Job summary
In
2025, Willow Wood Hospice will have been serving the population of Tameside and
Glossop by providing palliative and end of life Care for adults with life
limiting illnesses and their families for over 25 years. We are now recruiting
into a newly created and exciting role as a Lead Doctor following the redesign
of our medical team.
Main duties of the job
This is a senior
leadership position and we need somebody who cares passionately about providing
the excellent care upon which we have built our reputation.
You will work
with a team of special interest doctors, specialist nurses and a wider team of
allied health professionals all of whom are committed to providing excellent
care. The salary for the post is commensurate with the NHS and will be paid
according to your experience. Your NHS
pension scheme can also be continued.
About us
This is an
opportunity to be part of something special, building on the existing services
and devising new ones. If you are
looking to take on a role where every day you see the difference you have made
to peoples lives, come and lead our Medical team into the next era of Willow
Woods outstanding hospice care.
If this sounds like an exciting opportunity, you
can download a recruitment pack from www.willowwood.org.uk/vacancies which will
give you details including how to apply.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job SummaryTo lead the medical team indelivering holistic specialist palliativeand end-of-life care; assessing,delivering and overseeing care tomeet the physical, social, spiritual,and psychological needs of patientsand their families.
Clinical Role
- Act as the responsible clinician for the management, continuity, and delivery of all medical care to patients on the inpatient unit throughout their stay.
- Provide medical care and or advice to patients, families and significant others as appropriate and in accordance with professional practice.
- Provide medical leadership and mentorship across Hospice services inclusive of multidisciplinary clinical review meetings.
- Play a key role in developing and delivering high-quality, person-centred palliative care services.
- Be actively involved in direct patient care, stepping in wherever needed from complex case management to supporting colleagues on the ground.
- Foster a culture of compassion, learning, and clinical excellence.
- Collaborate closely with the clinical leadership team on service innovation and strategy also working across the locality in partnership with other shared care providers.
- Lead hospice audit programmes and participate in regional collaborative audits.
- Take a lead role in all aspects of clinical governance e.g. education and training, incidents and complaints.
- Participate in the on-call rota for medical cover at the hospice.
- Work closely with the Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Tameside and Glossop NHS Trust and or other Care Providers.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive medical records that serve as a clear record of care and treatment provided, and as a valuable resource for review, learning, and clinical audit.
Management & admin responsibilities
- Deliver proactive, visible leadership alongside strategic resource management, ensuring optimal use of bed occupancy and clinical staffing to support high-quality, responsive care.
- Work across teams, departments and organisations to support effective communication and collaborative working through a one-team approach.
- Role-model the professional standards and behaviours aligned with the organisations strategic goals, while fostering a culture of accountability within the medical team to uphold the same high standard.
- Engage in regular appraisal and development discussions, proactively reviewing both your own performance and that of your team to identify training needs and support continuous growth.
- Work across teams, departments, and partner organisations to promote effective communication and truly collaborative working fostering a positive, inclusive culture built on a one-team ethos
- Provide medical leadership for governance, risk management, and policy development ensuring safe, consistent care through effective systems, SOPs, and quality oversight, and representing the service at hospice committees, the Board, and external meetings
- To adhere to the policies and procedures of Willow Wood Hospice, local and national guidance and or best practice.
- Support the delivery of Willow Wood Hospices 5-year Strategy.
- Comply with and role model the GMCs professional code of conduct - Good Medical Practice.
Learning & Development
- Comply with professional revalidation standards to maintain active professional registration and a license to practice with the GMC.
- Participate in continuous professional development.
- Provide teaching, education and training for hospice clinical teams and other external healthcare professionals as required.
- Lead the supervision, training and mentorship of junior medical staff and other visiting medical staff including medical students, delegating appropriately.
General
- Essential to be able to attend the hospice within 1 hour if required to do so whilst on-call
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job SummaryTo lead the medical team indelivering holistic specialist palliativeand end-of-life care; assessing,delivering and overseeing care tomeet the physical, social, spiritual,and psychological needs of patientsand their families.
Clinical Role
- Act as the responsible clinician for the management, continuity, and delivery of all medical care to patients on the inpatient unit throughout their stay.
- Provide medical care and or advice to patients, families and significant others as appropriate and in accordance with professional practice.
- Provide medical leadership and mentorship across Hospice services inclusive of multidisciplinary clinical review meetings.
- Play a key role in developing and delivering high-quality, person-centred palliative care services.
- Be actively involved in direct patient care, stepping in wherever needed from complex case management to supporting colleagues on the ground.
- Foster a culture of compassion, learning, and clinical excellence.
- Collaborate closely with the clinical leadership team on service innovation and strategy also working across the locality in partnership with other shared care providers.
- Lead hospice audit programmes and participate in regional collaborative audits.
- Take a lead role in all aspects of clinical governance e.g. education and training, incidents and complaints.
- Participate in the on-call rota for medical cover at the hospice.
