A&E Consultant and F1 Programme Director for Tunbridge Wells Hospital
"We provide high quality training opportunities and stand all our Trainees in good stead for the future"
Consultant in Emergency Medicine | TDP FY2 TWH | SuppoRTT Champion
College Tutor (Tunbridge Wells)
Head of Medical Education
Medical Education Manager
Medical Staffing Manager
Foundation Programme Manager
Foundation Programme Administrator
The Education & Training Centre is the hub of the hospital as far as the doctors in training are concerned and we pride ourselves in the way we look after our Resident Doctors. Our Centre provides quality space and equipment for teaching, simulation training and meetings and friendly staff are active in sending teaching reminders and monitoring ePortfolio progress.
The onsite Simulation facilities include: Sim man 3G, Sim man 3G+, 2 Paediatric Sims, 2 ‘Nursing Ann’s’, 2 Babies, ‘2 Premature Ann’s’ and a ‘Sim Mum’. These are located in the Clinical skills rooms for use in training. There is a Laparoscopic training Centre located within the Maidstone Academic Centre.
We believe it to be one of the best designed and equipped Education Centres in the region.
Accommodation is available on site at Tunbridge Wells Hospital for all our F1 doctors. Communal living creates a great atmosphere among fellow F1s who often make friends for life.
Outside of work there is a vibrant social life including ‘Pay Day’ themed outings and other regular Mess Nights organised by F1s. Foundation Doctors also organise the Winter and Summer Ball and Annual Cricket Match against the Consultants.
The Doctors’ Mess has four F1 presidents and they arrange social events taking place throughout the year. The Mess is located close to the Education & Training Centre, on level -2.
There is 24/7 access to the Library, situated in the Education Centre providing access to traditional (textbooks, journals, search skills training) and internet-based resources (e-journals, ebooks, Dynamed, Netvibes, Clinical Key and Anatomy TV). Doctors in training are actively involved in all decision making on resources. Friendly staff provide tailored Knowledge Services and are highly responsive to Resident Doctor needs. Medical Humanities: Foundation Doctors can attend a bi-monthly virtual Book Club and a Film Club held in the spacious auditorium within the Maidstone Academic Centre.
Modern I.T facilities and 24/7 Wi-Fi access available throughout the Hospital.
Royal Tunbridge Wells (an old Royal Spa town) is renowned for its superb range of high street and boutique shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs and bars. Two theatres mean access to regular plays, dance and comedy performances. There is easy access to the gym, cinema, bowling and many retail outlets at Knights Park Leisure Complex. Tesco supermarket is only 10 minutes’ walk away, and there is a Costa Coffee and WHSmiths located within the hospital.
The hospital is situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty with plenty of opportunities to walk, boat and bike ride including Bewl Water Lake, The Hop Farm and a number of vineyards, castles, gardens and stately homes.
The Tunbridge Wells Hospital (TWH) is situated in Kent, three miles from the centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells with regular buses running to and from the town centre. Direct trains run from Tunbridge Wells to London Charing Cross and London Bridge in under an hour. You can also catch the bus directly to Brighton in 2 hours. The hospital is 15 minutes from the M25. With excellent transport links, Tunbridge Wells lies within easy reach of the South Coast, Gatwick Airport and the Channel Tunnel.
Parking permits are available for on-site parking, which can be paid for on a monthly basis or ‘pay as you go’ daily.
National Quality Accreditation was awarded to MTW, following an assessment by a team of external senior healthcare professionals. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s Cancer and Haematology Directorate, based at the Kent Oncology Centre at Maidstone Hospital, has been accredited by CHKS. Providing specialist cancer services to around 2 million people across Kent and East Sussex, the Centre is the fourth largest oncology service in the country. The Trust offers PET CT services in a new, dedicated building.
The Kent and Medway Orthopaedic Centre is a newly built theatre complex at Maidstone Hospital. The theatres will expand planned orthopaedic surgery capacity at MTW and across Kent.
Tunbridge Wells Hospital is a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) hospital, providing mainly single bedded, en-suite accommodation for inpatients in a modern, state of the art environment. It is a designated Trauma Unit, undertakes the Trust’s emergency surgery, and is the main site for Women and Children and Orthopaedic services.
Our hospitals offer an extremely friendly learning environment which ensures that you are exposed to all aspects of Acute Medicine and Acute Surgery. Our rotas are designed to offer you a broadbased learning experience. The fact that many medical students and Resident Doctors have returned to the Hospital as part of their further training is a testament to the way we treat staff here.
F1 Doctors join the Trust for a week of Induction and shadowing prior to joining the wards on the first Wednesday in August, with a social event on the weekend before starting. We have a comprehensive Trust Induction day for F2 Doctors followed by an orientation, before their Departmental Induction the following day.
We offer a number of Taster Week timetables in various specialties throughout the Trust.
Simulation has a high profile with in the Trust and has had a significant investment. There is a dedicated Simulation Faculty responsible for running compulsory training sessions for all Foundation Doctors. We have received excellent feedback from current Resident Doctors and the training has proven to be very popular. There are clinical skills labs and a dedicated Simulation training room.
There are regular Resident Doctor Voice events for doctors in training to raise any issues or concerns in an informal setting.
Every doctor in training has an educational supervisor, who oversees their progression through their rotations and a clinical supervisor in each attachment. Every doctor in training is formerly assessed through the Faculty Meetings that occur three times a year with formal or informal feedback as appropriate.
As a Trust we look after 83 F1 and 69 F2 Doctors, we also have established Foundation Teaching programmes which are lead by experienced Consultants and Registrars The Foundation Year 1 Programme in Tunbridge Wells is directed by Dr James Ironside, with Dr Emma Townsend directing the F2 Programme.
The Foundation Year 1 Programme in Maidstone is directed by Dr Bet Mishra, with Dr Amit Saha directing the F2 Programme. We are a friendly general hospital offering a variety of posts, these include: Acute Medicine, Anaesthetics, Cardiology, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Emergency Medicine, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Geriatric Medicine, GP, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Orthogeriatrics, Otolaryngology (ENT), Paediatrics, Psychiatry, Respiratory Medicine, Trauma & Orthopaedics, and Perioperative Medicine. Please see individual job descriptions for full details.
Doctors in training completing a Psychiatry placement will be working at a Kent and Medway Partnership Trust site.
A free shuttle bus services operates for staff to travel between sites.
There is protected teaching for F1s at lunchtime on Wednesdays, Surgical Teaching taking place on Wednesdays. For F2 Doctors, protected teaching occurs on Tuesday afternoons. Other teaching opportunities are available in each of the departments and a list of these activities will be available on the intranet. In addition to this, Medical Grand Round occurs weekly on Thursday lunchtimes and Clinical Governance sessions are arranged for each month.
Two hours per week Self Development Time (SDT) is mandatory for Foundation Doctors and is allocated within the rota. Some Departments have amalgamated this time into a day off per month.
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells Trust is a great place to work and learn. The Trust believes in giving 100% to our doctors in training, because these are our future Consultants. Our aim is to inspire excellence in Medical Education across the Trust and this is at the heart of all we do. We pride ourselves on helping our doctors in training throughout their time with us. Whether you require support with your portfolio, Study Leave, Simulation training, admin etc. we are here to assist in any way we can.
Our contact page has all the ways to get in touch.