Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the larger trusts in the South West of England. There are two main acute hospitals – Cheltenham General and Gloucestershire Royal. Both hospitals have busy A&E departments (the CGH site closes for most Ambulance cases between 2000 and 0800) and accommodate a comprehensive range of DGH specialities with all the major sub-specialties including Cardiology, Respiratory, Gastroenterology, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Elderly Care, Renal, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Haematology, and Critical Care. Cheltenham also holds the three counties Oncology Unit which serves a population of over one million.
There has been extensive development on both sites, with new departments, doctors’ accommodation and Education Centres. There is an excellent reputation for providing high quality training with trained motivated consultants, a clear structure of tutors and investment by the Trust in expansion of training opportunities for Specialty Training.
The Department of Medicine is represented on both sites with acute takes. We offer an excellent educational opportunity for trainees wishing to acquire a broad breadth of experience in the CMT years.
| GRH | Acute Medicine | Gastroenterology | Endocrinology/GIM |
| GRH | Respiratory | Neuro/Rheum | Cardiology |
| GRH | Neuro/Rheum | Haematology | Respiratory |
| GRH | Elderly Care | Critical Care | |
| GRH | Critical Care | Elderly Care | |
| GRH | Endocrinology/GIM | Acute Medicine | Neurology/Rheumatology |
| CGH | Oncology | Cardiology | |
| CGH | Oncology | Gastroenterology | Acute Medicine |
| CGH | Critical Care | Elderly Care | |
| CGH | Elderly Care | Critical Care | |
| CGH | Critical Care | Respiratory | |
| CGH | Respiratory | Critical Care | |
| CGH | Cardiology | Oncology | |
| GRH | Gastroenterology | Renal | |
| GRH | Acute Medicine | Cardiology | Haematology |
| GRH | Renal | Gastroenterology | |
| GRH | Cardiology | Endocrinology | Acute Medicine |
| GRH | Haematology | Respiratory | Endocrinology/GIM |
| CGH | Cardiology | Oncology | Gastroenterology |
| CGH | Gastroenterology | Endocrinology/GIM | Cardiology |
| CGH | Endocrinology | Acute Medicine | Gastroenterology |
| CGH | Gastroenterology | Cardiology | Oncology |
Acute medicine
Both sites have a dedicated area for the assessment and early management of medical patients following referrals from the Emergency department and the single site of access, we have made radical changes to the care of acutely ill patients with rapid senior review and increased supervision of trainees working on these units. There is excellent training in the diagnosis and management of acutely presenting medical patients.
Respiratory
There are seven Thoracic physicians who each lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses. Excellent training in respiratory medicine with close consultant supervision is present on both sites. A pulmonary function laboratory and sleep lab enhances the training opportunities and trainees can observe (and if interested learn) bronchoscopy.
The Department provides the following Outpatient services:
- General Respiratory Service
- Sleep Service
- Allergy Service
- Suspected Respiratory Cancer Service
Haematology
There are eight Haematologists who each lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses. There is a strong Consultant presence on the wards and there are excellent opportunities for training in a multidisciplinary environment.
ICU/Critical Care
Critical care provides excellent training for those on core medical training rotations.
It teaches:
- Advanced airway management
- Recognition and stabilisation of the critically unwell patient
- Resuscitation skills and techniques
- Invasive monitoring procedures -set up and interpretation of Sedation skills
- Inotropic support
- Renal replacement therapy including establishment of haemofiltration
General & Old Age Medicine
There are ten General and Old Age Medicine Physicians who each lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses. The department is dedicated to maintaining and improving the health, independence, and quality of life of older persons and focuses on reducing the burden of dependent persons through learning and discovery. The post provides an opportunity to learn about all aspects of acute elderly care medicine, while also appreciating the wider multidisciplinary nature of long-term conditions and their associated disability.
