical patients located adjacent to A and E. At present there is the capacity to accommodate a further four patients who require surgical assessment on either chairs or within an extra bed area between 8am and 8pm
There is a daily SAU clinic for assessment of surgical patients, run by the SAU consultants and staffed by the on-call junior staff.
The type of work to expect and learning opportunities You will gain experience in the identification, assessment and management of the common surgical emergencies. All F1 Doctors in General Surgery are team based, working in the firm with their seniors and are expected to deliver the daily medical care of all the patients under the care of their 3 consultants There is opportunity to attend theatre and outpatients for further training.
The Great Western Surgical Department provides a dedicated week of F1 training in specialities allied to surgery, ENT, radiology, orthopaedics and breast imaging. Each F1 is assigned a week rotating through these departments and have 1 to 1 consultant led training. During this week F1s have no on call or ward commitments. It is an excellent opportunity to be trained in other skills.
The educational objectives of the F1 year are to provide the trainee with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to
- Take a history and examine a patient
- Identify and synthesise problems
- Prescribe safely
- Keep an accurate and relevant medical record
- Manage time and clinical priorities effectively
- Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues
- Use evidence, guidelines and audit to benefit patient care
- Act in a professional manner at all times
- Cope with ethical and legal issues which occur during the management of patients with general medical problems
- Educate patients effectively
- Become life-long learners and teachers.
Where the placement is based Brunel Treatment Centre / SAU Clinical Supervisor(s) for the placement Allocated upon commencement of the rotation. Main duties of the placement The F1 doctor is responsible with other staff for the ward care of patients and the maintenance of the patient’s medical record. These duties will include the preoperative assessment and preparation of patients for elective or emergency inpatient surgery, postoperative assessment and management and effective discharge communication including ensuring appropriate follow-up arrangements. They will have opportunity to work with the consultants in outpatients clinics, attend theatre lists, and also take responsibility for identifying and managing problems arising in on the ward. The on call commitment includes exposure to both general surgical and urological emergencies.
They are expected to attend the structured teaching programmes provided by the department. The doctor will be responsible for such other specific clinical duties as allocated by consultants including performing other duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
Typical working pattern in this placement Daily- ward rounds with SHO and SpR assessing each consultants’ patients. Usually finished by lunchtime. Rest of day doing jobs/EDS/ etc. Mon: 8:00 – 18:00
Tues: 8:00 – 18:00
Wed: 8:00 – 18:00
12:30 -14:00 F1 teaching
Thurs: 8:00 – 18:00
Fri: 8:00 – 18:00On call requirements: Over 12 weeks - 7 days on call 08:00 – 21:00 and 7 nights 20:30 – 10:00 with annual leave and time in lieu in between
Each F1 has at least one week of “rest” allocated as well as two weeks of annual leave in each 4 month attachment
It is important to note that this description is a typical example of your placement and may be subject to change.
F1 Geriatric medicine
Placement F1 Geriatric medicine
Great Western HospitalThe department DOME is a Directorate of Adult Medicine and is responsible for a wide range of services including:
- Stroke
- TIA
- Movement Disorder
- Falls
The type of work to expect and learning opportunities All F1 Doctors in hospital posts will generally be ward based during the ‘normal’ working day and expected to deliver the daily medical care of all the patients on their ward irrespective of specialty.
The overall educational objectives of the F1 year are to provide the trainee with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to
- Take a history and examine a patient
- Identify and synthesize problems
- Prescribe safely
- Keep an accurate and relevant medical record
- Manage time and clinical priorities effectively
- Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues
- Use evidence, guidelines and audit to benefit patient care
- Act in a professional manner at all times
- Cope with ethical and legal issues which occur during the management of patients with general medical problems
- Educate patients effectively
- Become life-long learners and teachers
Where the placement is based Department Of Medicine for the Elderly (DOME)
Clinical Supervisor(s) for the placement Allocated upon commencement of the rotation
Main duties of the placement The F1 doctor is responsible with other staff for the ward care of patients and the maintenance of the patient’s medical record.
They are expected to attend the structured teaching programmes provided by the department. The doctor will be responsible for such other specific clinical duties as allocated by consultants including performing other duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
Typical working pattern in this placement Daily: 0900 – 1200 Ward round
Mon: 1500 discharge meeting.
Tues: Ward work
Wed: 1230 – 1400 F1 teaching
Thurs: Ward work
Fri: Ward work
Teaching 1400-1500One night oncall a week until 9pm
One weekend oncall every 1:5 and 1:9 alternating
On call requirements:
1 month block oncall with 4 nights followed by:
One week of 12-7pm shift
Two weeks of 9-9pm with one 8-9pm shift
3 more nights
2 weeks annual leave
Then 4pm – midnight for one weekIt is important to note that this description is a typical example of your placement and may be subject to change.