- Work closely with the Consultant in Palliative Medicine at Tameside and Glossop NHS Trust and or other Care Providers.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive medical records that serve as a clear record of care and treatment provided, and as a valuable resource for review, learning, and clinical audit.
Management & admin responsibilities
- Deliver proactive, visible leadership alongside strategic resource management, ensuring optimal use of bed occupancy and clinical staffing to support high-quality, responsive care.
- Work across teams, departments and organisations to support effective communication and collaborative working through a one-team approach.
- Role-model the professional standards and behaviours aligned with the organisations strategic goals, while fostering a culture of accountability within the medical team to uphold the same high standard.
- Engage in regular appraisal and development discussions, proactively reviewing both your own performance and that of your team to identify training needs and support continuous growth.
- Work across teams, departments, and partner organisations to promote effective communication and truly collaborative working fostering a positive, inclusive culture built on a one-team ethos
- Provide medical leadership for governance, risk management, and policy development ensuring safe, consistent care through effective systems, SOPs, and quality oversight, and representing the service at hospice committees, the Board, and external meetings
- To adhere to the policies and procedures of Willow Wood Hospice, local and national guidance and or best practice.
- Support the delivery of Willow Wood Hospices 5-year Strategy.
- Comply with and role model the GMCs professional code of conduct - Good Medical Practice.
Learning & Development
- Comply with professional revalidation standards to maintain active professional registration and a license to practice with the GMC.
- Participate in continuous professional development.
- Provide teaching, education and training for hospice clinical teams and other external healthcare professionals as required.
- Lead the supervision, training and mentorship of junior medical staff and other visiting medical staff including medical students, delegating appropriately.
General
- Essential to be able to attend the hospice within 1 hour if required to do so whilst on-call
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- At least 12 years postgraduate experience, with 6 years in a relevant specialty.
- Significant experience in palliative medicine or evidence of experience acting as a responsible clinician.
- Evidence of participation in clinical audit.
- Experience of teaching medical students and other health professionals.
- Ensuring patient safety and a person-centred approach to care.
- Working to GMC standards in line with Good Medical Practice including good clinical care.
- Ensuring good relationships and communication with patients and colleagues.
- Professional behaviour and probity.
Desirable
- Evidence of participation in research or publications.
- Experience of providing clinical leadership within a multi professional team.
- Experience of managing change within the workplace.
- Evidence of leadership and management training and or experience
Qualifications
Essential
- Primary medical qualification
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification e.g., MRCGP or MRCP
- Diploma in Palliative Medicine or equivalent
- Palliative care courses or study days
- Certificate of post graduate medical education
Personal and other qualities
Essential
- Demonstrate empathy, sensitivity and compassion
- Works well as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Flexible approach to work
- Able to manage own time and cope with pressure.
- Promotes and value equality and diversity.
- Commitment to ongoing learning and personal development.
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Excellent effective communication skills with the ability to communicate in written and spoken English.
- Advanced communication skills training
- Able to medically assess patients and take clinical decisions autonomously and or seek further specialist advice as required.
Desirable
- Additional skills e.g. abdominal paracentesis or use of portable ultrasound.
- Evidence of ability to plan and undertake clinical audit and research.
Knowledge
Essential
- Sound knowledge and application of managing complexity within specialist palliative care.
- Knowledge of clinical governance.
- Understanding of network and national guidelines relevant to specialist palliative care.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- At least 12 years postgraduate experience, with 6 years in a relevant specialty.
- Significant experience in palliative medicine or evidence of experience acting as a responsible clinician.
- Evidence of participation in clinical audit.
- Experience of teaching medical students and other health professionals.
- Ensuring patient safety and a person-centred approach to care.
- Working to GMC standards in line with Good Medical Practice including good clinical care.
- Ensuring good relationships and communication with patients and colleagues.
- Professional behaviour and probity.
Desirable
- Evidence of participation in research or publications.
- Experience of providing clinical leadership within a multi professional team.
- Experience of managing change within the workplace.
- Evidence of leadership and management training and or experience
Qualifications
Essential
- Primary medical qualification
Desirable
- Postgraduate qualification e.g., MRCGP or MRCP
- Diploma in Palliative Medicine or equivalent
- Palliative care courses or study days
- Certificate of post graduate medical education
Personal and other qualities
Essential
- Demonstrate empathy, sensitivity and compassion
- Works well as part of a multidisciplinary team.
- Flexible approach to work
- Able to manage own time and cope with pressure.
- Promotes and value equality and diversity.
- Commitment to ongoing learning and personal development.
Skills & Abilities
Essential
- Excellent effective communication skills with the ability to communicate in written and spoken English.
- Advanced communication skills training
- Able to medically assess patients and take clinical decisions autonomously and or seek further specialist advice as required.
Desirable
- Additional skills e.g. abdominal paracentesis or use of portable ultrasound.
- Evidence of ability to plan and undertake clinical audit and research.
Knowledge
Essential
- Sound knowledge and application of managing complexity within specialist palliative care.
- Knowledge of clinical governance.
- Understanding of network and national guidelines relevant to specialist palliative care.
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).
Additional information
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).
