Consultant Neonatologist

Job overview

University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint an enthusiastic and committed substantive Consultant Neonatologist to join the Neonatal Service within Women & Children, Clinical Support Services.

The successful applicant will join an established consultant team providing tertiary neonatal intensive care through the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) at the Royal Sussex County Hospital (RSCH), local neonatal services at Princess Royal Hospital (PRH) Special Care Baby Unit(SCU), and regional neonatal transport. The post holder will contribute to high-quality neonatal intensive, high-dependency and special care; consultant on-call; outpatient and antenatal work; clinical governance; education; quality improvement; research; and service development.

The service values multidisciplinary and family-integrated working and supports the development of specialist interests aligned to departmental, network and Trust priorities.

Main duties of the job

Clinical care and service delivery

• Provide consultant-led neonatal intensive care, high-dependency care, special care and transitional/postnatal neonatal care across RSCH and PRH.

• Lead consultant ward rounds, multidisciplinary reviews, handovers and family meetings.

• Attend and supervise management of high-risk deliveries and neonatal resuscitation.

• Provide antenatal counselling for families where neonatal admission, premature birth, congenital anomaly or neonatal surgery is anticipated.

• Undertake neonatal follow-up and other agreed specialist clinics.

• Contribute to neonatal transport advice and activity in accordance with competence, service need and the agreed job plan.

• Work collaboratively with maternity, fetal medicine, paediatric surgery, radiology, cardiology, ophthalmology, pharmacy, pathology, community and network colleagues.

• Promote Family Integrated Care, shared decision-making, compassionate communication and equitable access to services.

• Ensure accurate clinical documentation, coding and timely correspondence and undertake patient-related administration within DCC time.

Clinical governance, quality and safety

• Participate in morbidity and mortality review, governance meetings, incident review, complaints learning, audit and clinical effectiveness activity.

• Support guideline development, implementation of evidence-based practice, risk management and learning from deaths.

Working for our organisation

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating.

Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more detailed information about this post please find attached the Job Description and Person Specification

Proposed Interview Date: Nov/Dec 2026

Person specification

Experience/ Qualifications

Essential criteria

• • Basic medical degree
• • MRCPCH or recognised equivalent. or its recognised equivalent.
• • Full and specialist registration (with a licence to practise) with the GMC or be eligible for registration within six months of the interview. • If you trained in the UK, you must also have a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) in Paediatrics with neonatal medicine credentials s or be within six months of receiving it by the interview date. • If you trained outside the UK, you must provide evidence that your qualifications are equivalent to the UK CCT. (Equivalence must be confirmed by GMC by date of AAC)

Desirable criteria

• • Higher Degree
• • Completed NTN Neonatology training programme -MD/PhD Higher degree (MD, PhD or MSc)
• • ARNI provider/instructor; additional relevant accreditation or leadership qualification

Clinical Skills and Experience

Essential criteria

• • Higher specialist training and substantial experience in tertiary neonatal intensive care; competence in neonatal resuscitation, invasive ventilation, high-frequency ventilation, therapeutic hypothermia and care of surgical neonates; experience of neonatal follow-up, antenatal counselling and multidisciplinary working; Understanding of clinical risk management
• • Evidence of having undertaken own development to improve understanding of equalities issues.

Desirable criteria

• • Neonatal Transport Experience
• • Echocardiography or cranial ultrasound expertise
• • Complementary specialist interest aligned to service priorities

Knowledge

Desirable criteria

• • Breadth of experience in and outside specialty

Organisation and Planning

Essential criteria

• • Experience and ability to work in multi-professional teams

Teaching Skills

Essential criteria

• • Evidence of an interest and commitment to teaching

Desirable criteria

• • Recognised teaching qualification

Academic and Research

Essential criteria

• • Evidence of participation in audit

Desirable criteria

• • Research experience
• • Publications
• • Prizes and honours

Career Progression

Essential criteria

• • Appropriate progression of career to date

Important information for applicants:

A Note on AI Use in Applications

UHSussex values authenticity and encourages applicants to ensure that all application materials accurately reflect their own skills, experience, knowledge and motivations. Candidates may use AI and digital tools to support the preparation of applications, for example to assist with spelling, grammar, structure or accessibility needs. However, applicants remain responsible for the content submitted and should ensure that it genuinely represents their own abilities and experience. Where there are reasonable concerns that an application does not authentically reflect the applicant's own knowledge, skills, experience or suitability for the role, the Trust reserves the right to explore this further and, where authenticity cannot be satisfactorily demonstrated, to reject the application.

Bank Workers: Bank workers are welcome to apply for any of our vacancies but please note if you are successful at interview there will be a delay in confirming a start date due to the Trust's current financial controls.

Closing Adverts Early: In the event of exceptional interest, we may close adverts earlier than specified.

Some of our adverts are capped for a limited number of applications; therefore, the advert will close once the cap has been reached. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible if you are interested in the position to prevent you from missing out on applying for the opportunity.

Flexible Working: If you would like to explore potential options regarding flexible working please speak with the appropriate recruiting/line manager.

DBS Checks: As part of our commitment to a safe working environment, we undertake a Disclosure and Barring Service check on all new employees where the role is eligible for a criminal record check . We make offers in line with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975.

Skilled Worker Visa: Applications for Skilled Worker sponsorship are welcome for the roles that meet the Visa and Immigrations eligibility criteria. For further information please visit the gov.uk website searching for Skilled Worker. It is your responsibility as the applicant to ensure that you meet this criteria.

UHSussex reserves the right to close the role early if we receive a high volume of applications