Paediatrician (Sliema, Malta)

Paediatrician (Sliema, Malta)

Our Client is one of Malta’s top hospitals, they are currently seeking to recruit a Resident Medical Officer.

Role Purpose

The paediatrician provides general medical care, monitors growth and development, and tracks and administers immunisations for infants, children and adolescents. The paediatrician diagnoses and treats illnesses, medical conditions, and injuries, and eases the lives of children with chronic conditions. The paediatrician also assesses neonatal health during natural births and caesarean sections.

Responsibilities

Clinical Services

• Restoring Health:
  • Providing general medical care and monitoring the growth and development of infants, children and adolescents.
  • Tracking and administering immunisations.
  • Providing paediatric services including being present to assist newborns during normal vaginal deliveries and caesarean sections.
  • Recommending and, where appropriate, undertaking treatment options, prescribing, counselling, advising and education.
  • Leading the medical care of inpatients who are infants, children and adolescents.
  • Holding outpatient clinics at the hospital branches in Malta according to a roster agreed with the Medical Director and other senior management team members.
  • Being non-resident on-call for general and neonatal paediatrics and general paediatrics and being available to carry out emergency work during these hours, or other hours, as per an agreed rota.
  • Refer for diagnostic, therapeutic and support services as required. Internal referrals to specialists working within the hospital group should always be the first option, with referral to external hospitals/clinics only if the service required is unavailable at Saint James. Adequate time should be allocated towards familiarisation with the system of booking diagnostic tests, referrals and the like, within the Group.
  • Appropriately collecting fluid and tissue samples and sending these to our laboratory for analysis.
  • Interpreting tests, and analysing records, reports and examination information to diagnose patients’ conditions.
  • Explaining diagnostic examinations and discussing test results or prescribed treatments with patients and their parents/legal guardians. Elucidating patient’s and parents’/legal guardians’ concerns and taking sufficient time to address them.
  • Participating in the groundwork required for the introduction of new services.

• Maintaining Health:
  • Monitoring and following up on patients’ conditions and progress; re-evaluation of management plans, as deemed necessary. This includes ongoing health and development assessment and advice.
  • Anticipating and responding to patients’ wellness-related questions and concerns.
  • Initiating and actively participating in health screening programmes carried out by the hospital.
  • Working with public health providers in the prevention and control of communicable diseases, and reporting to relevant public health authorities.
  • Providing ongoing care and support for patients with chronic and terminal conditions to reduce deterioration, increase independence and reduce suffering by linking, where relevant, with appropriate service providers.

• Improving Health:
  • Health promotion, linking to programmes developed by Public Health.
  • Health education, counselling and providing information on how to improve health and prevent disease plus interventions or treatments that treat risk factors.
  • Participating in planning, implementation and administration of health programmes or standards in hospitals and clinics, for information, prevention, or treatment of injury or illness.

Quality

• Clinical Notes:
  • Accurately recording patient consultations in the hospital information system during or immediately after the actual consultation.
  • Ensuring safe storage of patient information, such as medical history, reports and examination results.
  • Maintaining high record-keeping standards.
  • Submitting claims/filling claim forms for insured patients.

• Appraisal:
  • Participating in annual performance reviews.

• Policies:
  • Keeping abreast with current hospital policies. These are frequently updated and accessible on the hospital network.
  • Providing input for and/or reviewing new policies that concern paediatric work.

• Infection Control:
  • Maintaining a high standard of infection control and closely liaising with the infection control team.
  • Assisting with implementing new infection control policies at the hospitals and clinics, and continually promoting high standards (reminding staff to practice good hand hygiene etc.)

Education

• Teaching:
  • Taking an active role in teaching sessions/tutorials for doctors (medical officers) working full-time with the hospital. These may be outside clinical hours, up to two sessions per month.

• Continuing Medical Education:
  • Ongoing CME needs to be maintained; this is supported by special concessions from HR.

Communication

• External:
  • Ensuring professional liaison with other health professionals is maintained, including with referrers from outside the hospital as well as paediatric specialists working in other hospitals.
  • Collaborating in projects with external participants.

• Internal:
  • Being actively involved in committee membership (up to two), as required.
  • The paediatrician is expected to develop and nurture a good working relationship with the nursing and support staff across all hospital and clinic sites.
  • Coordinating work with the clinic manager, nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists, psychologists, radiographers and other health care workers.
  • Being open to assisting, discussing cases, giving advice to and receiving feedback from fellow paediatricians within the Saint James Hospital Group.
  • Maintaining patient referrals within the hospital network; establishing a good rapport with specialists in various fields, consulting with them as and when required.
  • Proficiency with and correct utilisation of the system for internal referral of patients for various services, such as radiology.

Compliance

• Complaints:
  • Tackling patient complaints that are related to paediatric work; unresolved complaints should be discussed with the Medical Director.

• Privacy:
  • Total confidentiality and privacy of patients is extremely important and should be maintained at all times.

• Health and Safety:
  • Complying with established health and safety policies including handling of instruments, storage of drugs disposal of sharps, and handling of other potentially dangerous equipment or substances.

Qualifications

• Good leadership skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives and other parties.
• Enthusiastic, passionate and motivated.
• Good organisational and management skills.
• Supportive.
• Ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.
• Willing to explore and implement new services for the improved treatment of patients.
• Relevant medical degrees
• Completion of specialist training in paediatric medicine
• Listed on the Specialist Register of the Medical Council of Malta