Consultant - Audiovestibular Medicine

Audiovestibular Medicine are looking to appoint a full-time consultant to succession plan for a retiring consultant and to support the Audiovestibular services in Portsmouth, Gosport, Fareham and Western Sussex. The department of Audiovestibular Medicine was established by Dr Peter West in 1991. He was a single-handed consultant for over 16 years until the appointment of a second consultant in 2007. The department is highly regarded in the provision of tertiary Neuro-otological services and the provision of the medical aspects of childhood hearing impairment in the region. Audiovestibular Medicine works closely with the ENT department and the Audiology department. The Audiovestibular department, in collaboration with the Audiology department, provide a comprehensive audiovestibular diagnostic and rehabilitative service to people of any age with problems of hearing, dizziness, balance or tinnitus. The rehabilitation provided includes a fully comprehensive hearing aid service, counselling, tinnitus management, and the rehabilitation of patients with dizziness/balance disorders. The Audiovestibular Medicine department are involved in the formal teaching of Medical Students from the newly established University of Portsmouth Medical School.

Clinical Duties of the Post The post holder will hold out-patient clinics, providing a full range of Audiovestibular services, Paediatric and Adult, on two hospital sites: Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham and St Richards Hospital, Chichester, and in community settings. The post holder, in conjunction with the existing consultants, will receive and prioritise referral from: GPs ENT colleagues Audiology Geriatrics Neurologists Paediatrics A&E/MAU Other professionals Adult Audiovestibular Medicine This constitutes the majority of the workload. Most referrals are patients with dizziness, vertigo and balance disorders. Patients with hearing loss are primarily referred to Audiology but the post holder will be required to see patients with progressive and fluctuating hearing loss and patients with tinnitus requiring medical input. The physician, in conjunction with ENT and Audiology, will be responsible for formulating appropriate local care pathways for patients with Audiovestibular disorders in accordance with Department of Health, NICE and national guidelines. Paediatric Audiovestibular Medicine The post holder will be expected to see babies referred from the Newborn Hearing Screening Programme and older children with hearing loss for aetiological investigations and provide a medical input. The post holder will also see children with vertigo and balance disorders.