F1 Intensive care medicine (ICU)
F1 Old age psychiatry
Placement F1 Old age psychiatry
Victoria CentreThe department The Victoria Centre located on the GWH site which provides inpatient services for older people with mental health problems. The type of work to expect and learning opportunities The F1will be supervised by Dr Manchip, Consultant in Old Age Psychiatry. Trainees will be responsible, under supervision, for the day to day medical management of patients on the dementia assessment ward and the functional ward. In both case there will be a higher trainee covering the ward too (for advice and for example to complete a section 5(2))
There will be one memory clinic/week. This will be under supervision and will be new assessments and cognitive testing for people with early dementia.
There is the opportunity for joint visits with other trainees into care homes and community- there will be no visits alone.
Recent trainees have been encouraged in audit and in the last 3 years, 6 have had articles published in peer reviewed journals.
There is one hour weekly clinical/educational supervision. The consultant is directly contactable for advice.
There is a weekly academic programme that takes place every Wednesday afternoon.
There is also the Foundation Doctor training programme on the Great Western Campus site.
Opportunities are available to go out with the community team, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and OT to get a broad multi disciplinary experience.
The overall educational objectives of the F1 year are to provide the trainee with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to:
- Take a history and examine a patient
- Identify and synthesise problems
- Prescribe safely
- Keep an accurate and relevant medical record
- Manage time and clinical priorities effectively
- Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues
- Use evidence, guidelines and audit to benefit patient care
- Act in a professional manner at all times
- Cope with ethical and legal issues which occur during the management of patients with mental health problems, special attention/training in this post is given to understanding of legal frameworks such as the Mental Capacity Act
- Educate patients effectively
- Become life-long learners and teachers.
Where the placement is based The Victoria Centre
Clinical Supervisor(s) for the placement Dr Simon Manchip
Main duties of the placement The F1 doctor is responsible with other staff for the care of patients and the maintenance of the patient’s medical record. They will have the opportunity to work with the consultants in outpatients clinics, and also take responsibility for problems arising in their area of Psychiatry.
They are expected to attend the structured teaching programmes provided by the department. The doctor will be responsible for such other specific clinical duties as allocated by consultants including performing other duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
Assessment of Medically Ill Patients: Guidance for Foundation trainees.
As a Foundation doctor, you may be called on to assess patients who are medically unfit either in the psychiatry in-patient units or possibly in the community. It is important to be aware that psychiatric hospitals do not have facilities to support patients with serious physical health problems and you are not in a position working in these settings to facilitate urgent investigation, or initiate immediate and complex treatment such as IV support, catheterisation. In many respects the support available may even be less than in a standard community setting as there is a lack of access to GP level medical advice. In the event that a patient needs more immediate and complex physical assessment, it is advisable to discuss with a senior psychiatry colleague and it is generally necessary to have these individuals seen in the nearest A&E department. It would of course be helpful if a patient was referred, to discuss the case with the casualty team, while the transfer is being organised. This would normally require an ambulance, which the in-patient team would generally organise.
As a Foundation doctor working in psychiatry, you would not normally be expected to initiate complex physical treatments. If you are uncertain about appropriate physical care of an individual, you should always discuss this issue with a senior psychiatry colleague, who may be the local core/advanced trainee in your unit or your consultant or the consultant on-call. It may be useful to contact the specialist team in the general hospital for advice, but where a complex decision is being made this should always be shared with senior colleagues in the psychiatric team, who will be responsible for the treatment while the patient is in a psychiatric hospital. Note that discussion of the physical problems with a more senior psychiatric colleague is not generally to get expert medical advice (bearing in mind that as the psychiatric specialists become more senior their physical medicine skills tend to become out of date), but to bring the concerns to their attention so they can advise on the need to contact local acute medical/surgical services and how best to do this.
Typical working pattern in this placement Mon
1000-1230 Functional Ward Round
1400-1630 Memory ClinicTue
1100- 1200 Supervision
1300-1400 Community team meeting
1400- 1630 Dementia care ward roundWed
1000-1300 ward work
1400- 1700 teachingThurs
1000- 1300 ward work
1400-1700 auditFri
1000-1300 ward work
1400 1700 adminThere is no on call, but the F1 may shadow one of the higher trainees on their on call during the day
Note: Access to a car preferable but not essential
It is important to note that this description is a typical example of your placement and may be subject to change.
F1 Paediatrics
F1 Palliative medicine
F1 Respiratory medicine
Placement F1 Respiratory medicine
Great Western HospitalThe department The Respiratory department consists of 5 Consultants who are supported by a team of junior doctors and nurses. They provide care for patients with a wide range of general respiratory complaints as well sub-specialty areas including Sleep medicine, Chronic Obstructive Airways Disease, Interstitial Lung Disease and Lung Cancer. The type of work to expect and learning opportunities All F1 Doctors in hospital posts will generally be ward based during the ‘normal’ working day and expected to deliver the daily medical care of all the patients on their ward. Whilst in the Respiratory attachment the F1 will be involved with the generic clerking of patients being admitted and the ongoing care of the patients in the unit.
