Aintree Head & Neck Cancer Fellowship
Head and Neck Cancer Fellows are appointed centrally through national highly competitive multidisciplinary interview. There is only a limited of units recognised for training. The Liverpool Head and Neck Oncology Centre is located at the University Hospital Aintree Foundation Trust (UHA). It provides unparalleled opportunities for training. The programme is up to 2 years in duration. It allows for a consolidation of experience gained in the parent specialty together with ample opportunity for training in aspects of head and neck cancer from other disciplines. The Unit is vibrant and cohesive offering cutting edge surgical management at the forefront of the speciality.
Some of the characteristics of the Unit include:
- Full range of head and neck cancer surgery including larynx, thyroid, pharynx, skull base, oral cavity, skin and salivary gland
- Full range of procedures including transfacial access, endoscopy, laser and cold steel ablation, all forms of reconstruction (including microvascular free tissue transfer), and oral rehabilitation (implantology)
- There is close team working between specialities with one Oral Rehabilitation, four ENT and four MFU consultants as well as skull base team (two neurosurgeons)
- International reputation in microvascular reconstruction, clinical outcomes research, quality of life research, basic science research. The Fellowship is very much a clinical one but active involvement in the research and audit programme is encouraged.
- The UHA is a single site / fully integrated approach in both MDT and operating environment
- 400-450 new cases referred per annum through MDT from catchment of Merseyside / Cheshire and Isle of Man (approximately 2.4 million population base). This geographical region has a higher than average number of cases of H&N cancer per head of population
- There are two dedicated wards (ENT and MFU) with about 40 beds for H&N patients
- There are monthly audit meetings and an annual regional audit day.
The basic job description is as follows:
Training can be flexible according to previous experience and future goals as a consultant from the activity below:
- 4 MFU lists per week (mon and thurs) (2 x 3 session lists to accommodate microvascular reconstruction)
- 4 ENT lists per week (mon - frid) ( 2 X 3 session lists to accommodate major cases)
- Daily ward round
- 1 MDT (Wednesday) and a variery of clinics in Aintree (Hub) and spoke clinics
