Senior Speciality Doctor in Palliative Medicine

St David’s Hospice; Llanrhos; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

St Davids Hospice in Wales is seeking a Senior Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine to provide senior medical leadership and expert care within our hospice. The role reports to the Director of Care and collaborates with a Consultant in the Specialist Palliative Care Team to ensure safe, compassionate care for patients with life-limiting illnesses.

The role requires GMC registration, extensive palliative care experience, strong communication, and the ability to work independently with

Qualifications

• Full GMC registration and entitlement to practice in the UK.
• Significant experience in palliative or hospice care.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• DBS check and up-to-date clinical training required.
• Personal medical indemnity cover desirable.
• Ability to work independently within defined supervision.
• Training/qualification in palliative medicine.
• Hospice or specialist palliative care experience preferred.
• Experience in teaching, audit or quality improvement.
• Welsh speaker.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior medical leadership and support within Hospice services.
• Assess, review and manage patients with complex needs.
• Lead on symptom control and advance care planning.
• Support clinical decision-making and escalate when needed.
• Work with nurses and MDT to deliver holistic care.
• Contribute to teaching, audit, governance and service improvement.
• Participate in safeguarding and policy development.
• Support and supervise junior staff and medical students.

Skills

GMC registration

Strong communication & teamwork

Independent working

Welsh speaker

Driving licence

DBS and clinical training

Education

Palliative medicine training/qualification

Teaching, audit or quality improvement experience

Job description

Senior Speciality Doctor in Palliative Medicine

We are seeking a dedicated and experienced Senior Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine to provide senior medical leadership and support within our Hospice services.

Reporting operationally to the Director of Care, and under the clinical supervision of a Consultant in the Specialist Palliative Care Team (SPCT), the postholder will play a key role in delivering safe, effective, and compassionate care to patients with life-limiting illnesses.

Main duties of the job

• Assess, review and manage patients with complex needs
• Lead on symptom control and advance care planning
• Support clinical decision-making and elevate when needed
• Work closely with nurses and the wider MDT
• Communicate sensitively with patients and families
• Support junior staff and contribute to teaching
• Take part in audit, governance and service improvement

This role is suited to a doctor with strong palliative care experience who operates below Consultant level, working within a clearly defined scope of practice with appropriate supervision and escalation pathways.

About us

St Davids Hospice is local charity committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate, and person-centred palliative and end-of-life care. We work closely with patients, families, and healthcare partners to provide holistic support that respects individual needs, values, and preferences. Our multidisciplinary team is dedicated to excellence in care, innovation, and continuous improvement, ensuring dignity and comfort for those we serve. Each year, we impact the lives of over 1,000 people across Conwy, Gwynedd, and Anglesey.

Our services include 24/7 care, Day Therapy Centres offering patient care and bereavement support, and Inpatient Units in Llandudno providing symptom control, respite, and end-of-life care.

People are at the heart of everything we do, with integrity and care shaping our culture.

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESCLINICAL PRACTICE

Provide medical assessment,review and management of patients receiving Hospice care, including symptomcontrol, prescribing, advance care planning and support for complexdecision‑making.

Work collaboratively withnurses, allied health professionals, social workers, counsellors, volunteersand administrative colleagues to provide holistic care.

Support timely, safe andcompassionate care across inpatient as agreed in the job plan.

Identify and escalatedeteriorating, complex or high‑risk patients in line with agreed clinicalpathways and supervision arrangements.

Communicate sensitively andclearly with patients, families and carers, including around diagnosis,prognosis, goals of care and preferred place of care/death.

Maintain accurate, timely andlegally compliant medical records.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, QUALITY AND SAFETY

Job description

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESCLINICAL PRACTICE

Provide medical assessment,review and management of patients receiving Hospice care, including symptomcontrol, prescribing, advance care planning and support for complexdecision‑making.

Work collaboratively withnurses, allied health professionals, social workers, counsellors, volunteersand administrative colleagues to provide holistic care.

Support timely, safe andcompassionate care across inpatient as agreed in the job plan.

Identify and escalatedeteriorating, complex or high‑risk patients in line with agreed clinicalpathways and supervision arrangements.

Communicate sensitively andclearly with patients, families and carers, including around diagnosis,prognosis, goals of care and preferred place of care/death.

Maintain accurate, timely andlegally compliant medical records.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE, QUALITY AND SAFETY

Contribute to the Hospiceclinical governance framework, including audit, incident review, learning fromcomplaints, quality improvement and risk management.

Support safe prescribing andmedicines management in line with Hospice policies, legal requirements and bestpractice, working closely with nursing, pharmacy and Consultant colleagues.

Participate in safeguarding andcase review discussions where relevant.

Contribute to the developmentand implementation of policies, guidelines and pathways relevant to palliativeand end of life care.

Raise concerns promptly wherepatient safety, clinical quality, professional standards or staff wellbeing maybe at risk.

LEADERSHIP AND TEAM CONTRIBUTION

Provide visible andapproachable senior medical support to the multidisciplinary team.

Support junior doctors, medicalstudents, nonmedical prescribers and other colleagues through teaching, adviceand supervision within the postholders competence.

Contribute to a positivelearning culture that supports reflective practice, psychological safety andcontinuous improvement.

Participate in appraisal,revalidation and continuing professional development requirements, maintainingevidence of competence and scope of practice.

Work constructively with theDirector of Care, clinical leads and senior managers to support safe deliveryof services.

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

Contribute to internal teachingand reflective learning sessions for clinical and nonclinical staff.

Support placements and learningopportunities for doctors in training, medical students and other learnerswhere appropriate supervision arrangements are in place.

Maintain up-to-date knowledgeof palliative medicine, end of life care, communication skills, safeguarding,mental capacity and relevant legal/ethical frameworks.

Participate in externaleducation and networks relevant to palliative care and Hospice practice.

Support and lead innovation inmedical care within the scope of specialist palliative care, helping to developsafe, evidence based approaches that enhance patient care, quality of life andservice responsiveness.

PARTNERSHIPS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS

Contribute clinically tomultidisciplinary meetings, discharge planning and shared care discussions.

Support Hospice visibility andcredibility with partners through professional, values led representation.

Participate in appropriatepublic engagement, fundraising or advocacy activity where this supports theHospice mission and is compatible with clinical priorities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Full GMC registration
• Experience in palliative or hospice care
• Strong communication and teamworking skills
• Enhanced DBS and up-to-date clinical training
• Personal medical indemnity cover
• Ability to work independently
• Training/qualification in palliative medicine
• Hospice or specialist palliative care experience
• Experience in teaching, audit or quality improvement
• Welsh speaker
• Driving licence

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.