Some of you may be moving to the UK for the first time, and may have never worked within the NHS before. The National Health System is a publicly-funded healthcare system, which was established in 1948.  The founding principles include providing a service which is comprehensive, universal and free at the point of delivery.

The general ethos is to work as a team in order to deliver the best care to each individual patient. Within the hospital setting you will generally work as part of a multidisciplinary team (MDT). This is typically made up from:

• Doctors of varying grades
• Nurses
• Pharmacists
• Social Workers
• Dieticians
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational therapists
• Specialist nurses- eg. Diabetic nurses, respiratory nurses etc.

The following diagram is to help illustrate the various training pathways for doctors, and therefore highlight the senior support available to you.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE THERE TO ASK FOR HELP!

Please find useful links for information on pay and banding supplements below:

https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/health/doh-hsc-tc8-03-2022.PDF

https://www.bma.org.uk/pay-and-contracts/pay/junior-doctors-pay-scales/pay-scales-for-junior-doctors-in-northern-ireland

Rotas and on-call shift patterns vary greatly between specialties and hospitals. Therefore, it is not possible to give you a standard rota template, as this may not reflect every job, and may give you a false impression. Generally, you will have day shifts (9am-5pm), long days (9am-9pm), and night shifts (9pm-9am).

The amount of anti-social hours you work should be reflected by your banding.

Ideally, rotas should be sent out 6 weeks prior to starting. If this is not the case, try contacting the rota co-ordinator to make them aware you have not yet received your rota.

If you have signed up to the buddy scheme, your buddy may have worked in that job previously, and may have an email address they could share with you.

Before you start your post an appointment will be made for you to attend a pre-employment health assessment.

All new health care workers who will have contact with patients/clients must be screened for Tuberculosis (TB), and any who will be carrying out exposure prone procedures must also be screened for HIV and Hepatitis-B & C.

When attending Occupational Health Services (OH) you must produce the following:

• Original Photographic Identification
• Any Previous Screening/Vaccination Details
• A fully completed Pre-Employment Health Questionnaire (this will be sent to you by your employer)

You will not be permitted to take up clinical duties until your employer receives confirmation that OH has cleared you to work.

Your employer will provide you with information about the Trust, and where you will be working.

A professional pathway will have been established within the Trust which will cover areas such as:

• Induction
• Mandatory and Statutory Training
• Additional training to assist you with integration into the workplace
• A period of shadowing
• A named Consultant mentor/supervisor

The Royal Victoria Hospital is the largest hospital in Northern Ireland and provides a large number of regional specialist services to people across NI. It treats more than 80,000 people as inpatients and 350,000 people as outpatients every year. The Royal Victoria Hospital is a regional trauma centre and also has a Children’s hospital, Maternity hospital and Dental hospital on site.

Car Parking: You can apply for staff parking for a small monthly fee that is deducted from your wage (approx.. £7/month). This can be done through the trust induction portal, details of which will be emailed to you before commencing your post.

Facilities: There is a quiet room in the foyer, which is open to both staff and visitors. There is a hospital canteen, shop and ATM’s. There is also a café called “Coffee doc”, which is a popular spot for a coffee break post ward round!

Belfast City Hospital is located close to Belfast City Centre, and a short distance from the Royal Victoria Hospital. It is modern university teaching hospital with 900 beds, and provides local acute services and regional specialist services to people from across Northern Ireland. These specialist services include renal medicine, transplants, and the Cancer Centre. There is no A&E department. Therefore, most admissions are transfers from other hospitals.

Car Parking: There is onsite car parking which you can apply for through the Trust induction portal. A small fee of approx. £7 per month will be deducted from your wage. There is on street parking near-by, however this is a busy area, and spaces are not guaranteed.

Facilities: There is a canteen, shop and ATMs on site. There is also a café in the cancer centre. A small doctors room is available for oncall shifts. There are on-call bedrooms which need booked in advance of your shift. A prayer room is available for staff and public.

This hospital was used as the Nightingale hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Mater Hospital is another central hospital that provides services to North Belfast and the surrounding areas. It provides a wide range of services, including an Emergency department, acute inpatient, and maternity services.

Car parking: There is on site car parking for £1/day. You can also apply for staff parking through the Trust induction process, and a small monthly fee will be deducted from your wage.

Facilities: There is a canteen which is open to both staff and the public. There is also a café, shop and ATMs on the ground floor. There is a chapel and prayer room available. Please find links below for more information on the Belfast Trust, and for more information on each hospital.

The Ulster Hospital is the major acute hospital for the South Eastern Trust and delivers a wide range of acute services for the population. This includes an Emergency Department, outpatient, inpatient and day case medical and surgical services, cancer care, coronary care, obstetrics and paediatric services The regional Plastic and Maxillo-Facial services are mainly delivered from the Ulster site. The Ulster has 90,000 Emergency Department attendances and over 4,000 births each year.

