Consultant General Internal Medicine with specialist interest in Rheumatology

Our client seeks an energetic, forward-thinking Consultant Physician in General Internal Medicine (GIM) with a Special Interest (s.i.) in Rheumatology to join the Department of Medicine. This dual-focus post addresses the acute medical intake alongside expanding outpatient and ambulatory rheumatology services. The successful candidate will work closely with the National Clinical Programme for Rheumatology (NCPR) to reduce waiting lists, expand early inflammatory arthritis assessment, and deliver multidisciplinary chronic disease management, while providing senior decision-making on the acute unselected medical take. Key Responsibilities & Duties - Acute General Internal Medicine: - Provide senior clinical leadership on the acute medical intake, conducting timely post-take ward rounds and direct reviews in the Acute Medical Assessment Unit (AMAU/AMU) and Emergency Department. - Lead inpatient medical ward rounds, ensuring proactive discharge planning and multidisciplinary team (MDT) communication. - Participate in the acute unselected GIM on-call rota in accordance with the agreed departmental schedule (approx. [e.g., 1 in 8 / 1 in 10]). Specialist Rheumatology Services: - Lead outpatient clinics, including Early Inflammatory Arthritis (EIA) rapid access, connective tissue disease (CTD)/systemic vasculitis, and general rheumatology clinics. - Oversee day-ward services, including biologic therapies, DMARD initiation/monitoring protocols, and therapeutic infusions. - Provide specialist diagnostic assessments, such as musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound for inflammatory arthritis (where trained/applicable) and diagnostic/therapeutic joint injections and aspirations. - Provide inpatient rheumatology consultative liaison across medical, surgical, and orthopaedic wards. - Multidisciplinary Leadership: - Collaborate with Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNS), Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP), senior MSK physiotherapists, and occupational therapists within the rheumatology ambulatory care team. - Clinical Governance, Audit & Quality Improvement: - Lead and participate in regular morbidity/mortality reviews, clinical audit, risk management, and medication safety monitoring for high-risk systemic immunosuppressants. - Support implementation of HSE NCPR and EULAR quality standards and clinical pathways. - Education & Research: - Train, supervise, and mentor Basic and Higher Specialist Trainees (BST/HST) in General Internal Medicine and Rheumatology under the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI). - Contribute to undergraduate clinical medical student teaching affiliated with this hospital.