Rotations
Locations of hospitals within the East Midlands Deanery
By Simon Li
Training Programme Director ST1-3 (North)
The East Midlands Deanery covers a large geographical area enabling us to provide a varied training programme. The region has 12 hospitals including the regional centres at Nottingham and Leicester where each of the North and South carousels revolve around.
North Carousel
Travel information
The Royal Derby Hospital is approximately a 10 minute drive the the Derby city centre and is located just off the A516. The hospital can be accessed via the A38, A52, A50 and M1, off junction 25. Derby train station is around 3 miles away and a bus service exists to take you from the station to the hospital.
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Food and drinks
The hospital restaurant is open 7 days a week and provides hot meals at breakfast and lunchtimes. There is also a Costa, M&S Food and Subway. There are also a number of smaller outlets and vending machines situated around the hospital.
Departmental information
Handover times are 09:00, 16:30 and 21:00.
Rota structure
On a day shift on the inpatient wards there is a minimum of one day ST4-8 and a late ST4-8 or resident Consultant. There will also be one SHO (Paediatric/GPVTS/F2) for the two main inpatient wards of Dolphin and Puffin, as well as one SHO allocated to support the day case unit on Sunflower ward. In the children's emergency department there will be a minimum of one SHO covering each of the two main CED daytime shifts (CED1 0830 to 1730; CED2 1400 to 2400; CED3 1900 to 0600).
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At night the general paediatric inpatient wards and CED are jointly cared for by an overarching night ST4-8 and SHO who both work 2100 to 0930. There is then also a dedicated night CED ST4-8 (2200 to 0600) working alongside the CED3 SHO (1900 to 0600).
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Paediatrics
Dolphin ward has a maximum of 16 beds which are a combination of side rooms and open bays. Dolphin unit is a level 2 HDU that can accommodate 4 HDU level patients. Puffin ward has a maximum of ... beds which again is a combination of side rooms and open bays.
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Neonates
The neonatal unit comprises 8 level 1 cots, 6 level 2 (HDU) cots, and a further 10 level 3 cots.
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Children's emergency department
Paediatric ED is an audio-visually distinct and separate ED from the main adult department. It is staffed by the paediatric department and is overseen by a combination of RCPCH Paediatric Consultants with sub-specialty training in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, RCEM Emergency Medicine Consultants with sub-specialty training in Paediatric Emergency Medicine, and an Associate Specialist.
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Teaching schedule
The Children's Hospital has a varied teaching programme. There is a weekly Consultant delivered SHO teaching session comprising both General Paediatric and Neonatal topics. There is also a weekly trainee led teaching which covers journal club. There is a regular clinical meeting which is Consultant led. There is a weekly X-ray meeting, monthly safeguarding peer review, and monthly epilepsy peer review. ​
South Carousel
Travel information
Kettering General Hospital is located on the west side of the city. It is accessible by the A14 and parking permits are readily available. Kettering railway station is on a direct line from Leicester and is approximately 1 mile from the hospital.
Food and drinks
There is a Costa near the main reception and a small canteen but neither are open out of hours. Instead there are ready meal vending machines available. There is a doctor's office on Skylark and SCBU and the staffrooms have microwaves and fridges available
Departmental information
Handover times are 09:00, 17:00 and 21:00.
Rota structure
Mix of days, long days and nights. There are two registrars out of hours with SHOs for each clinical area.
Clinical areas
Skylark children's ward consists of 26 beds including 2 high dependency beds, paediatric admissions unit open 0800-2200 comprising 8 beds and a level 1 special care baby unit. The Paediatric emergency department covers outside of these hours.
Travel information
The LRI is a city centre hospital with good travel links to the M1 and M69. Travelling to the hospital by car can be tricky with city centre traffic, and parking permits for daytime hours are restricted in numbers. Most staff get a permit to park at the King Power Stadium, which is a 10-15 minute walk from the hospital. Out of hours permits are freely available at a reduced rate and the times have recently been adjusted to suit medical staff.
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​Public transportation is readily available. Leicester Train Station is a 15 minute walk away and buses run from the station to the hospital frequently. There is a well-established park and ride service from Enderby, 5 mins off the M1/M69 junction, that is free for NHS staff. The Trust operates a Hospital Hopper bus service between its 3 hospital sites that is also free for Trust staff. There are secure bike facilities in several areas of the LRI site.
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Food and drinks
The hospital restaurant is open 24/7 serving a limited range of hot and cold food overnight. There is also a coffee shop adjacent to the restaurant and 2 WRVS cafes in other parts of the hospital, with shorter opening hours
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​Departmental information
Handover times are 08:30, 16:30 and 20:30.
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Rota Structure
Days, long days, twilights and nights.
General paediatrics is covered by 2 registrars out of hours, one to cover the wards including subspecialty patients, one to cover admissions, based in the single front door (PED).
Intensive care is covered by 2 registrars, one for each unit. HDU cover is determined by patient specialty.
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Paediatrics
Two core paediatric medical wards, 1 day surgery ward, and 1 surgical ward.
Single Front Door model of referrals with all admission coming through the Paediatric Emergency Department. The Children's Acute Team are co-located within the PED.