Car Parking: On site car parking is available for staff which can be applied for at Trust induction, and a monthly fee is deducted from your wage.

Facilities: The Oasis Restaurant is situated on the 1^st floor of the hospital and is open to all staff, patients and visitors. The Scrabo Snack Bar is located in the Care of the Elderly building. The Snack Bar is located in the Theatre Corridor and can only be accessed by staff. There is also a shop is located at the main hospital entrance. There is a quiet/prayer room on site.

Lagan Valley Hospital is located in Lisburn. It’s Emergency Department operates from 8am-8pm (Monday to Friday) and is closed at weekends. It provides inpatient medical services as well as outpatient, and day cases services for the local population. It provides maternity services, and has a Midwifery Led Maternity Unit.

Car Parking: Car parking is free for staff.

Facilities: The Lagan Valley Restaurant is open to staff and visitors. There is also a shop and ATM on the ground floor.

The Downe Hospital has 49 inpatient beds for a range of medical conditions.

The Downe provides the Trust wide Bowel Screening Service and Sexual Health Service, as well as a range of outpatient, diagnostics and day case services.

GP practices are located on the first floor, along with community and dental services.

Car Parking: Car parking is free for staff.

Facilities: There is a canteen, shop and ATM on site.

Altnagelvin Area Hospital is the second largest hospital in Northern Ireland, and located in Derry/Londonderry.

It is an acute hospital which offers a range of services, including a 24-hour Accident and Emergency Department and is one of Northern Ireland’s five designated cancer units.

It has 472 inpatients beds and 36 day case beds. The hospital is currently undergoing a major redevelopment programme and information regarding location of services, specialty wards will be subject to change over the lifetime of the project.

Car Parking: Car parking is free for hospital staff.

Facilities: There are three coffee shops located in various areas throughout the hospital. There is also a canteen which is open to both staff and visitors. ATM’s are available on site. There is a prayer/quiet room for private prayer or reflection. There are on-call rooms for doctors.

The South West Acute Hospital is a local teaching hospital, located in Enniskillen. It has up to 210 inpatient beds and 22 day case beds. A full list of services available Here. There is also an education centre, lecture theatre, key worker accommodation, an energy centre and a crèche.

Car Parking: Free parking available for staff

Facilities: There is a canteen available to staff and visitors. There is a coffee shop and convenience shop on the ground floor. An ATM is also located on the ground floor. Prayer/quiet room available for private prayer/reflection. There are on-call rooms for trainee.

Craigavon Area Hospital is a large teaching hospital located in Portadown, County Armagh. It serves an estimated 241,000 people. It provides a wide range of acute inpatient services and outpatient services. There is also a mental health inpatient unit on site called Blue stone.

Car Parking: Car Parking is free for staff and visitors.

Facilities: There is a canteen, shop and ATM on site. Vending machines are available in various departments throughout the hospital. There is also a prayer room available to staff and visitors.

Daisy Hill Hospital is an acute teaching hospital located in Newry. It provides a wide range of acute inpatient services including respiratory, gastroenterology, endocrine. There is also a range of surgical specialties including general surgery, breast, urology and gynaecology.

Car Parking: Car Parking is FREE for staff.

Facilities: There is a canteen for staff and visitors. The shop is located in the main foyer area. Vending machines are available in the foyer and the Dining Room. An ATM is also available in the main hospital foyer. There is a Chapel and prayer/quiet room.

Antrim Area Hospital is one of the busiest hospitals for unscheduled care services in Northern Ireland. The hospital’s emergency department, which opened in 2013, caters for approximately 90,000 patients per year. In addition, the Hospital has a Direct Assessment Unit, where GPs can speak directly with medical staff to receive specialist advice and, if appropriate, to arrange a referral to the unit where treatment can begin immediately. This means people can avoid unnecessary waits in the Emergency Department. The hospital has 366 beds available for acute care. In addition, it offers obstetrics, neonatal services, paediatrics, palliative care and renal dialysis.

Car Parking: There is on site car parking which is free for staff with badge access.

Facilities: There is a canteen which is open to both staff and public. There is also a café, shop and ATM. There is a doctor room for on-call shifts with computers and reclining chairs. There are also some on-call bedrooms available for some specialties.

Causeway Hospital is located on the Newbridge road on the outskirts of Coleraine.

It is one of two Northern Trust acute hospitals. An Out of Hours GP service is located beside the Emergency Department, and a new state of the art gynaecological unit, The Meadows, opened at Causeway Hospital in 2018.

Car Parking: Free car parking is available for staff.

Facilities: Causeway Hospital has a restaurant and coffee shop facilities open to both patients and visitors. There ae also a number of vending machines situated at Café Causeway and the Emergency Department waiting area. There is a prayer room available for staff and visitors.