Cardiology
There are eight Cardiologists who each lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses. The Cardiology department is a dedicated multi-disciplinary team. There is a busy cardiac ward and coronary care unit, daily ward rounds of acute admissions as well as primary PCI, echocardiography and stress testing.
Neurology
There are four Neurologists who each lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses. The small medical team work closely together in looking after the neurology in-patients. There are many learning opportunities as part of the everyday clinical work on the ward. The very closely supervised out-patient clinics provides experience of out-patient neurology
Rheumatology
The Rheumatology multidisciplinary team is led by five consultants. The team also includes an associate specialist, specialist nurses, specialist physiotherapists, occupational therapists and clinical psychologist. Considerable experience will be gained in a broad range of Rheumatological disorders, both on the ward and in the outpatient clinic, where there will be the opportunity to see both new and follow-up patients under close supervision. Training in musculoskeletal examination skills and joint injection techniques will be given.
Oncology
The Gloucestershire Oncology Centre is located on the Cheltenham General Hospital site and provides comprehensive cancer services for a catchment population of just over one million people. There are twelve Oncologists who lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses.
Endocrinology
There are five Consultant Physicians in Endocrinology who each lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses. There is the opportunity to gain experience in performing a range of dynamic endocrine testing and learning how to interpret those results. Trainees are encouraged to spend time with the multidisciplinary diabetes team to gain greater insight into the management of diabetes for both in and outpatients in particular with a view to becoming more experienced in the management of insulin treated diabetes.
Gastroenterology
There are eleven Gastroenterology consultants who each lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses. The inpatient work includes caring for patients on our four bedded GI bleed unit (GRH), as well as looking after patients with Inflammatory bowel disease and Liver Disease. The team works closely with the GI surgical unit and there are regular histopathology and radiology meetings. The weekly outpatient clinic provides experience of the less acute aspects of Gastroenterology including chronic liver disease, functional bowel disease and less acute IBD. There is a monthly evening departmental meeting.
Renal
There are five Nephrology consultants who each lead a team of specialist doctors and nurses. Post provides excellent experience in all aspects of renal medicine except transplantation so that doctors leave with an awareness of the differential diagnosis of causes of renal failure as well as how to investigate it and manage common complications. The dialysis unit is situated at GRH.
Considerable general medical training is also provided both in the care of renal patients with other diseases and a substantial number of general medical in-patients.
Teaching Facilities
There are two main educational facilities for Gloucestershire Hospitals as part of the Academy at Sandford Education Centre situated in Cheltenham and Redwood Education Centre situated in Gloucester. The Academy is made up of the Gloucestershire Hospitals Foundation Trust, 2gether Trust, Gloucestershire PCT and the Ambulance Trust working with the University of Bristol, the University of the West of England and the University of Gloucestershire.
Core Medical Teaching
There is a weekly teaching programme for the CMT CT1s and CT2s on a Thursday afternoon. Teaching alternates between Cheltenham and Gloucester on a monthly basis and runs for two hours each week from 2.15pm and close at 4.30pm.
PACES Teaching
There is regular PACES teaching at both sites. We host PACES once a year and have an excellent PACES pass rate.
CMT tutors
- Dr Richard Makins (CGH)
- Dr Simon Message (GRH)
Gloucestershire Academy
The Gloucestershire Academy is one of seven bodies of teachers that delivers the 3rd, 4th and 5th year of the University of Bristol Undergraduate Medical Student Curriculum. It is the largest provider outside Bristol itself.
Other Information
There is an active Staff Social Committee who organise a wide range of social events for all staff as well as events organised by the Mess Presidents. An open air swimming pool and gym are situated next to Cheltenham General Hospital. A short distance from Gloucestershire Royal Hospital is the local leisure centre which offers free swimming to Trust staff as well as a gym. Both gyms offer reduced membership rates.
About the Area
For further information on our Trust and the local area please visit the Geographic Areas tab on the left hand side and the Trust's website via the link below: