How many posts are available:
There are 15 full-time equivalent posts on the rotation (14 adult haematology posts and one paediatric haematology post)
Our haematology training programme in the north east is one of our best. Delivering the highest quality of training, it gives trainees excellent experience in all areas of haematology including haematology diagnostics, haemato-oncology, haemostasis and thrombosis, transfusion, blood transfusion, bone marrow transplant and paediatric haematology.
Entry into the specialty is at ST3 level, through national recruitment, after PACES. The training is extremely varied with our trainees rotating through all the posts available, spending a year each in Middlesbrough and the Sunderland/Gateshead posts and three years in Newcastle.
We support trainees every step of the way through their training. A highlight of the rotation is the regular regional Friday morning teaching, which is protected time, and delivered by consultants and allied health professionals from across the region. These regular sessions are extremely useful as they offer excellent peer group support, particularly important for trainees in single posts as it enables them to see their colleagues at least once a week. The teaching is mapped to the curriculum and is organised by one of the more senior registrars.
To help give our ST3 trainees the best start to the programme, we run weekly induction sessions for the first three months which cover the aspects of haematology they need to learn early in their training. This includes an introduction to the laboratory, overviews of the major conditions, advice for on-call and chemotherapy training. We also run a formal chemotherapy training package. Using trainee feedback, we review the content of our induction programme every year to ensure that it remains useful and relevant.
Our haematology consultants in the north east have excellent links with our trainees and we invite our trainees to be part of the Northern Regional Haematology group which holds regular educational meetings.
There are 15 full-time equivalent posts on the rotation (14 adult haematology posts and one paediatric haematology post)
Freeman Hospital
Haemato-oncology, bone marrow transplant, blood transfusion.
4 full and 2 split posts (with Wansbeck General Hospital and NHS Blood and Transplant)
Tutor – Amy Publicover
Royal Victoria Infirmary
Haemostasis and thrombosis, paediatric haematology, specialist laboratory/diagnostic services.
2 posts in adult haematology, 1 paediatric haematology
Tutor – Kate Talks
Sunderland Royal Hospital
Broad training in all aspects of haematology.
2 posts
Tutor – Annette Nicolle
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT)
Blood transfusion.
1 split post with Freeman Hospital
Tutor – Andrew Charlton
James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough
Broad training in all aspects of haematology.
3 posts
Tutor – Angela Wood
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead
Broad training in all aspects of haematology.
1 post
Tutor – Annette Nicolle
Wansbeck General Hospital
Broad training in all aspects of haematology.
1 split post with Freeman Hospital
Tutor – George Holmes
Meet haematology registrar Alex Langridge whose interest in the specialty was piqued after a “fantastic” teaching day with a haematologist at university. With an intercalated year after fourth year to get his Masters of Research in haematology/immunobiology. Alex worked across the North East in different hospitals to gain his haematology training number and is now an ST5 with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.
Trainees who are interested in undertaking research have the opportunity to go out of programme for a PhD or masters, usually after ST4 or ST5. Trainees are encouraged to undertake management roles, with several of our current trainees on national committees for haematology training.
Our trainees are invited to join the northern region haematologists group (NRHG) which organises several educational meetings during the year
Research OpportunitiesWe’re extremely proud that we were rated number one in the country in seven areas of training including overall satisfaction, adequate experience and local teaching out of the 15 deaneries which deliver the training. In the top three for a further six areas, the results demonstrate that the north east is one of the best places to do haematology training.
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