Speciality Doctor - Palliative Medicine

Job description

Job responsibilities

Main responsibilities

• Admit patients to the inpatient unit for end-of-life care, symptom management or respite.
• Along with the rest of the medical team, nursing team and consultants, provide care for inpatients, outpatients and patients attending wellbeing or rehabilitation appointments if needed, including initial assessment, daily reviews, planning and management.
• To identify and address the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of patients and the emotional, spiritual and psychological needs of their families and friends.
• Work closely with and support the nursing team and wider MDT, maintaining positive working relationships and close teamwork.
• Communicate compassionately with patients and their families regarding their condition, treatment, prognosis and advanced care planning.
• Participate in on-call rota (1:4 weekends), being on-site Saturday morning and available to attend from 9-5 Saturday and Sunday (1 day off in lieu provided following the on-call weekend).
• Participate in clinical meetings as part of the MDT.
• Complete administrative tasks arising from medical work discharge summaries, letters following outpatient appointments, death certificates, coroner's reports.
• Liaise closely with external partners such as GPs, Specialist Palliative Care Team (SPCT), district nurses, specialist clinical nurses and secondary care.
• Develop and maintain high professional standards within the service and promote multidisciplinary team working
• To promote and participate in teaching and educational activity, teaching medical students, GP registrars, colleagues, patients and families.
• To participate in clinical governance activities e.g. quality improvement activities and ensure implementation of best practice guidelines.
• Promote the ethos of audit in the organisation and where possible participate in clinical audit
• To maintain personal development through personal development reviews, monthly 1:1 meetings, clinical supervision, training, supporting professional activities (SPA) time and appropriate courses, which the hospice will support.
• Engage in the appraisal process, the organisation has the required arrangements in place and ensures all doctors have an annual appraisal with a trained appraiser and supports doctors going through the revalidation process.

Key working relationships

Medical director

Palliative care consultants

Speciality doctor

General practitioners

Advanced nurse practitioner

Director of clinical and patient services

Patient flow lead and co-ordinator

Ward manager and deputy ward managers

Wellbeing lead

Family support team

Pharmacist

Physiotherapists

Occupational therapist

Chaplain

Complementary therapist

Ward Clerk/ clinical administrators

External key relationships

General practitioners

District nurses

Secondary care teams at local hospitals

Specialist clinical nurses

Specialist palliative care team

General Requirements

This post is subject to the Terms and Conditions of employment of the Hospice as specified in the staff handbook

Competence You are responsible for limiting your actions to those that you feel competent to undertake. If you have any doubts about your competence during the course of your duties, you should immediately speak to your line manager / supervisor.

Risk Management

It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all staff of the Hospice that they fulfil a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents, near misses and hazards. It is a requirement that you adhere to Nightingale House Hospice Policies, Procedures, Protocols and guidelines at all times.

Health and Safety Requirements of the Hospice

All employees of the Hospice have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Employees are required to co-operate with management to enable the Hospice to meet its own legal duties including attendance at mandatory training updates and also to report any hazardous situations or defective equipment.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

The post holder must treat all information, whether corporate, staff or patient information, in a discreet, secure and confidential manner in accordance with the provisions of the current data protection legislation and organisational policy. Any breach of such confidentiality is considered a serious disciplinary offence, which is liable to dismissal and / or prosecution under statutory legislation and the hospices disciplinary policy. This duty of confidence continues after the post holder leaves the organisation.

Records Management

As an employee of the hospice, the post holder is legally responsible for all records that they gather, create or use as part of their work within the organisation (including patient health, staff health or injury, financial, personal and administrative), whether paper based or on computer. The post holder should consult the IG Lead if they have any doubt as to the correct management of records with which they work.

Flexibility Statement

The content of this Job Description represents an outline of the post only and is therefore not a final list of duties and responsibilities. The Job Description is therefore intended to be flexible and is subject to review and amendment in the light of changing circumstances, following consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Medical Degree MBChB or equivalent
• Full GMC Registration

Desirable

• MRCP, MRCGP
• Diploma in palliative medicine or equivalent
• Master's degree experience in research and / or MSc
• Membership of special interest group

Experience

Essential

• 3 years post registration experience, including 1 year's relevant experience in allied specialities (e.g., GP, general medicine)

Desirable

• Palliative care or hospice experience
• Experience in safeguarding
• Experience in practical procedures

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Nightingale House Hospice

Address

Chester Road

Wrexham

Clwyd

LL11 2SJ

Employer's website

https://www.nightingalehouse.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)