Job Overview
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust invites enthusiastic and passionate Consultant Geriatricians to join our dynamic Older People’s Medicine department at Ipswich Hospital. This is an exceptional opportunity for international medical professionals seeking relocation to the United Kingdom with certificate of sponsorship support. We welcome applications from qualified consultants worldwide who are looking to build their career in the UK healthcare system.
Enhanced Welcome Package
Our Trust offers an outstanding Enhanced Welcome package including an additional £12,000 welcome bonus and comprehensive relocation costs to support your transition to the UK. This generous package demonstrates our commitment to attracting top international talent and ensuring a smooth relocation process for you and your family.
About Our Trust
ESNEFT provides hospital and community health services to nearly one million people across east Suffolk and north Essex. As one of the largest NHS organisations in England, we employ over 12,000 dedicated staff who deliver care from acute hospitals in Colchester and Ipswich, community hospitals, surgeries, clinics, and patients’ own homes.
Digital Transformation
This is an exciting time to join our Trust as we prepare for the rollout of Epic – our new electronic health record system scheduled for 2025. This digital transformation will bring world-class EPR technology to ESNEFT, revolutionizing healthcare delivery and enhancing patient care across our services.
Innovative Department
Our forward-thinking Older People’s Medicine department is developing cutting-edge services that begin in the heart of the community. We provide comprehensive care through virtual wards, specialist emergency department assessments, and seamless specialist care in our frailty assessment base – all underpinned by expertise in specialist geriatric assessment.
Patient-Centered Care Model
We operate a truly patient-centered care model that supports individuals throughout their healthcare journey. From home-based care using virtual ward technology to specialized acute hospital care, our approach ensures continuity and excellence in geriatric medicine.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
The successful candidate will conduct ward rounds on our virtual ward supported by Staff Grade doctors or SpRs. You will provide clinical leadership to our progressive, innovative multidisciplinary ward team and may act as clinical supervisor for junior team members. Daily consultant-led board rounds conducted via Teams will be part of your responsibilities.
Emergency Department Work
You will have scheduled time working in the Emergency Department as part of our FIT team, completing frailty assessments at the ‘front door’. This role involves covering two sessions weekly while listed on the timetable, with actual sessions varying week to week as cross cover is included in PA calculations.
REACT Services Support
Your role will support REACT services with clinical expertise, linking with community Dementia Intensive Support Team, social services, and Red Cross to support patients through short-term health and function deterioration. During FAB/front door frailty time, you may also hold the “hot phone” for GP and community therapist consultations.
On-Call Rota Option
This position can include participation in the general medicine on-call rota (1 in 8 weekends, one day only). This involves 12-hour shifts in EAU reviewing acutely admitted patients, with overnight availability from home if needed, supported by an acute on-call junior team.
GLINT Development
The GLINT (Geriatric Liaison to the Integrated Neighbourhood Teams) initiative represents our plan to move falls assessments out of FAB and into local teams with consultant support. This innovative approach improves patient experience and eliminates assessment duplication between community and FAB therapists.
Sub-Specialist Opportunities
We particularly welcome candidates with sub-specialist skills in areas such as onco-geriatrics, orthopaedic liaison, or virtual ward community experience. Where possible, we will negotiate timetable adjustments to allow these specialized skills to flourish within our service.
Essential Qualifications
Applicants must have inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register for Geriatrics or be within six months of expected CCT date (or eligible for entry onto these registers within 6 months of application). MRCP or equivalent qualification is essential, along with evidence of working effectively in multi-disciplinary teams.
Essential Experience Requirements
Candidates must demonstrate ability to organize and prioritize complex demands, offer expert clinical opinion on acute medical emergencies, rehabilitation and intermediate care, and provide evidence of teaching and training skills for junior doctors. Risk management and end-of-life decision-making capabilities are crucial.
Driving Requirements
A full UK driving licence and regular access to a car are essential for this role, reflecting the community-focused nature of our services and the need for mobility across our healthcare network.
Desirable Qualifications
While not essential, training in appraisal techniques, postgraduate diplomas or higher degrees, knowledge of current national NHS agendas, management training, and human factors training are desirable attributes that would enhance your application.
Visa Sponsorship Information
East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust welcomes applications from international candidates requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship. We hold a Certificate of Sponsorship and will consider all applications equally. From April 2017, skilled worker applicants must present criminal record certificates from countries resided in for 12+ months over past 10 years.
Application Process
All applications must be submitted through the NHS Jobs website. The closing date for applications is 03 October 2025. Please ensure your application demonstrates how you meet the essential and desirable criteria outlined in the person specification.
Contact Information
For further information about this position, please contact Dr Dan Coates (Clinical Lead) at [email protected] or telephone 01473 704674. We encourage potential applicants to reach out with any questions about the role or relocation process.
Why Choose ESNEFT?
We pride ourselves on supporting our staff through comprehensive training and development opportunities, flexible working options, generous pension schemes, unsocial hours payments, 27 days annual leave (pro rata), and access to NHS discounts. Our Staff Health and Wellbeing programme offers various services to support your transition and ongoing career development.
Living and Working in East Suffolk/North Essex
Our region offers an exceptional quality of life with beautiful countryside, coastal areas, and vibrant communities. Excellent transport links to London and other major cities make this an ideal location for international professionals and their families. Discover more about living and working here through our dedicated resources.
Equal Opportunities Employer
ESNEFT is committed to equal opportunities and employs more than 12,000 staff. We hold several accreditations including Apprenticeships, Defence Employer Recognition Scheme Silver, Disability Confident Employer, Happy to Talk Flexible Working, Smoke free, and Step into Health programmes.
Join Our Innovative Team
If you are passionate about patient care and want to develop your skills and knowledge within a supportive, forward-thinking environment, we want to hear from you. This represents a fantastic opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking geriatric medicine while building your career in the UK healthcare system with full sponsorship support.
