Job Specification & Terms and Conditions
Job Title and Grade
Full-Time Locum Consultant Haematologist
Competition Reference
2026/87
Closing Date
Wednesday June 17, 2026
Taking up Appointment
July 2026 - November 2026 (Fixed-term, 4-month contract).
Location of Post
20 hour per week commitment to the Rotunda Hospital and a 17 hour per week commitment to the Mater Hospital.
This is a Public Only Consultant Contract 2023.
Details of Service
To join the existing team of haematologists providing routine and on-call care to patients within the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (MMUH) and Rotunda Hospital.
To provide specialist VTE/maternal haematology care (0.5 WTE, split across the MMUH and Rotunda hospital) and care to patients with plasma cell disorders (0.5 WTE, MMUH).
The clinical and laboratory haematology service in MMUH, Rotunda and Cavan is currently being delivered by 7 Haematologists (5.6 WTE).
Venous thromboembolism comprises deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) and affects approximately 5000 Irish people every year. VTE has an annual incidence of approximately 1-2 per 1000 individuals in high-income countries.
Up to 50% of survivors suffer long-term conditions, including post-thrombotic syndrome, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, post-traumatic stress disorder/panic syndrome, recurrent VTE and anticoagulant-associated bleeding.
VTE is a leading cause of preventable cause of death and disability in hospitals.
VTE is also the leading cause of direct maternal death in pregnancy.
Advisory services are provided to the haematology and blood transfusion laboratory via a 24/7 on call rota across Rotunda and MMUH
Function of this post at a specialist level include (hospitals and groups):
Provision of specialist care: VTE and plasma cell disorders
Provision of specialist care to pregnant people:
1. Inherited and acquired bleeding and thrombotic disorders
2. Haemoglobinopathy
3. Unexplained anaemia/severe iron-deficiency anaemia
4. Thrombocytopoenia
5. Refusal of blood transfusion
6. Presence of prosthetic heart valves
Alignment to national clinical programmes
National Clinical Programme for VTE (NCP-VTE) https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/cspd/ncps/vte/
The National Clinical Programme for VTE Programme (NCP-VTE) was established in October 2022 to provide governance for the prevention, diagnosis, management and long-term care of venous thromboembolism in hospitals and in the community. A key component of the programme is to Increase awareness of VTE, including its clinical presentation, among patients and healthcare professionals.
The National Clinical Guideline for VTE (Eve Protocol) was launched in 2025 https://www2.healthservice.hse.ie/organisation/national-pppgs/national-clinical-guideline-on-venous-thromboembolism-ncg-vte-eve-protocol/. This proposal aligns with supporting the REO to fulfil their specific requirements under this guideline, which are:
Laboratory services reform programme (2026-2035)
- Roll out of MedLis across the regional hospitals
- Demand management of thrombophilia testing and specialist coagulation tests
- Anticoagulant monitoring (local and regional)
- Repatriation of laboratory services from private sector to public hospital service
- Provision of clinical governance and specialist haemostasis and thrombosis advisory service at a regional level
Reporting Relationship
The Consultant's reporting relationship and accountability for the discharge of his/her contract is:
a) To the Master / Chief Executive Officer of the hospital through his/her Clinical Director.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities
Will work in the Rotunda hospital as part of a multidisciplinary team under the direction of the Master/CEO and CCOO.
Will work in the Mater Hospital as part of a multidisciplinary team with a focus on VTE and the plasma cell disorder service under the direction of the CEO/Clinical director and Dept of Haematology within the Cancer and Surgery Directorate
Standard Duties and Responsibilities for all Consultant posts are as per Section 4 and Section 10 of the POCC23
Act as Consultant Haematologist under the Board of the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Rotunda Hospital
Adhere to the Standard Duties and Responsibilities (Section12 a - l) as detailed in the Consultant Contract 2023.
Participate in the provision and administration of haematology services for patients at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital and Cavan General Hospital.
Work within the Hospitals' Clinical Management structures.
Participate in education and teaching, including undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and conference commitments of the Hospitals for medical, nursing and other staff.
Develop and collaborate with others in clinical or other research as appropriate to the specialty on a local, regional and national basis.
Hold a leadership role in shaping policy in the Hospitals with regard to the management of haematology services, in line with best practice and international accreditation standards.
Be easily accessible to clinical staff in person or by phone during normal working hours to advice on the treatment and management of patients
Attend and participate in meetings relevant to the post e.g. Medical Board, Medical Executive and appropriate other Committees.
Be committed to research and audit in both hospitals.
