Senior Speciality / Specialist Grade Doctor

NHS; Winsford; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hospice organization is seeking a Senior Specialist Grade Doctor to provide high-quality palliative care. The role requires at least 4 years of experience in Specialist Palliative Medicine within UK Hospice settings, focusing on inpatient, community, and day-patient care. Responsibilities include admitting patients, continuity of care, and supporting a multidisciplinary team, alongside participation in training and maintaining clinical excellence. This is an opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of patients and their families.

Qualifications

• At least 4 years full-time postgraduate experience in Specialist Palliative Medicine in the UK.
• Full GMC registration and a licence to practice.
• Knowledge of symptom management in terminal illnesses.

Responsibilities

• Admitting patients and providing comprehensive assessments.
• Supporting care in inpatient and community settings.
• Providing medical advice to healthcare professionals.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to work autonomously

Counseling skills

Involvement in training and development

Sensitivity to patients and carers

Education

BM BCh or equivalent

Higher Medical Qualification (MRCP, MRCGP)

Diploma / RCP Certificate Examination in Palliative Medicine

Job description

Senior Speciality / Specialist Grade Doctor

Weare looking for an experienced doctor with at least 4 years FTE experience inPalliative Medicine in the UK in NHS / UK Hospice settings (as a distinct specialty,rather than as part of GP experience) who will support the Medical Director inthe provision of high-quality palliative care services at St Lukes Hospice,primarily providing medical support for a 10 bed in-patient unit.

Thisperson will play an important medical role in the delivery of care toinpatients, community and day-patients in collaboration with the Medical Director,medical colleagues and the wider disciplinary team.

Therole also involves participation in training and educational activities as wellas activities relating to maintaining clinical excellence within the service.

St Lukes is an adult hospice based in Winsford thatcares for people in mid and south Cheshire who are suffering from cancer andother life-threatening illnesses. We offer specialist treatment, care, adviceand support to many seriously ill people and their families every year. Were asmall hospice with a big heart whose ethos, values and beliefs are core toeverything we do. If you feel the same way wed love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

• Admitting patients to the inpatient unit and providing the medical component of the multidisciplinary assessment and treatment planning
• Providing continuity of medical care on the inpatient unit and day services
• Supporting day care services by consultation and medical assessments of attendees when necessary
• Supporting hospice community services by consultation with the specialist nursing team and patient medical review as appropriate
• Liaison with other members of the multidisciplinary team, patients families, community teams, hospital services and other specialist palliative care teams
• Working on the on-call rota and providing out of hours cover to the unit
• To provide high quality specialist palliative care medical advice to health care professional colleagues.
• To participate in the teaching and educational activities of the unit (students, nursing staff, primary health care professionals, patients and families) including the training of junior medical staff on rotation through the centre
• To participate in activities related to maintaining clinical excellence with the centre and clinical governance e.g. audit of clinical practice, implementation of best practice statements.
• To promote an ethos of audit throughout the services and where possible, under the direction of the medical director, contribute to regular clinical and/or service audit

About us

At St Lukes Hospice, our ethos is one of service; being of service to our local people and community is central to all that we do. We believe the most important privilege any person can have is the opportunity to comfort and support ones fellow human beings in their hour of need. This spirit of service at St Lukes extends not only to the patients, but also to family and friends, and we welcome diversity.

The founding members of St Lukes Hospice were driven by the same ideals that inspire us today; to reach out a warm and caring hand to those in need and to help relieve their suffering of mind, spirit or body. The founder of the Hospice movement, the late Dame Cicely Saunders, wanted hospices to remain a beacon of hope with a message of care and community. St Lukes is a lively and vibrant Hospice that has a very powerful reason to be here.

St Lukes is an incredibly inspiring place to work and volunteer. You will be joining a passionate team, dedicated to delivering care and support to local people and their families.

We all share in the sense of privilege and honour that comes from being involved in a local organisation doing such important work and each day we look for new and innovative ways to make a difference to the wider community.

Each member of staff is highly valued at St Lukes

Job responsibilities

The post holder will support the Medical Director in the provision of high-quality palliative care

services at the St Lukes Hospice, primarily providing medical support for a 10 bed in-patient unit

The post holder will play an important medical role in the delivery of care to inpatients, community and day-patients in collaboration with medical director, medical colleagues and the wider disciplinary team.

There is the need to cross-cover the Medical Director for periods of annual leave, so that there is a tier 3 senior doctor available for phone advice during the working day, and to cover the medical directors annual leave for out-of-hours advice for second on call, acting as Responsible Clinician for the 6.5 weeks of the year.

A pan-Cheshire second on call rota is at early discussion stages. Participation in this - rather than hospice first on call - is expected along with other senior medical colleagues eg a 1 in 7 on call, and will be appropriately remunerated.