The 12 bed high dependency unit is shared between general paediatrics, paediatric specialties and intensive care. The 8 bed general paediatric intensive care, cardiac intensive care unit, ECMO unit and cardiac ward operate a separate team and rota.
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Teaching schedule
Varied lunchtime teaching programme exists including junior and consultant led teaching sessions that cover common paediatric topics, audit/QI, morbidity and mortality sessions.
Travel information
Leicestershire Partnership Trust is based at Bridge Plaza, to the North of the city. Parking is available on site for trainees. Satellite clinics are conducted in other areas of the city and in Loughborough, where parking is available on site.
Departmental structure
Neurodevelopmental and looked after children clinics, part of the on-call safeguarding rota.​
Rota structure
Out of hours work is at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, either at Leicester Royal Infirmary in general paediatrics, neonates or intensive care, or at Leicester General Hospital in neonates.
Teaching schedule
Thorough, comprehensive and well-organised induction programme. Weekly departmental teaching on Friday's. Weekly peer review sessions. Allocated time for SPA.
Travel information
Northampton General Hospital is easily accessible from the M1 junction 15 via A45 and also from the A5119 which is often less congested at peak times.
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The Trust rolled out ANPR in 2024; car park 2 is best for proximity but fills by 0820. Spaces will be available in car park 1 but you may want to move before the day's end as congestion is marked at peak times.
Food and drinks
Cliftonville restaurant - main canteen located on hospital street is open 24/7.
​Costa Coffee, Subway and M&S Food are all located in the main entrance.
​Staff canteen is located in Cripps Educational centre. ​
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​Departmental information
Handover times are 08:30, 16:30 and 20:30. Paediatric and neonatal handovers are separate within their own clinical areas.
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​Rota structure
Doctors work a mix of days, long days, twilights, nights and weekends. The tier 2 rota has 12 doctors, of whom 8 are trainees, allowing for 2 middle grades for each shift out of hours. This is supported on the neonatal side by ANNPs 2 days each week. The tier 1 rota has 16 speciality trainees and 4 foundation trainees. Tier 1 trainees have rostered self-development time each 6 weeks.
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Paddington ward
General medical ward with a 3-bedded HDU.
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Disney ward
Surgical and local oncology ward, haematology local ward and admission for non-infectious medical patients.
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Gossett Ward
Level 2 Medical Neonatal Unit, linked to Maternity Services on:
Sturtridge Ward – Labour Ward and maternity theatres with maternal HDU for higher risk deliveries
Balmoral Ward – Low risk labour ward and postnatal ward
Robert Watson Ward – Postnatal Ward
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Neonatal Transitional Care Unit – 01604 544623
8 bedded unit for care of infants requiring enhanced observation/support
Paediatric Assessment Unit – 01604 545519
Open 0830-2100, a 8 bedded assessment unit for acute referrals from the community, also acts as venue for consultant hot clinic in the morning.
Paediatric Daycare Unit
Unit for planned day admissions
Paediatrics Outpatients – 01604 545290
Acute and community paediatric clinics are held daily with tertiary satellite clinics from GOSH, Leicester, Addenbrookes and Birmingham
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Teaching schedule
Tuesday Journal Club – led by Registrars and given at lunchtime, these are allocated at induction
Wednesday Lunchtime Teaching – Weekly aimed at Foundation and Junior Trainees, led by consultants, this is aimed to be bleep free
Thursday Lunchtime Teaching – Led by FY1-ST3 trainees with support from consultant/senior trainees
Friday Lunchtime Meeting is a mixture of morbidity and mortality meetings, audit and clinical governance, grand rounds, or perinatal meetings.
CBD Clinic – Weekly sessions provided on varied dates/times by consultants, this requires prior booking with consultant secretaries with the rota emailed at induction
Junior Doctor’s Forum – Held monthly & led by the College Tutor.
Travel information
Peterborough Hospital is located on the edge of the city, just off the A47 and is straightforward to access by car. It is easy to obtain a permit in the multi-storey car park on site, but there can long queues to exit it at the end of the day.
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Peterborough does have a railway station with trains taking approximately an hour from Leicester - however it is nearly 4 km away from the hospital and so you will need to get a bus or taxi to the hospital.
Food and drinks
There's a Costa and WH Smith's in the main hospital atrium, with a standard hospital canteen also available. Both the paediatric ward and NICU have staff rooms with fridges and microwaves for staff to use.
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Departmental information
There's a Costa and WH Smith's in the main hospital atrium, with a standard hospital canteen also available. Both the paediatric ward and NICU have staff rooms with fridges and microwaves for staff to use.
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Rota structure
Days, long days, twilights and nights.
General paediatrics is covered by 2 registrars out of hours, one to cover the wards including subspecialty patients, one to cover admissions, based in the single front door (PED).
Intensive care is covered by 2 registrars, one for each unit. HDU cover is determined by patient specialty.
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Clinical areas
Amazon children's in patient ward consists of 22 beds including 2 HDU and a surgical day case unit comprising 8 beds, Jungle assessment unit, rainforest outpatients unit. There is a level 2 neonatal unit comprising 20 cots and a further 14 cots within the transitional care.
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Teaching schedule
​Consultant led teaching takes place on a Monday. Trainee led teaching occurs on Thursdays. Neonatal teaching happens on a Friday. There is also a regular journal club.