Specialty Grade Doctor in Palliative Medicine

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

To work together with the multidisciplinary team in the provision of medical services to patients of St Elizabeth Hospice on its Ipswich Site. To develop services and improve integrated working between local Palliative Care providers - Hospice, Hospital and in the wider community.

GENERAL

St Elizabeth Hospice is an independent hospice, which opened its services in East Suffolk in 1989 and provides a full range of specialist palliative care and hospice services. At our Ipswich site there are 18 beds, a specialist palliative care Community Care Unit which provides multidisciplinary outpatient clinics, a 24 hour community service and End of Life Coordination Hub, provided by specialist nurses, and an education centre and library.

We receive approximately 25% of our funding from the NHS, the rest of the nearly £13 million running costs being raised through local community support and we maintain a strong level of reserves.

Since 1st April 2019, in Great Yarmouth and Waveney area the hospice is commissioned to provide Specialist Palliative Care services, delivered in partnership with East Coast Community Health the adult services community provider. The hospice operates 6 specialist palliative care beds within Beccles Hospital, a 24 hour SPC advice line, a Community Clinical Nurse Specialist service, specialist Day Services and an in-reach hospital advisory service to James Paget University Hospital.

Across services there is a full multi-professional team including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and an Emotional Wellbeing team incorporating Counsellors, Spiritual Care, Art and Music Therapy and Complementary Therapy.

The Hospice has a Chief Executive and a Senior Leadership Team which includes the Medical Director, Director of Patient Services, Director of Income Generation, Director of Finance, and Director of Corporate Services.

The Medical Directorate consists of

Consultant in Palliative Medicine posts.

o Dr Alison Blaken (Medical Director at St Elizabeth Hospice),

o Dr John Zeppetella (Hospice)

o Dr Joe Sawyer (Hospice)

o Dr Cecily Wright (Hospice and James Paget hospital)

o Dr Claire Bates (Hospice)

o Dr Abigail Hensley (Hospice and James Paget hospital)

o 0.8 WTE vacancy

o Dr Sam King (Ipswich Hospital)

Specialty Registrars in Palliative Medicine 2 WTE vacant from September 2024

Four Middle grade doctors providing support to both the inpatient units as well as the outpatient clinical areas.

6 GP trainees across the two local vocational training rotations and 2 foundation year doctors

3.0 WTE Nurse Consultants supporting East Suffolk community services and Beccles inpatient/community services

This post is to be based in Ipswich for a fixed term of 6 months due to vacancy in the specialty registrar training rotational scheme. The post may be extended for further 6 months or longer. The post is to support the provision of inpatient care to patients on the Ipswich site but there may be the opportunity to support the medical aspects of community palliative care. Requests for less than full time working will be considered.

The post holder must be a registered medical practitioner with the GMC. Preferably the post holder should have experience in palliative medicine or general practice with an interest in palliative medicine. The post holder will participate fully in the provision of medical care of patients referred to St Elizabeth Hospice, primarily based on the Inpatient Unit or in the hospice community team. This post could enable a post holder to fulfil the End of Life competencies of the Internal medicine stage 1 generic curriculum.

The postholder/s will have shared administrative support from the medical team PA alongside a pool of administrators and will have a computer station in a shared office. IT team support is available.

The Hospice will support all essential CPD requirements and other appropriate requests that are agreed, to attend courses and conferences, including reasonable travel and accommodation costs, as stated in the Hospice Education & Training Policy. The team decide among themselves which members of the team can attend particular courses, based on the appropriateness of the education, the teams ability to cover the clinical workload, Personal Development Plans agreed at appraisal and a fair spread of education across the team members.

ACCOUNTABILITY

The post holder will be accountable to the Medical Director. The postholder will need to have engaged and continue to engage with the appraisal and revalidation process. The postholders designated body will be confirmed on appointment.

Mentoring by an experienced doctor will be available to the successful postholder. A named consultant supervisor will be allocated. The level of supervision will be tailored to the needs of the individual applicant with the aim being to facilitate autonomous practice in the longer term.

1 MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

DIRECT PATIENT CARE

1.1 Ensure that inpatients receive appropriate medical assessment and appropriate medical care as part of the multidisciplinary care plan ensuring that medical care is evidence based where possible and best practice.

