Clinical Development Fellow (CDF) in Clinical Haematology

OUR VALUES IN ACTION

Compassion Kindness Integrity Teamwork Excellence

Clinical Development Fellow in Haematology (ST1/ST2 Level)

Salary: £1,328.76 per week (pro rata where applicable)

Contract: Fixed term, February 2027 to August 2027 initially (a mutually agreed extension is possible)

Hours: 40 hours per week; part-time and job-share applications are also welcome

Build your clinical haematology experience in a supportive minimum six-month post designed for doctors exploring a future career in the specialty.

Why choose this opportunity?

If you are considering a career in haematology, this post offers focused, practical experience in a welcoming district general hospital environment. You will work alongside an experienced clinical team, develop your understanding of the specialty and gain evidence of progress to support future applications.

At NHS Borders, patients are at the heart of everything we do. You will join a forward-thinking team committed to safe, high-quality care, open communication and the development of future career doctors.

Excellent quality of life, within reach of Edinburgh

Borders General Hospital serves a stable population in a peaceful and beautiful rural setting, just 36 miles from Edinburgh. The Scottish Borders combines excellent leisure opportunities with an outstanding quality of life, alongside professional opportunities making it an attractive place to live while developing your career.

Transport links to central Edinburgh are good, with trains from nearby Tweedbank Station running approximately every 30 minutes and a journey time of around 50 minutes. Melrose has also been named the best place to live in Scotland in a national ranking. Read more about Melrose.

A strong foundation for a career in haematology

This post is aimed at doctors at ST1 or ST2 level who have completed a Foundation Programme and are keen to explore clinical haematology in greater depth. It is particularly well suited to applicants considering future specialty training in haematology and looking for meaningful clinical exposure before applying.

Although this is not a recognised training-grade post, the minimum six-month appointment provides a valuable opportunity to build relevant knowledge, skills and

confidence, demonstrate commitment to the specialty and strengthen your portfolio and CV. It may also appeal to doctors seeking a focused development post before deciding on their longer-term career pathway.

What You Will Gain

You will gain supervised experience across a broad range of clinical haematology activity, helping you understand the patient journey across outpatient, inpatient and cancer services. Your experience will include:

• participating in outpatient clinics;
• contributing to the care of haematology inpatients; and
• supporting the care of patients receiving ongoing chemotherapy and clinical monitoring in the Macmillan Cancer Unit, under the supervision of the Consultant Haematologist.

The post is based within daytime services, with no out-of-hours haematology commitment at Borders General Hospital. This allows you to concentrate on gaining high-quality specialty experience and making the most of the development opportunities available during the placement.

Development tailored to your goals

Your development will be shaped around your experience, learning needs and career interests. A senior clinician will act as your supervisor and help you agree a Personal Development Plan, giving you a clear focus for the minimum six-month placement and an opportunity to evidence your progress. Development for the service will be primarily in Clinical Haematology and would include audits of the service. Approximately 20% of working time is protected for development, both your personal development and service.

Find out more

If you are interested in haematology and would like to discuss how this post could support your career development, please contact Charlotte Robertson, Consultant Haematologist, at charlotte.robertson2@nhs.scot for an informal conversation.

Apply now

Applications close on 14 November 2026. Late applications cannot be accepted, so please submit your application well before the closing date.

Whether you’re early in your career or looking to take the next step into a more senior role, NHS Borders offers a supportive environment where you can grow, influence change, and make a real impact.

To work in the United Kingdom, there is a legal requirement for an individual to demonstrate that they have the relevant permission to work in the country. This permission is, without exception, granted by the UK Visa and Immigrations Service.

As part of the pre-employment checks for a preferred candidate, NHS Scotland Boards will check your entitlement to work in the UK. It can be evidenced through a number of routes including specific types of visa as well as EU settled and pre-settled status. To find out more about these routes of permission, please refer to the GOV.UK website.

For specific types of post, if you do not have the necessary eligibility to work in the UK, it might be possible (though not guaranteed) to secure sponsorship via a UK Skilled Worker/Health & Care Worker Visa. However, this is only possible if the employer is a licenced Sponsor, and if the post does not fall below the current minimum salary threshold or ‘going rate’. Further information on these criteria can be found.

It is ESSENTIAL that you have checked that you either already have an appropriate right to work in the UK or that the post would be eligible to be sponsoredBEFORE submitting your application form

• PLEASE NOTE: We cannot accept late applications so please ensure your application is submitted early***

NHS Scotland is committed to encouraging equality and diversity among our workforce and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. To this end, NHS Scotland welcomes applications from all sections of society.

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