Clinical Fellow or FY3 in Palliative Medicine

Job summary

We are looking for an enthusiastic doctor to join our team at this very exciting time for Woking & Sam Beare Hospice and Wellbeing Care [the Hospice] as we shape the collaborative delivery of the Palliative & End of Life Care Strategy in North West Surrey (NWS).

We have a unique working relationship with St Peters Hospital that allows for a more integrated and collaborative approach to providing continuity of care to our patients with life-limiting and terminal illnesses. In doing so, we ensure that:

Everyone is seen as an individual and their care is tailored to meet their needs and wishes

Everyone has equal access to palliative and end-of-life care

People are made to feel comfortable and their wider wellbeing needs are met

Care is coordinated, with different services working together.

The post will provide an excellent opportunity to gain experience and skills in a supportive setting under the supervision of experienced palliative medicine consultants. This post will help the career progression of doctors considering palliative medicine specialty, allied medical specialties, or general practice.

The doctor in this post will be mainly based in the in-patient unit of the hospice and will be given the opportunity to work alongside the community palliative team to gain experience in community palliative care. The doctor in this post will be encouraged to undertake a quality improvement project and participate in the education programme of the hospice.

Main duties of the job

Summary of Direct Clinical Duties

To complete a holistic medical assessment for patients admitted to the inpatient unit, in close collaboration with the medical, nursing, and multidisciplinary team, the patients, and their family.

To review all the inpatients, assess their symptoms and make management plans. This will involve a handover from the nursing staff and attending appropriate multidisciplinary team meetings.

To meet with patients carers and address their needs where appropriate.

To make accurate, legible, contemporaneous entries in the patients records, and if appropriate, update the clinical database.

To communicate closely with health care professionals (G.Ps and hospital specialists) by telephone or written correspondence about patient care, e.g. discharge summary, and notification of death.

To contact consultants or managers if there are any clinical concerns.

To assess and offer advice and treatment to outpatients when needed, and to patients in the day hospice when requested by the nursing staff. If the hospice workload allows, the postholder may do domiciliary visits. Treatment changes need to be discussed with the G.P in a timely fashion.

Following a patients death, to confirm the death, complete the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, and the cremation form, and notify the Coroner if necessary.

To prioritise admissions in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.

About us

Hospice Inpatient Unit (IPU)

The IPU opened in May 2017 and comprises 20 individual patient rooms. The inpatient team is led by an experienced medical and nursing team and supported by a multidisciplinary team of occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Counselling teams, and a clinical administration team.

Hospice Community Team

The Hospice community team serves North West Surrey. The Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) provide a 7 day a week face to face service and offer a 24/7 advice line which the CNSs manage between 9am and 5 pm. Out of hours the advice line is directed to the in-patient unit. There is a weekly formal MDT meeting in which all new patients and patients with complex symptom control needs or requiring high-level input are discussed.

Hospice @ Home

The Hospice @ Home team offers individualised patient care, advice, and support within the home. The team works closely with its District Nursing partners at Central Surrey Health. Hospice @ Home care can be provided for a few days or for a period of weeks depending upon the individual needs of the patient.

Wellbeing Services @ the Hospice

The Hospice has a Wellbeing Centre which provides holistic outpatient care to patients and their families. Referrals (which identify the specific needs of the patient) are made by CNSs and an individualised care programme is then developed.