Key Stakeholders:

• Medical director
• Medical team Specialty doctors, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, GP Registrars, Core Medical Trainees
• Director of Care
• Registered nurses and Health care assistants
• Palliative care clinical nurse specialists in the community and acute sector
• Allied health professionals

Key Tasks

1. To be defined by the lead clinician, or nominated deputy in their absence, and includes:

To provide high quality, flexible and responsive medical support, assessment and care and/or specialist advice for hospice in-patients, patients at home, in the day hospice or attending as out-patients who have complex pain, symptom, spiritual and psychosocial needs which require specialist palliative care interventions. Responsibilities will include:

a. Admitting patients to the inpatient unit and providing the medical component of the multidisciplinary assessment and treatment planning

b. Providing continuity of medical care on the inpatient unit and day services

c. Supporting day care services by consultation and medical assessments of attendees when necessary

d. Supporting hospice community services by consultation with the specialist nursing team and patient medical review as appropriate

e. Liaison with other members of the multidisciplinary team, patients families, community teams, hospital services and other specialist palliative care teams

f. Working on the on-call rota and providing out of hours cover to the unit

g. Completing administrative duties including discharge letters, day care letters, accurate record keeping

2. To provide high quality specialist palliative care medical advice to health care professional colleagues.

3. To provide medical support and on-call cover for in-patient unit. Additional on-call duties will be required as detailed above and remuneration discussed.

4. To develop high professional standards within the hospice and promote multi-professional team working within the hospice.

5. To participate in the teaching and educational activities of the unit - students, nursing staff, primary health care professionals, patients and families - including the training of junior medical staff on rotation through the centre

6. To participate in activities related to maintaining clinical excellence with the centre and clinical governance e.g. audit of clinical practice, implementation of best practice statements.

7. To promote an ethos of audit throughout the services and where possible, under the direction of the medical director, contribute to regular clinical and/or service audit

8. To develop relevant research interests and participate as and when possible.

9. To maintain continuing professional development through personal development goals and regular reviews to support and encourage development.

Personal Development

The post holder will be expected to maintain high professional standards and keep abreast of professional issues and best practice in their area of specialism. The Hospice will support relevant education and development opportunities whenever possible and as agreed as part of personal development discussions.

Health & Safety & Security

Under health and safety legislation each individual has a legal responsibility for their own welfare and for the health and safety of others and to co-operate in maintaining their place of work in a tidy and safe condition, thereby minimizing risk. Any queries you may have relating to health and safety matters should be raised in the first instance with your line manager.

Similarly, it is each persons responsibility to ensure a secure environment and bring any breaches of security to the attention of their manager.

St. Lukes Cheshire Hospice has given its full commitment to the adoption and promotion of the key principles of equal opportunities contained within current legislation and St. Lukes Cheshire Hospice Equality & Diversity Policy.

All staff has personal responsibility for the application of this policy on a day-to-day basis and should not undertake any acts of discriminatory practice during the course of their employment. Similarly, all staff has a responsibility to highlight any potentially discriminatory practice to their line manager.

Confidentiality

In the course of your duties you will have access to confidential material about members of staff, volunteers, other Hospice business and patients. No information of a personal or confidential nature concerning individual members of staff should be divulged to anyone without the proper authority having first been given.

This job description is not exhaustive. It merely acts as a guide and may be amended to meet the changing requirements of the Hospice at any time after discussion with the post holder. Please also see further details of the recruitment pack on our website.

Person Specification

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communications skills
• Ability to participate in audits
• Involvement in training and development of others
• Counselling skills that are sensitive to patients and carers
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to work autonomously and use initiative while recognising own limitations
• and seeking help appropriate
• Willingness to develop clinical skills to support delivery of strategic and operational plans

Personal attributes and Other requirements

• Passion for ethos of the hospice and demonstrable interest and enthusiasm for the vision of the organisation
• Ability to prioritise and manage own and others time and work load effectively
• Flexible approach to work
• Shows compassion &treats people with dignity, respect and kindness
• Ability to instil confidence in others
• A commitment to personal development & lifelong learning
• Full Driving licence and access to a vehicle for business use
• Please note this post does not have Crown (NHS) medico-legal indemnity, and as such requires the individual to have appropriate personal medico-legal cover, the cost of which is the individuals responsibility.

Qualifications

• BM BCh or equivalent
• Higher Medical Qualification e.g. MRCP, MRCGP
• Diploma / RCP Certificate Examination in Palliative Medicine

Experience

• Full GMC registration, a licence to practice and at least 4 years full-time postgraduate experience in Specialist Palliative Medicine undertaken in a UK Hospice and/or NHS setting.
• The Specialist Palliative Medicine experience is distinct from end of life care within General Practice or general hospital settings).
• If an applicant has more that 12 years of post-registration experience, of which 4 years in Specialist Palliative Medicine, then they would be eligible for the Specialist Grade and be remunerated accordingly.
• Knowledge and experience of management of symptoms associated with terminal illnesses, including non-malignant conditions.
• Experience of working in a hospice In care setting.

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.

Depending on experienceStarting salary commensurate with NHS grades