Consultant in Palliative Medicine

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

Job summary

A public health service provider is seeking a dynamic consultant to join the Specialist Palliative Care Team. The role involves supporting community services and working collaboratively with a team to provide high-quality care for patients. Candidates should have a medical degree and experience in palliative medicine, alongside strong communication and teamwork skills. This is a full-time position based in Wakefield, offering competitive benefits and a focus on work-life balance.

Benefits

Supportive work environment

Flexible working opportunities

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Medical Degree from a recognised medical school.
• Higher Medical Qualification (e.g., MRCP) or equivalent.
• Experience in hospice, hospital, and community settings.

Responsibilities

• Support joint and independent reviews of patients.
• Lead the community Multidisciplinary Team (MDT).
• Provide support for Gold Standards Framework meetings.

Skills

Advanced communication skills

Flexibility

Team player

Analytical problem-solving

Education

Medical Degree

Higher Medical Qualification (e.g., MRCP)

SCE 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 postholder will take a key role in providing community services with flexibility within the consultant team to support personal areas of interest. The team comprises 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, which had approximately 250 admissions last year.

The postholder 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 of the job

Wakefield Hospice is located across from the main Pinderfields site, a 10-minute walk between the sites. The Prince of Wales Hospice is in Pontefract. The main duties of the post 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 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 to deliver the best possible care. Our team is friendly, passionate, and innovative, continually 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 of equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage members of the LGBTQ+ community, ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities or neurodivergence to apply, as they are currently underrepresented in the Trust.

If you value caring, high standards, improvement, and respect, join MY team to make a difference every day.

Application guidance: We understand that more applicants are using AI technology to help with applications. While these tools can be useful, they cannot fully capture your skills, knowledge, and experience. Personalising your application is important. Relying solely on AI is not recommended, as it may reduce your chances of success. Our screening process is thorough, so if you have used AI, please disclose this on your application form.

Job responsibilities

This is a substantive consultant post in palliative medicine at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust, offered on a 10 PA basis with potential for less than full-time applications. The post is primarily focused on supporting community services and a Hospital at Home model of care, with cross-cover for the Mid Yorkshire Specialist Palliative Care Team and The Prince of Wales Hospice as required. The base hospital will be Pinderfields Hospital, with office accommodation provided for all members of the Mid Yorkshire Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Team. Staff may be asked to work on any of the three hospital sites if needed.

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust funds 10 PAs including 1.5 SPAs (with 1.5 SPAs included in core 10PA timetable). This includes on-call. For urgent duties including out-of-hours on-call, schedules will comply with working time regulations. Wakefield Hospice is across from Pinderfields; The Prince of Wales Hospice is in Pontefract.

• Support for the Community Specialist Palliative Care Team with both joint and independent reviews of patients.
• Support for Gold Standards Framework meetings in primary care where appropriate.
• Community team MDT weekly.
• Cancer of unknown primary MDT.
• Support for Care Homes.
• One in nine-week consultant on call providing telephone advice to healthcare professionals across Pontefract, Wakefield, Kirklees, Huddersfield and Calderdale.

Administrative duties, with office space and secretarial support provided. Supporting Professional Activities (SPAs) in accordance with the Trust Framework, with a minimum of 1.5 SPAs included in the core 10PA timetable. Core SPA includes audit and governance; additional SPA or DCC time may be commissioned as required.

Job content: Based at Pinderfields Hospital with mentorship from a senior team member. Attends the weekly community MDT on a rotational basis and works alongside a team including 5 consultants, 1 specialty grade doctor (2 days/week), 1 specialist registrar, 15 hospital and community clinical nurse specialists, an end-of-life care facilitator, a fast-track facilitator, and 4 band 4 care coordinators.

Expected workload includes advice and support to the community specialist palliative care team, leading the community MDT and reviewing complex patients, MDT-based Hospital at Home care, and collaboration with Frailty Teams to improve quality of care and ACP in care homes. Visiting the Trust is encouraged and vacancies can be discussed with Medical Staffing.

Contacts and senior leadership details for visits are provided for information purposes only and do not form part of the job specification.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Medical Degree from a recognised medical school
• Higher Medical Qualification (e.g., MRCP) or evidence of equivalent qualification
• SCE in Palliative Medicine or equivalent
• Postgraduate qualifications (e.g., MD, PhD)

Personal Attributes

• Excellent advanced communication skills
• Flexibility and caring attitude
• Good team player
• Ability to work within hospital systems and adhere to local policies
• Physically able to perform duties and evidence of competencies
• Driving licence
• DBS clearance
• Self-awareness of strengths and weaknesses
• Ability to contribute to trust development and MDTs
• Evidence of multidisciplinary teamwork
• Educational interests or project work

Research & Development

• Evidence-based practice
• Commitment to CPD
• Understanding of clinical trials in palliative medicine; publications or conference presentations
• Experience in initiation and management of clinical trials
• Higher degree in research

Management Skills

• Analytical problem-solving
• Good time management and organisational skills
• Contribution to service development in palliative medicine

Experience

• Approved training in palliative medicine or within 6 months of completion
• Experience in hospice, hospital, and community settings
• Experience in education and training of healthcare professionals
• Training in education programme delivery

GMC Registration

• Full GMC registration with licence to practise; specialist registration in Palliative Medicine or eligibility within six months of interview
• UK-trained applicants must be within six months of CCT at date of interview; non-UK trained must show evidence of equivalence to UK CCT

Disclosure

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1975 (as amended) and will require submission for Disclosure to the DBS.

Head of Clinical Services for Elderly Medicine