Locum Consultant HistopathologistNHS

Job summary

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is seeking to appoint a 12-month 10PA fixed term Consultant Histopathologist for maternity cover. The core service requirement for this post is diagnostic expertise in gastrointestinal pathology, and we particularly welcome applicants able to support these high-volume and clinically critical services. Experience in other subspecialties and non-gynaecological cytology is welcome.

The gynaecological pathology service is based at Cheltenham General Hospital and supports a large and well-established clinical service. This includes secondary and tertiary gynaecological cancer services to a population of approximately 1.4 million, covering Herefordshire, Powys and Worcestershire, as well as diagnostic, unit-level and tertiary management for the local Gloucestershire population of 652,000. The post therefore offers an opportunity to work within a busy, regionally significant service with strong MDT engagement.

The successful applicant will join a supportive, UKAS-accredited Cellular Pathology Department with established digital pathology since 2025.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will:

• Provide high-quality diagnostic reporting, with a core contribution to gastrointestinal pathology, supporting both local and regional cancer services.
• Support additional subspecialty areas aligned with experience and departmental need, including dermatopathology, urological, lung, GI or head & neck pathology and non-gynaecological cytology.
• Participate in cut-up, supported by experienced dissection practitioners.
• Attend and contribute to MDT meetings, including regional and tertiary gynaecological cancer MDTs as appropriate.
• Take part in the department's longstanding second-signing process for quality assurance.
• Use the digital pathology service fully.
• Contribute to service development, audit and clinical governance in line with Trust policies.

Job description

Clinical duties

• Histopathology reporting across a range of specimen types.
• Subspecialty reporting with emphasis on gastrointestinal pathology, including work supporting regional cancer services.
• Support additional subspecialty areas and/or non-gynaecological cytology aligned with experience and departmental need.
• MDT preparation and attendance.
• Participation in secondsigning and intradepartmental consultation.

Training, teaching and departmental culture

The department has an active and supportive training culture:

• Consultants are expected to support postgraduate histopathology trainees.
• Regular undergraduate teaching is delivered, with medical students attending structured halfday sessions.
• The department offers taster sessions for resident doctors considering a career in histopathology.
• Formal Educational Supervisor roles are allocated separately, but all consultants are expected to contribute to the educational environment.

Laboratory and departmental responsibilities

• Participation in the cutup rota with expert dissection practitioner support.
• Full engagement with digital pathology workflows, including remote reporting.
• Contribution to audit, service improvement, clinical governance and teaching.

Qualifications

• Full GMC registration with licence to practise.
• GMC Specialist Register for histopathology.
• Commitment to delivering a highquality cellular pathology service.

About us

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is the largest provider within the SWAG Cancer Alliance and delivers high-quality emergency, elective and specialist care across a wide range of services. The Cellular Pathology Department is based at Cheltenham General Hospital and supports both local and regional specialist clinical services, including tertiary gynaecological oncology.

Cheltenham is consistently rated as one of the best places to live in the UK, offering excellent schools, a vibrant cultural scene, green spaces and easy access to the Cotswolds.

The department has a strong culture of subspecialisation, a fully implemented digital pathology service, and an expanding Molecular Pathology Service, supporting modern diagnostics and flexible working.