Consultant in Palliative Medicine

NHS; Wakefield; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider in Wakefield is seeking a dynamic consultant to join their Specialist Palliative Care Team. This role involves supporting community services, providing expert care, and participating in multidisciplinary meetings. Candidates must have full GMC registration in Palliative Medicine and possess excellent communication skills. This is a locum 1-year fixed-term position, with a focus on patient care in home settings.

Benefits

Mentorship from senior team members

Flexible working environment

Inclusivity and diversity initiatives

Qualifications

• Experience in hospice, hospital and community settings is required.
• Driving licence and DBS clearance are necessary.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice and support to the community specialist palliative care team.
• Lead the community multidisciplinary meeting.
• Provide telephone advice to healthcare professionals on-call.

Skills

Excellent advanced communication skills

Flexibility

Caring attitude

Good team player

Analytical problem solving

Education

Full and Specialist registration in Palliative Medicine

Completion of approved training in Palliative Medicine

Job description

Overview

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust (MYTT) is looking for a dynamic enthusiastic consultant to join the Specialist Palliative Care Team, predominantly supporting community services and caring for patients at home. This is a substantive post. The successful candidate will work with the Trust Specialist Palliative Care Team to provide services across the Wakefield and Pontefract community. The post holder will work in a team of 5 consultants and 16 clinical nurse specialists who provide cross cover and support. MYTT End of Life Care Services were rated as good in the last CQC visit. The multidisciplinary community team sees approximately 1250 referrals per year. The post will involve some cross cover with The Prince of Wales Hospice and the hospice had approximately 250 admissions last year.

The post holder will have the opportunity to work at a locality level as part of the collaborative end of life care partnership group, improving co-ordination of care for patients in the last year of life and ensuring a whole-system approach to care.

Main duties

Wakefield Hospice is located across the road from the main Pinderfields site. The Prince of Wales Hospice is in Pontefract. The main duties of the post will include:

• Support for the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team with both joint and independent review of patients.
• Support for Gold Standards Framework meetings in primary care where appropriate.
• Community team MDT weekly
• Cancer of unknown primary MDT
• Support for Hospital at Home Service
• Support for Care Homes

About us

We are an acute trust caring for over half a million people in Wakefield and Kirklees. Our 10,000 staff work in patients homes, the community, and our three hospitals in Pontefract, Dewsbury, and Pinderfields (Wakefield). We prioritise our people and values so we can deliver the best possible care to patients. Our team is friendly, passionate, and innovative, always seeking better ways to work. We support work-life balance and foster a diverse, inclusive environment where everyone belongs. Our staff networks offer safe spaces to share ideas and concerns to increase awareness and appreciation of equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and especially encourage members of the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minority groups, and people with disabilities or neurodivergence to apply, as they are currently underrepresented in the Trust.

Job content

This post holder will be based at Pinderfields Hospital (PGH). There will be mentorship provided from a senior member of the team within the department. The post holder will attend the weekly community MDT on a rotational basis. The post holder will work alongside 5 consultant colleagues at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, 1 specialty grade doctor (2 days per week), 1 specialist registrar, 15 hospital and community clinical nurse specialists in palliative medicine, an end of life care facilitator, a fast track facilitator and 4 band 4 care co-ordinators.

• Expected workload: advice and support to the community specialist palliative care team, leading the community multidisciplinary meeting and reviewing complex patients in their home with nursing colleagues or via telephone (estimated at 6 patients per week).
• Support a Hospital at Home Model of Care alongside other specialties with an MDT format and appropriate clinical reviews in a patient’s own home.
• Support to Care Homes, in collaboration with Frailty Teams to improve quality of care and advance care planning (ACP).

Responsibilities for on-call

One in nine-week consultant on call providing telephone advice to healthcare professionals across Pontefract, Wakefield, Kirklees, Huddersfield and Calderdale. (Currently assessed as 0.75 PA per week plus 5% category A on call).

Qualifications and Requirements

GMC Registration

• Full and Specialist registration in Palliative Medicine (and a licence to practise) with the GMC, or be eligible for specialist registration within six months of interview. UK-trained applicants must also hold a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or be within six months of award of CCT.
• Evidence of completion of approved training in palliative medicine or working within 6 months of completion, and experience in hospice, hospital and community settings.

Personal Attributes

• Excellent advanced communication skills, flexibility, and a caring attitude.
• Good team player; ability to contribute to hospital systems and policies; driving licence and DBS clearance.

Research & Development

• Evidence-based practice; enthusiasm for CPD; understanding of clinical trials in palliative medicine; publication or presentations desirable.

Management Skills

• Analytical problem solving and good time management; organisational skills and contribution to service development desirable.

Additional information

This post is a locum 1-year fixed-term post. Time allowances for on-call and SPAs are described in the job details. The post is primarily focused on supporting community services and a Hospital at Home model of Care.

End of document

For visits or further information, contact the Medical Staffing Department at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust.