Clinical Fellows (x2 posts)

Salary - Pay scales for resident doctors in England ST3 – ST8 (£61,825 - £70,425, plus London weighting) in a full-time position, depending on qualifications and experience.

Contract Type – Full- time, fixed term (3-year position)

Location – Clinical Effectiveness Unit – National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN), based at the Royal College of Surgeons of England and supported by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM).

The post is available for remote working at any UK location, to be discussed upon appointment. However, there is an expectation that post holders attend RCS Eng regularly for in person meetings

About the Clinical Fellow roles

These Macmillan Cancer Support-funded posts offers a unique opportunity to work at the National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) within the Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU) at the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCSEng). NATCAN is a national centre of excellence dedicated to strengthening NHS cancer services and reducing variation in care and is the home of all 10 National Cancer Audits in England and Wales. NATCAN is the largest centre evaluating cancer services in the UK, with 45 staff members, employed at the RCS or the LSTHM, from a wide range of backgrounds (medicine, statistics, epidemiology, data science, quality improvement, project management).

These posts will support a Macmillan funded partnership with NATCAN to improve understanding of how to:

• Reduce health inequities within cancer treatment and care;
• Support those with cancer and other long-term conditions;
• Reduce unwarranted variation in cancer treatment and care.

The successful candidate will complete a PhD focused on one of the following thematic areas:

1. Hub and Spoke model – understanding variation in outcomes between hubs (tertiary centres) and spokes (general hospitals)
2. Treatment Attrition – understanding who drops out of treatment and why
3. Under-treatment and over/inappropriate treatment - understanding why some people receive less or no treatment, or treatment that differs from clinical guidance

You will work in a vibrant audit and research environment, putting you at the heart of a national team that plays a key role in improving the care that patients with cancer receive in England and Wales. It will provide you with the opportunity to contribute to high-profile peer-reviewed papers. The PhD research will aim to strengthen the relevance and robustness of the outputs from the NATCAN Audits. You will be part of a wider cohort of Macmillan Fellows working on projects to improve cancer care.

This is a unique opportunity to participate in a national quality improvement and national transformational change role centred around nine major cancers and which includes all NHS providers in England and Wales. This will enable Clinical Fellows to build skills in design and implementation of quality improvement strategies which consider all modalities of cancer treatment. These roles will likely form the basis for future NHS leadership roles in cancer care for the successful candidate.

Responsibilities

• Exploring the thematic area by analysing national datasets on hospital care, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
• Working with cancer audit teams to translate the research findings into quality improvement plans and outputs.
• Communicating findings in conference presentations, reports and peer-reviewed publications.
• Liaising with Macmillan, other patient charities and professional bodies to publicise findings, and to represent NATCAN at regional and national meetings. 

About you

We are looking for applicants with:

• Clinical experience in in a relevant discipline - Surgical/ Medical / Clinical Oncology
• Passed a Membership/ Fellowship exam of a relevant Royal College
• Good numeracy
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• Good organisational abilities
• Research experience is an advantage but further training in research methods and statistical analysis will be provided

About us

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is one of the best known professional membership organisations in the world, with a name and reputation that speak for excellence in the UK and across the globe. We provide education, assessment and development to nearly 30,000 surgeons, dental surgeons and members of the wider surgical and dental teams at all stages of their career; we set professional standards, facilitate research and champion world-class surgical outcomes for patients.

The National Cancer Audit Collaborating Centre (NATCAN) sits within the Clinical Effectiveness Unit (CEU), based at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

What we can offer you

• 27 days paid holiday + bank holidays and up to 4 college closure days
• Flexible working
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme & other leave entitlements
• Variety of learning and development opportunities 
• Wellbeing programme & Employee Assistance Scheme

Interested Candidates:

Download the job description here

If you have any questions about this position please contact RCSHR@rcseng.ac.uk.

If you wish to apply please email your CV together with a cover letter addressing how you meet each of the criteria in the Personal Specification to RCSHR@rcseng.ac.uk.

Any personal data collected from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us in accordance with our recruitment processes. If unsuccessful in your application, your information will be held by us on our database for a period of 6 months before deletion. If you would like your information removed sooner, please contact RCSHR@rceng.ac.uk

Closing date: 25.05.26

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is an Equal Opportunities Employer. We are open to all talent, and we actively ensure that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regards to race/ethnicity, nationality, religion, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age and disability

The Royal College of Surgeons of England is committed to protecting your privacy. We are registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). All College employees are responsible for records held, created and used as part of their work for the College including patient/client, corporate and administrative records. Records are managed according to the requirements of the Data Protection Act 2018 and ensure confidentiality. The College ensures that staff are trained to handle the information you submit to us with care and discretion, seeking advice where necessary.