Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Palliative Medicine

NHS; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent health service provider in Guildford is seeking a Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Palliative Medicine. The role involves supporting patients across several locations, engaging in specialist care, and working in a multidisciplinary team. The ideal candidate will have experience in paediatric palliative care and strong communication skills. This position offers a unique opportunity to develop skills in a vital medical field.

Benefits

Specialist training in paediatric palliative care

Opportunities for professional development

Supportive work environment

Qualifications

• Experience in managing end of life care plans.
• Knowledge of prescribing pain and symptom medication.
• Ability to engage with families for bereavement support.

Responsibilities

• Support patients with Paediatric Palliative care at multiple sites.
• Engage in clinical meetings and patient reviews.
• Carry a clinical workload across various healthcare settings.

Skills

Experience in paediatric palliative medicine

Pain management

Communication skills

Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams

Education

Eligible for registration with the GMC MB BS (or equivalent)

MRCPCH or equivalent

Job description

Clinical Fellow in Paediatric Palliative Medicine

This exciting new post in paediatric palliative care issuitable for a middle grade doctor wishing to gain experience in paediatricpalliative medicine. The post will be mainly based at Shooting Star Childrenshospice in Guildford with one day per week at the Royal Marsden Hospital withregular attendance at St Georges Hospital. The post is SPIN in PaediatricPalliative Medicine accredited for those applicants who are interested informalising their experience. The role will be mainly supporting new andexisting patients referred to the specialist service in all care settings. Italso entails specialist hospice admissions, hospice outpatient clinics andoutreach working into other hospitals and the community.

Main duties of the job

• The post-holder will work one day a week at with RM Paediatric Palliative care team (honorary contract required).
• Attend the weekly paediatric PATCH meeting
• Participate in pain and other symptom ward rounds, shared care hospitals, school, home and hospice visits as required
• Carry a small clinical oncology case load covering mostly the Heartland Surrey region or possibly another area close to the postholders home address:
• Review of patients in all care settings (hospital, home, hospice and education)
• Review and update of symptom and emergency care plans
• Review and write advance care plans
• Develop knowledge and skills in prescribing pain and symptom medication in palliation and at end of life for oncology patients
• Become familiar with the management of the more common symptoms
• Develop and improve communication skills especially in advance care and emergency care plans
• Provide specialist medical advice on symptom and end of life care in oncology cases

Additional experience

• Leadership
• Contribute to service development as appropriate
• Engage in the user group feedback
• Participate in data collection and service

The postholder will also require a driving licence and access to a vehicle (preferrably a vehicle owner) for community and hospital visits. Please note that appointment will be subject to DBS clearance.

Please contact Dr AK Anderson for further information by email at [e-mail]

About us

Shooting Star Childrens Hospices provides specialist careand support to families who have a baby, child or young person with alife-limiting condition, or who have been bereaved. Rated Outstanding by theCare Quality Commission, we support families across Surrey, north-west Londonand south-west London from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavementwith a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care.

Our specialist care and support is free of charge tofamilies and available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It includes specialistnursing in the community, symptom management and pain relief, overnight respitestays, end-of-life care, specialist bereavement care and a comprehensive rangeof therapies, groups and clinics for the whole family.

At the heart of what we do are our dedicated staff; theirexceptional commitment and professionalism means every family has theopportunity to make every moment count.

It costs £10 million a year to run Shooting Star ChildrensHospices. Just 30% of our funding comes from the government, so we rely on oursupporters generosity to keep the service running. We employ 175 members ofstaff, including 98 nursing and medical staff, and support around 700 families.

Job responsibilities

The post holder will gain specialist Paediatric Palliative care experience across clinical settings developing skills in pain and symptom management, advance communication and advance care planning.

The post will offer experience in

• Specialist non-oncology paediatric palliative care under the SPACE team
• Specialist Paediatric Palliative Oncology care under Royal Marsden and St Georges hospitals
• Out of hours specialist telephone advice service through participation on the PATCH on call rota (separate contract)

There is acknowledged flexibility of hours and days across the services to enable the post-holder to gain experience of symptom and end of life care through engaging in real time events. They must have access to a car to enable home, hospital and community visits across the geographical catchment area.

Responsibilities at Shooting Star Childrens Hospices (SSCH)

Attend and participate in monthly Specialist MDT and daily morning clinical Huddles

• Run a clinical fellow led weekly hospice outpatient clinic
• Review all children and young people under the care of the SPACE team admitted to the hospice for end of life care and symptom management.
• Carry a clinical case load:
• Review of patients in all care settings (hospital, home, hospice and education)
• Review and write advance care plans including resuscitation plans
• Review and write symptom management plans
• Develop knowledge and skills in prescribing pain and symptom medication in palliation and at end of life
• Become familiar with the management of the more common symptoms in non-oncology palliative care
• Develop and improve communication skills especially around the introduction and review of advance care and emergency care plans
• Attend child death review meeting
• Engage in bereavement support for family on caseload

As part of providing regional specialist service, engagement and clinical inward reaching support is required particularly to subspecialist paediatric services with identified high referral numbers to our SPACE service:

• Attend PICU MDTs at St Georges Hospital
• Attend weekly regional foetal medicine meeting (virtual)
• Attend NICU ward rounds at St Peters and St Georges Hospitals
• Engagement with the wider hospice
• Attend the hospice MDT and panel as required
• Participate in quarterly Morbidity and Mortality meetings

The postholder will also require a driving licence andaccess to a vehicle (preferrably a vehicle owner) for community and hospitalvisits. Please note that appointment will be subject to DBS clearance.

Please contact Dr AK Anderson for further informationregarding this position by email at [e-mail]

For more information about the charity please go to ourwebsite at www.shootingstar.org.uk

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Eligible for registration with the GMC MB BS (or equivalent)
• Other degrees eg BSc, BA or equivalent honours degree MRCPCH or equivalent

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.