Job responsibilities
Job Description
Position: Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine
Responsible to: Medical Director
Hours:Various shifts available for multiple applicants
+ On-call commitment (weekends +/- weekday night on-calls)
Term: Permanent
Location: Willow Wood Hospice, Ashton-under-Lyne
Core role: As a key member of the specialist, multidisciplinary team the post holder will participate in the medical assessment and support of patients across hospice services with a focus on inpatient care.
To be a Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine, you will need:
To have full registration and a Licence to Practice with the General Medical Council; and
At least four years full-time postgraduate training, two years of which will be in a relevant specialty
MRCP or MRCGP are desirable
Clinical Role
- To provide medical support to the 12-bedded hospice inpatient unit and when required, to the Community and Wellbeing Service.
- To work in collaboration with the medical team and medical director to ensure continuity of care. We will work with you to develop your knowledge and skills in order to provide excellent, person centred and holistic palliative care.
- To work closely with the wider specialist palliative care MDT to ensure coordinated care and excellent management of identified physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs.
- To participate and contribute to the daily multi-professional handovers and weekly inpatient unit clinical review meeting. To participate in the weekly Tameside and Glossop Locality Specialist Palliative Care MDT meeting which brings together multiple specialist practitioners across two organisations.
- To assist and participate in the professional development of the medical team and the wider specialist palliative care workforce through training, education and personal professional development.
- To be responsive to the changing needs of our inpatients and those assessing the Community and Wellbeing Service. To provide sound clinical assessment and management plans.
- To work closely with the medical director when providing care to highly complex patients.
- To both lead and assist conversations with patients, families and carers involving relevant healthcare professionals
- To have excellent communication skills when involving patients, family and carers. To be an excellent communicator as part of a multi-professional team.
- To be prepared to review patients in their own home if this is required.
- To assist in the process of deciding admissions to the inpatient unit and triaging new referrals as part of the daily referrals meeting.
- To work collaboratively in the coordination of patients being discharged.
- To document advice, care and support thoroughly on the electronic patient record (EMIS).
- To share information appropriately and in a timely fashion with others involved in the patients care, especially at the point of discharge.
- To participate in the clinical governance mechanisms designed to ensure safe and effective care, for example, clinical audit and clinical incident reporting.
- To support the rolling education programme being designed at the hospice to enhance the knowledge and skills of our hospice staff and healthcare practitioners in Tameside and Glossop, and Greater Manchester.
- To support GP specialty trainees, medical students and those wishing to gain some additional palliative medicine experience in a hospice setting.
Core Values
- To always act in a manner consistent with the GMCs professional code of conduct - Good Medical Practice.
- To adhere to the policies and procedures of Willow Wood Hospice including mandatory training requirements.
- To show respect to patients, their families and hospice colleagues at all times. To uphold the principles of privacy, dignity and confidentiality.
- To respect all members of the multi professional team and encourage input from all team members. To maintain respectful relationships and encourage collaboration.
Education and support
- To engage in the process of medical appraisal and revalidation in accordance with GMC requirements.
- To engage with monthly medical team meetings and 6-weekly 1:1s with the medical director.
- To develop a hospice personal development plan through the performance development review (PDRs) process. The hospice will help support your continued professional development through courses and providing appropriate study leave.
- To undertake the required mandatory training for Willow Wood Hospice employees.
- To attend hospice educational sessions relevant to you.
- To contribute in the provision of teaching and training to hospice staff. We are currently developing a rolling educational programme to support and develop all staff.
Professional Requirements
- To have full registration and a Licence to Practice with the General Medical Council
- To be a member of a recognised medical-defence organisation and to be covered for work within a hospice setting, including the potential for home visits.
- At least four years full-time postgraduate training, two years of which will be in a relevant specialty.
- MRCP or MRCGP are desirable
Personal Skills
The Specialty Doctor will be able to:
- Demonstrate experience of working within a multi-professional team
- Demonstrate excellent clinical assessment skills
- Create clear, concise management plans
- Contribute to the clinical management of highly complex cases
- Demonstrate an excellent ability to work as part of an MDT
- Demonstrate excellent, clear and sensitive communication skills.
- Demonstrate involvement in audit and quality improvement projects
- Demonstrate interest and involvement in teaching and assessing others
- Work as an independent practitioner when required, involving senior support as needed.
- Show an awareness of their own limitations.
- Show engagement with appraisal and revalidation processes
General
- To be able to attend the hospice within 1 hour if required to do so when on-call
- To comply with all hospice policies and procedures
- To maintain confidentiality at all times.
- Doctors will be expected to be aware of the Hospices charitable and fundraising events. All staff are encouraged to play a role in supporting these events.
Additional Notes
(a) This document is a guideline to the general scope of duties involved and will be reviewed at regular intervals. It is not intended as a rigid inflexible specification.
(b) The employer shares with the employee the dual responsibility for suggestions to alter the scope and content of this document in order to improve the working situation.
(c) There is a duty to be aware and adhere to all professional governing body rules and any particular `Acts' or statutory requirements, which may vary from time to time.
(d) Willow Wood Hospice operates a no smoking policy.
(e) This post requires a satisfactory standard disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
(f) The post is subject to satisfactory Occupational Health checks.
