Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

ST4 in Palliative Medicine

The closing date is 11 June 2026

Job summary

The service's 'hub' is based at Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice, a 15 bedded Specialist Palliative Care unit on Liebenrood Road, Reading. The service also has inpatient beds in West Berkshire and Wallingford Community Hospitals, and delivers community services in Reading, Newbury and Wokingham, as well as through the South Oxfordshire Palliative Care Hub.

The post holder's main place of employment can be agreed on acceptance of the post, taking into account the needs of the service at that time, the post holder's interests and preferences, and their level of experience. They may be expected to provide cross cover to other parts of the service at times.

Main duties of the job

To clerk and examine newly admitted patients and to plan their management with reference to senior medical staff members as necessary;

Co-operate with the other members of the multi-disciplinary team in ensuring on-going optimum symptom control for patients, taking into account the physical, psycho-social and spiritual elements of those symptoms;

To co-operate with other members of the multi-disciplinary team in the support of relatives and friends of patients;

Maintain accurate and comprehensive records and provide patient discharge summaries as required;

Attend and contribute to the weekly journal club

Provide a first on call service for the inpatient unit

About us

On the Duchess of Kent Hospice inpatient unit the patients are all seen on Consultant ward rounds twice a week. The weekly Multidisciplinary team meeting is on Tuesday afternoon. There is a weekly Journal Club on Thursday mornings.

The post-holder will participate in a non-resident first on-call rota with prospective cover. This is currently 1:6. The frequency of on call is subject to review following yearly monitoring exercise, and there is a guarantee that it will not drop to less than 1:4. There is an expectation that the first on call doctor may need to stay late to admit patients when on call or attend the unit overnight in emergency situations. The consultants cover a second on-call rota and there is always a consultant available for advice.

Date posted

28 May 2026

Pay scheme

Hospital medical and dental staff

Grade

Doctor - other

Salary

£67,325 a year pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

4 months

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

193-MS2235NCG

Job locations

Royal Berkshire Hospital

London Road

Reading

RG1 5AN

United Kingdom

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details. I f you would like to discuss this role or arrange a visit, please contact our Clinical Lead, Dr Hannah Western

Job description

Job responsibilities

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Full GMC Registration

Desirable

Additional qualifications in palliative medicine

Clinical experience

Essential

Completed Foundation Year 1 & 2 training

Desirable

Experience in Palliative Medicine

Academic

Essential

Evidence of active involvement in audit
Understanding of clinical governance

Desirable

Evidence of a good knowledge base of clinical research processes and ability to utilise evidence based practice

Management skills

Essential

Able to organise oneself and prioritise clinical workload

Desirable

IT skills especially use of databases

Teaching Skills

Essential

Evidence of education expertise and experience

Desirable

Experience of using reflection on practice incidents and the ability to learn from incidents

Communication and Interpersonal skills

Essential

Evidence of effective team working
Caring attitude to patients

Desirable

Excellent communication skills
Excellent interpersonal skills

Physical Requirements

Essential

Meets professional health requirements

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

Full GMC Registration

Desirable

Additional qualifications in palliative medicine

Clinical experience

Essential

Completed Foundation Year 1 & 2 training

Desirable

Experience in Palliative Medicine

Academic

Essential

Evidence of active involvement in audit
Understanding of clinical governance

Desirable

Evidence of a good knowledge base of clinical research processes and ability to utilise evidence based practice

Management skills

Essential

Able to organise oneself and prioritise clinical workload

Desirable

IT skills especially use of databases

Teaching Skills

Essential

Evidence of education expertise and experience

Desirable

Experience of using reflection on practice incidents and the ability to learn from incidents

Communication and Interpersonal skills

Essential

Evidence of effective team working
Caring attitude to patients

Desirable

Excellent communication skills
Excellent interpersonal skills

Physical Requirements

Essential

Meets professional health requirements

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

UK Registration

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

Employer details

Employer name

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Berkshire Hospital

London Road

Reading

RG1 5AN

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Employer details

Employer name

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Royal Berkshire Hospital

London Road

Reading

RG1 5AN

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://www.royalberkshire.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)