Staff Specialist in Palliative Care

ANZSPM; Newcastle; Hybrid; AUD 140,000 - 210,000; Part time

Job summary

John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle NSW is seeking a Staff Specialist in Palliative Medicine to deliver patient-centred specialist care within an interdisciplinary team across inpatient, outpatient, community and virtual settings. You will lead symptom management, advance care planning and end-of-life decision-making, while supporting patients and families through transitions and complex care planning.

This fixed-term part-time role runs November 2026 to July 2027 at 0.8 FTE, offering a rewarding

Responsibilities

• Provide specialist palliative care across inpatient, outpatient, community and virtual care settings.
• Assess and manage pain, complex symptoms and psychosocial, cultural and spiritual needs.
• Lead advance care planning and support patients, families and healthcare teams to establish treatment goals and care preferences.
• Provide expert guidance on end-of-life care, including management and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments where appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Hunter New England Palliative Care Stream to develop and evaluate evidence-based models of care and service improvements.
• Support coordinated transitions between care settings.
• Provide consultation, mentoring, education and clinical supervision to medical, nursing and allied health colleagues.
• Participate in the Hunter New England Palliative Care on-call roster and support virtual care services.

Job description

Staff Specialist, Palliative Medicine
John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle NSW
Fixed-term temporary part-time, 0.8 FTE | November 2026 - July 2027

About the Role

John Hunter Hospital provides integrated Palliative Care and Kidney Supportive Care for people with advanced and life-limiting illness across inpatient, outpatient and community settings. The service is part of Newcastle's specialist multidisciplinary palliative care hub, with a strong focus on quality of life, dignity and goal-concordant care.

As a Staff Specialist in Palliative Medicine, you will provide safe, evidence-based and patient-centred specialist care within a skilled interdisciplinary team. You will support patients with advanced and life-limiting illness through symptom management, advance care planning, end-of-life care and complex decision-making, while supporting patients, families and carers across inpatient, outpatient, community and virtual care settings.

You Will:

• Provide specialist palliative care across inpatient, outpatient, community and virtual care settings.
• Assess and manage pain, complex symptoms and psychosocial, cultural and spiritual needs.
• Lead advance care planning and support patients, families and healthcare teams to establish treatment goals and care preferences.
• Provide expert guidance on end-of-life care, including management and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments where appropriate.
• Collaborate with the Hunter New England Palliative Care Stream to develop and evaluate evidence-based models of care and service improvements.
• Support coordinated transitions between care settings.
• Provide consultation, mentoring, education and clinical supervision to medical, nursing and allied health colleagues.
• Participate in the Hunter New England Palliative Care on-call roster and support virtual care services.