Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine

Job responsibilities

Key duties and responsibilities

These posts form part of the medical team, which under the leadership of the relevant Hospice Medical Lead provides care for patients seen in the specialist palliative care in-patient and community settings on a day-to-day basis.

These posts would be suitable for doctors who wish to pursue a career in Palliative Medicine or for those trained in general practice wishing to develop skills in this area.

The post-holders would have an opportunity to further develop their skills in this specialist area in a supervised and supported learning environment.

The post-holders will be responsible to the relevant Hospice Medical Leads in fulfilling the following duties:

The chief responsibility will be the day-to-day clinical management of patients under the service as needed, whether in the community or on the in-patient unit. This might include domiciliary visits, out-patient assessments, conducting admissions, discharge planning, advance care planning discussions, venesection, intravenous cannulation. This would be with the support of the rest of the medical team (senior and resident) and the wider multidisciplinary team.

To communicate with the family of patients and those close to them as appropriate.

To be responsible for undertaking the administrative duties associated with the care of patients and the administration of the department, including writing discharge summaries, organising TTOs, completing the required post-death duties and paperwork, and organising relevant imaging and other clinical investigations as needed.

The post holders will be expected to liaise with hospital staff, GPs and other agencies involved in the patients care.

The post holders will be expected to work within Southern Hospice Group Operational Policies and Guidelines.

The post holders will be required to work on the first on call out of hours rota for St Barnabas House only. This will be on a 1 in 5 WTE non-resident basis.

Audit and Clinical Governance

The post holder will be expected to participate in clinical governance activities, including clinical audit, incident reporting, risk management, and any other quality improvement activities deemed necessary

Maintain Good Medical Practice

All doctors are expected to have evidence of participation in continuing professional development as required by their Royal College, and to have engaged in annual appraisal and revalidation. They should be able to demonstrate that they have remained up to date on professional developments as required by their professional body

Personal Attributes and values

Essential

• Confident and able to establish credibility quickly.
• Able to communicate clearly and effectively with all levels of the organisation.
• Strong commitment to the delivery of excellence in all aspects of care provision.
• A strong commitment to equality in service provision recognizing the diversity in the local area.
• Ability to consistently demonstrate the organisational values

Other

Essential

• Enhanced DBS
• Right to work in the UK

Transport

Essential

• Must be able to provide own transport to/from the hospice for on call purposes (travel expenses can be paid for on call travel costs).

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 4 years full time (or equivalent part time) post graduate training, at least 2 years of which (or equivalent part time) must be as a specialty trainee in a relevant specialty (or equivalent experience and competencies in a relevant specialty such as general practice, care of the elderly medicine, palliative medicine)
• Experience in General Medicine
• Experience of audit, teaching and administration

Desirable

• Experience in palliative medicine (Desirable)

Qualifications

Essential

• Recognised Basic Medical Degree
• Full GMC registration and Licence to practice

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Essential

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Awareness of potential abuse factors and safeguarding mechanisms
• Excellent clinical assessment skills.
• Capacity to be alert to dangers or problems, clinical risk and demonstrate awareness of good decision making.
• Track record of engaging in clinical governance: reporting errors and learning from errors.
• Demonstrate skills in written and spoken English that are adequate to enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues.
• Excellent organisational skills in relation to time management and decision making.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team and 'whole systems' approach
• Demonstrates leadership and management of others when needed.
• Demonstrable evidence of professional integrity and respect for others; ability to act as a role model and education and show high emotional intelligence.
• Thorough knowledge of principles and practice of palliative care.
• Basic understanding of the roles of non-health agencies and legislative
• change affecting palliative care services.
• Understanding and commitment to Good Medical Practice.
• Ability to use IT and standard Microsoft packages.

Desirable

• Understanding of the direction of the charity sector and the NHS as they relate to palliative care services.
• Knowledge of relevant and current national strategy in palliative and end of life care.
• Understanding of the principles of teaching.
• Understanding of the concepts and conduct of research in palliative care.
• understanding of the role of governance in ensuring high quality care and safe practice.
• Knowledge of risk management.

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.

UK Registration

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