1.2 To review inpatients regularly with other members of multidisciplinary team

1.3 To ensure that all prescribing is in accordance with hospice policy and statutory requirements

1.4 Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings held daily or weekly to plan patients care. The multi-

disciplinary team includes specialist nurses, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapists, Psychosocial workers, Art, Music and Complementary Therapists and Chaplaincy.

1.5 Ensure that full and accurate clinical information is maintained on all patients

1.7 Liaise with primary and secondary carers as appropriate to ensure continuity of medical care

1.7 Ensure that the clinical practice complements and facilitates the provision of multidisciplinary care, recognising the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and family

1.8 At times, to visit patients at home or in community hospitals, and in day services, in order to do assessments either singly or jointly with other members of the multidisciplinary team. This may include remote (telephone or video) assessments and support to the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure timely and responsive service.

1.9 Within their level of competence, to be available to advise and support primary and secondary carers from other agencies involved in the provision of palliative care. Such advice to be available prior to formal referral

1.10 Participation in the provision of on-call medical cover for inpatients of St Elizabeth Hospice Ipswich Site (maximum 18 patients). Weekday on-call is from 5pm to 9am the next day and the cover is usually telephonic. Weekend on-call entails a ward round on both days to see the inpatients with urgent needs, which usually lasts 4-5 hours depending on the patients. Other than this most of the on-call is non-resident and telephonic. On-call is approximately 1 in 5 first on-call. When on call there is a need to be within 30 minutes travel time of the hospice in case the postholder needs to come in to see a patient. A Consultant is always available for advice when the post holder is on-call. Time (plus/minus one hour) will be allocated on Friday before the weekend on call and after the weekend on Monday for handover of patients. Remuneration of 2 PAs extra per week for 1:5 on-call rota. The postholder who is in full time employment will be entitled to finish their duties at lunchtime on the Monday following a full weekend on call.

2 MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF CARE

2.1 To be an active participant in audit. To identify areas of research and audit and in conjunction with appropriate staff initiate and participate in agreed research programmes, and audit projects.

2.2 To maintain an awareness of developments and research in medical practice in particular and care in general, in the provision of palliative care.

2.3 Commitment to continuing professional development. Study leave and professional leave is available to achieve this and the Hospice is committed to providing time and appropriate financial support to help facilitate agreed plans. To ensure training and development needs detailed in your personal development plan are followed up and the effectiveness of the acquired training and development evaluated in terms of self, patient and service.

2.4 To participate, as appropriate, in the promotion of palliative care within the community.

2.5 Regular reviews of Job Plan with a Consultant and appraisal for revalidation, should the appraisal month fall within the duration of the appointment. To meet the Royal College of Physician recommendations on appropriate completion of continuing professional development activity and be committed to the GMC revalidation process

2.6 The Hospice has the required arrangements in place, as laid down by the Royal College of Physicians, to ensure that all doctors have an annual appraisal with a trained appraiser and supports doctors going through the revalidation process.

Personal Skills

Essential

• Able to work in a close-knit team and co-operate with all medical, nursing and other healthcare staff.
• Professional attitude towards work, reliability, good record of attendance and tidy personal appearance.
• Car driver with driving licence. Business insurance will be required upon commencement.

Desirable

• Effective communicator.

Qualifications

Essential

• Full registration with the GMC

Desirable

• MRCP, MRCGP, or equivalent Diploma e.g. Diploma or MSc in Palliative Medicine or MD

Administration

Essential

• Familiarity with information technology and general computer skills including outlook, word, excel and PowerPoint.

Desirable

• Familiar with current structure of NHS and conversant with recent initiatives and changes.
• Electronic patient recording system.

Management

Essential

• Possession of basic management skills.

Desirable

• Management course and / or qualification

Audit / Research and publications

Essential

• Thorough understanding of principles of medical audit.
• Experience in undertaking and completing audit projects.
• Knowledge of the principles of medical research.

Desirable

• Presentation or publication of audit results.
• Research experience.
• Publication of research and / or review article.

Experience

Essential

• Completed at least 4 years full time postgraduate training, or its equivalent on a part time or flexi-time basis, at least 2 of which will be in a specialty training program in a relevant specialty or as a fixed term specialty trainee in a relevant specialty or shall have equivalent experience and competencies.

Desirable

• Experience in palliative care and other specialties such as oncology, care of the elderly, general practice.
• Attended a Communication skills training course or have a qualification.

Teaching

Essential

• Experience of junior doctor, other clinical staff and medical student teaching.

Desirable

• Teaching skills course and / or qualification.

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).