The overall educational objectives of the F1 year are to provide the trainee with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to
- Take a history and examine a patient
- Identify and synthesise problems
- Prescribe safely
- Keep an accurate and relevant medical record
- Manage time and clinical priorities effectively
- Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues
- Use evidence, guidelines and audit to benefit patient care
- Act in a professional manner at all times
- Cope with ethical and legal issues which occur during the management of patients with general medical problems
- Educate patients effectively
- Become life-long learners and teachers.
Where the placement is based Saturn Ward
Clinical Supervisor(s) for the placement Allocated upon commencement of the rotation.
Main duties of the placement The F1 doctor is responsible with other staff for the ward care of patients and the maintenance of the patient’s medical record.
They are expected to attend the structured teaching programmes provided by the department. The doctor will be responsible for such other specific clinical duties as allocated by consultants including performing other duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
Typical working pattern in this placement Mon
9am Board Round (all team &* nurse) followed by consultant WR
2pm WardTues
9am -5 Ward cover
Grand round 12.30 – 2pmWed
9am ward cover
12.30 F1 teaching
2-5 ward coverThurs
8am Lung CA MDT
10 am Consultant ward roundFri
9am Board Round
9.20 Ward Round with consultants
12.30pm Respiratory team teachingOn call requirements
one twilight oncall shift a week (5-9) and 1 weekend and then we rotate onto a 6 week acute medicine block for 6 weeksIt is important to note that this description is a typical example of your placement and may be subject to change.
F1 Trauma and orthopaedic surgery
F1 Urology
Placement F1 Urology
Great Western HospitalThe department The Urology Surgical department comprises 3 Consultants, junior doctors and a team of nurses who are based in the Brunel Treatment Centre. They also cover General Surgical cases. SAU
The Surgical Assessment Unit is currently an 15-bedded mixed-sex assessment unit for surgical patients located adjacent to A and E. At present there is the capacity to accommodate a further four patients who require surgical assessment on either chairs or within an extra bed area between 8am and 8pm
There is a daily SAU clinic for assessment of surgical patients, run by the SAU consultants and staffed by the on-call junior staff.
The type of work to expect and learning opportunities You will be attached to the Urology team with on call duties for both General Surgery and Urology where you will gain experience in the identification, assessment and management of the common surgical emergencies.
The Urology F1 Doctors work as a team with the urology registrar, staff grade and consultants. Most of the urology patients are based on one urology ward although the urology F1 may be caring for urology patients on other wards. The urology F1 will work on the urology firm There will be opportunities to attend theatre and outpatient clinics and endoscopy.
The Great Western Surgical Department provides a dedicated week of F1 training in specialities allied to surgery, ENT, radiology, orthopaedics and breast imaging. Each F1 is assigned a week rotating through these departments and have 1 to 1 consultant led training. During this week F1s have no on call or ward commitments. It is an excellent opportunity to be trained in other skills.
The educational objectives of the F1 year are to provide the trainee with the knowledge, skills and attitudes to be able to
- Take a history and examine a patient
- Identify and synthesise problems
- Prescribe safely
- Keep an accurate and relevant medical record
- Manage time and clinical priorities effectively
- Communicate effectively with patients, relatives and colleagues
- Use evidence, guidelines and audit to benefit patient care
- Act in a professional manner at all times
- Cope with ethical and legal issues which occur during the management of patients with general medical problems
- Educate patients effectively
- Become life-long learners and teachers
Where the placement is based Brunel Treatment Centre / SAU
Clinical Supervisor(s) for the placement Allocated upon commencement of the rotation.
Main duties of the placement You will attend ward rounds and manage the ward patients on a daily basis with support from the Urology team. You will also be expected to attend operating theatre sessions where possible to develop an understanding of the principles underlying the practice of surgery.
The F1 doctor is responsible with other staff for the ward care of patients and the maintenance of the patient’s medical record.
They are expected to attend the structured teaching programmes provided by the department. The doctor will be responsible for such other specific clinical duties as allocated by consultants including performing other duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseen circumstances.
Typical working pattern in this placement Mon: 0800 Ward round with the Urology registrar
Tues: 0815 MDT followed by ward round
Wed: 0800 ward round / 1230 F1 teaching
Thurs: 0800 ward round
Fri: 0800 2 x consultant ward roundsOn call requirements:
Over 12 weeks - 7 days on call 08:00 – 21:00 and 7 nights 20:30 – 10:00 with annual leave and time in lieu in betweenEach F1 has at least one week of “rest” allocated as well as two weeks of annual leave in each 4 month attachment
It is important to note that this description is a typical example of your placement and may be subject to change.