Head Clinical Unit (Medical) Grade 1 (General Surgery) (BURNS)

Requirements:
Minimum educational qualification: Appropriate qualification that allows registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) as a Medical Specialist in General Surgery or Plastic Surgery. Registration with a professional council: Registration with the HPCSA as a Medical Specialist in General Surgery or Plastic Surgery. Experience: A minimum of 3 years’ appropriate experience after registration with the HPCSA as a Medical Specialist in General Surgery or Plastic Surgery. Inherent requirement of the job: It will be expected of the Head: Clinical Unit to work commuted overtime, limited to 12 hours, if operational requirements so demand. Participation in the after-hours consultant call system is required. The incumbent must be able to function independently in a high-volume specialist burns service and provide leadership across normal and after-hours service delivery. Competencies (knowledge/skills): Advanced clinical and operative competence in General Surgery or Plastics Surgery, including the management of complex and critically ill burns patients. Proven clinical leadership and managerial capability in a specialist surgical service, with the ability to lead a multidisciplinary Burns Unit and supervise senior and junior medical staff. Knowledge and experience in clinical governance, morbidity and mortality review, audit, quality improvement, protocol development and monitoring of standards of care. Ability to manage service access, patient flow, referral pathways, human resources and scarce clinical resources in a high-volume tertiary service. Experience in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and supervision, with the ability to contribute to specialist surgical training and academic programme development. Appropriate research experience, including supervision of research, data analysis, presentation and publication. Computer literacy and database competence are required. Excellent interpersonal, communication, relationship-building and teamwork skills. Insight into local healthcare delivery, diversity, transformation and equity.

Duties:
Provide and oversee safe, effective and efficient specialist burns care, including operative, peri-operative, critical care and after-hours service delivery. Provide overall clinical governance and clinical leadership of the Burns Unit, including development, implementation and monitoring of protocols, morbidity and mortality review, clinical audit, patient safety and quality-improvement activities. Provide strategic and operational management of the Burns Unit, including service planning, access and referral management, patient flow, resource stewardship, cost-centre oversight and responsible use of blood products, laboratory services, medicines, consumables and theatre resources. Lead, supervise and develop medical staff and trainees in the Burns Unit, including performance management, roster oversight, professional conduct, mentorship and multidisciplinary teamwork. Liaise with hospital management, General Surgery, Anaesthesia, Critical Care, Nursing, Rehabilitation services and referring clinicians to strengthen coordinated burns care and referral pathways across the Tygerberg drainage area. Provide undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, bedside training, tutorials and specialist supervision, and contribute to relevant examinations and academic programme activities. Lead and supervise research, audit, data collection and service-evaluation activities in Burns Surgery, with active participation in relevant institutional and provincial governance structures where required.

Notes:
No payment of any kind is required when applying for this post.

Enquiries: Prof G Oosthuizen, email: george-oost@sun.ac.za