Liaise with Chief Executive Officer, Management Teams/ Programme Managers, Senior Medical and Nursing staff in all matters pertaining to the general efficiencies and effectiveness of the Hospitals
Be familiar with the day to day security of the work area to which assigned, with particular awareness of fire regulations and security arrangements.
Keep up to date with all relevant mandatory training for the department.
Participate in business/ service planning, including the introduction and assessment of new methods, evaluation and organisation of staff and equipment requirements.
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To participate in development of and undertake all duties and functions pertinent to the Consultant's area of competence and in line with policies as specified by the Employer.
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To ensure that duties and functions are undertaken in a manner that minimises delays for patients and possible disruption of services.
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To work within the framework of the hospital /agency's service plan and/or levels of service (volume, types etc.) as determined by the Employer. Service planning for individual clinical services will be progressed through the Clinical Directorate structure or other arrangements as apply.
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To co-operate with the expeditious implementation of the Disciplinary Procedure (attached at Appendix II).
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To formally review the execution of the Clinical Directorate Service Plan with the Clinical Director /Employer periodically. The Clinical Directorate Service Plan shall be reviewed periodically at the request of the Consultant or Clinical Director /Employer. The Consultant may initially seek internal review of the determinations of the Clinical Director regarding the Service Plan.
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To participate in the development and operation of the Clinical Directorate structure and in such management or representative structures as are in place or being developed.
- To provide, as appropriate, consultation in the Consultant's area of designated expertise in respect of patients of other Consultants at their request.
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To ensure in consultation with the Chair, Medical Board/ Clinical Director that appropriate medical cover is available at all times having due regard to the implementation of the European Working Time Directive as it relates to doctors in training.
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To supervise and be responsible for diagnosis, treatment and care provided by non-Consultant Hospital Doctors (NCHDs) treating patients under the Consultant's care.
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To participate as a right and obligation in selection processes for Non-Consultant Hospital Doctors and other staff as appropriate. The Employer will provide training as required. The Employer shall ensure that a Consultant representative of the relevant specialty / sub-specialty is involved in the selection process.
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To participate in clinical audit and proactive risk management and facilitate production of all data/information required for same in accordance with regulatory, statutory and corporate policies and procedures.
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To participate in and facilitate production of all data/information required to validate delivery of duties and functions and inform planning and management of service delivery.
Eligibility Criteria
Qualifications and/ or experience
Full registration in the General Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council in Ireland or entitlement to be so registered
and
Inclusion on or eligibility to be included on the relevant Register of Specialists maintained by the Medical Council in Ireland
Entry to competition / recruitment process
No candidate will be appointed as a Medical Consultant unless (s)he is registered as a Specialist in the Specialist Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council of Ireland.
Successful candidates must be registered as a Specialist in the relevant Specialty on the Specialist Division of the Register of Medical Practitioners maintained by the Medical Council of Ireland within 180 days of the day of interview.
Should the successful candidate not be registered as a Specialist at that time, the post may be offered to the next suitable candidate. Should no suitable candidate exist, a further recruitment process may be initiated.
Candidate should hold FRCPath in haematology or equivalent.
Health
A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.
Character
Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character
Age
Age restrictions shall only apply to a candidate where he/she is not classified as a new entrant (within the meaning of the Public Service Superannuation Act, 2004). A candidate who is not classified as a new entrant must be under 65 years of age on the first day of the month in which the latest date for receiving completed application forms for the office occurs.
Other requirements specific to the post
Will work as part of a multidisciplinary team with a focus on VTE and the plasma cell disorder service under the direction of the CEO/Clinical director and Dept of Haematology within the Cancer and Surgery Directorate.
Skills, competencies and/or knowledge
Desirable: Experience in VTE/inherited bleeding and thrombotic disorders; Experience in plasma cell disorders#
Competition Specific Selection Process
Ranking/Shortlisting / Interview
A ranking and or shortlisting exercise may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application form. The criteria for ranking and or shortlisting are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements.
Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.
Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998
As this post is one of those designated under the Protection of Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998, appointment to this post appoints one as a designated officer in accordance with Section 2 of the Act. You will remain a designated officer for the duration of your appointment to your current post or for the duration of your appointment to such other post as is included in the categories specified in the Ministerial Direction. You will receive full information on your responsibilities under the Act on appointment.
This job description is a guide to the general range of duties assigned to the post holder. It is intended to be neither definitive nor restrictive and is subject to periodic review with the employee concerned.
For queries regarding applying, please contact [email protected]
