Specialist Palliative Urgent Response (SPUR) Role

Birmingham Hospice; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-focused palliative care organization in Birmingham is seeking a Specialist Palliative Urgent Response (SPUR) Role. This position is designed for a motivated health professional who is passionate about delivering exceptional palliative care. Responsibilities include triaging urgent calls, providing in-person care, and leading the overnight team. The ideal candidate will have a relevant qualification and a commitment to continuous learning. The role offers a competitive salary and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Generous holiday allowance

Pension contribution scheme

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant experience in palliative and end-of-life care.
• Knowledge of research, audit, and quality improvement.
• Clinical skills in drug administration and syringe driver management.

Responsibilities

• Triage calls and determine clinical responses.
• Provide timely in-person specialist palliative care visits.
• Lead overnight SPUR team and manage staffing resources.

Skills

Palliative care experience

Independent working

Collaboration skills

Effective leadership

Education

Registered Nurse (RGN) or relevant HCP qualification

NMC/HCPC Registration

Willingness to complete V300

Masters degree or working towards Level 7

Teaching qualification or demonstrable experience

Job description

Specialist Palliative Urgent Response (SPUR) Role

Specialist Palliative Urgent Response (SPUR) Role Band 6 (Development to Band 7)

Location: Birmingham and Solihull | Hours: 20:00 – 08:00 (combination of day and night working*) | Contract Type: Permanent / Development Role | Salary: £36,277 to £43,683 (Progression to Band 7 £44,835 to £51,306 based on competencies) | Closing Date: 27 November 2025

Are you passionate about delivering exceptional palliative care and ready to advance your clinical career?

At Birmingham Hospice, our patients are at the heart of everything we do. From our Inpatient Units to our Living Well Centres and bereavement counselling services, we are here for our community when they need us most.

We are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity to join our innovative Specialist Palliative Urgent Response Service (SPUR). This role is perfect for a motivated and compassionate health professional eager to develop expertise in specialist palliative and end‑of‑life care.

Main duties of the job

As a key member of our dynamic team, you will rotate between triage and clinical duties, responding to urgent calls from patients, families, and professionals across Birmingham and Solihull. You’ll provide timely, expert care often within a two‑hour window, making a real difference when it matters most.

This is a developmental role with full funding and support to complete the Non‑Medical Prescribing (V300) qualification within your first 12 months. You will gain advanced clinical skills and prescribing authority, enhancing your autonomy and impact. * During the development phase of this role, you will work a mix of day and night shifts. Once you progress to Band 7, the role will predominantly be night shifts.

What We Are Looking For

• A registered health professional (e.g., RGN or HCPC)
• Passionate about palliative and end‑of‑life care
• Able to work independently and collaboratively across systems
• Committed to continuous learning and service improvement

Why Join Us?

• Be part of a team that delivers compassionate care 24/7.
• Help shape a new service, grow your skills, and make a meaningful difference to patients and families when they need it most.
• Retain NHS continuous service benefits (pension and annual leave).
• Visit https://www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/about-us/join-us for more details.

About us

Birmingham Hospice provides expert palliative and end‑of‑life care for people and their families living with life‑limiting illnesses. We believe that all people in Birmingham should have access to the best specialist care and support – when, where and how they need it. Our vision is a future where everyone with a life‑limiting illness will live and die with dignity and in comfort. Our mission is to enable more people from all communities to access the care of their choice at the end of life.

During a recent CQC inspection our sites have been rated outstanding, with independent health care regulators highlighting that colleagues and services are caring, responsive and well‑led.

Our outstanding teams are passionate about providing the very best care, and patients and their loved ones are at the heart of everything we do.

Our values of kindness, respect, innovation, togetherness, positivity and openness are at the centre of who we are, what we do and how we behave. We pride ourselves on being an inclusive, welcoming, caring and supportive team. We are offering a competitive salary, with generous holiday allowance, a contribution pension scheme, and a commitment to investing in our people through employee benefits and ongoing professional development.

Job responsibilities

• Triage incoming calls from a range of services and determine the most appropriate clinical response.
• Respond to patients with known or suspected palliative/EOL needs, including those not yet identified on palliative registers.
• Provide in‑person specialist palliative care visits, ensuring timely response within 2 hours.
• Assess, diagnose, and treat patients autonomously, initiating referrals as needed.
• Implement and evaluate personalised care plans, including MASC (post‑V300 qualification and competencies), RESPECT, and Advanced Care Plans.
• Prescribe medications independently (post‑V300 qualification and competencies).
• Interpret diagnostic results and liaise with external services to ensure continuity of care.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and contribute to safeguarding and emergency response protocols.

Leadership & Management

Lead the overnight SPUR team, coordinating staffing resources and clinical priorities. Conduct appraisals, manage performance, and support staff development through the development and achievement of competencies within the first 12 months. Ensure compliance with CQC standards, infection control, and equipment safety. Participate in incident reviews and learning processes (e.g., PSIRF).

Education & Training

Provide mentorship and training to staff, students, and professional visitors. Promote shared learning across the system and contribute to service development. Support continuous improvement through audit, benchmarking, and evaluation.

Key Relationships

• Patients, families, and informal carers
• Hospice and community teams
• Primary care (GPs, UCR, MDT)
• WMAS, 111, Badger OOH
• Hospital SPC teams, ED
• East of England SPA
• Hospices of Birmingham and Solihull (HoBS)

General duties

All employees are required to uphold the confidentiality of all information records in whatever format, encountered in the course of employment and after it. All employees are bound by the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulations when, in the course of their employment, they deal with information records relating to individuals. The hospice is committed to promoting an environment that values diversity. All staff are responsible for ensuring that they treat individuals equally and fairly and do not discriminate on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. The hospice expects all staff to behave in a way that recognises and respects diversity in line with the appropriate standards.

All employees have a responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to protect and promote their own health and that of others in the workplace. All employees must comply with all hospice health and safety procedures, infection control, and prevention and control of infection. All employees are responsible for maintaining information governance, undertaking training, and participating in an annual appraisal to develop a personal development plan.

Person Specification

Experience

• Significant relevant post‑registration experience of working in palliative and end‑of‑life care
• Experience of working within a community team
• Experience of forging excellent relationships across professional boundaries
• Sound knowledge and application of up‑to‑date evidence‑based practice and trends
• Knowledge of principles of research, audit and quality improvement methodology
• Experience and ability to use relevant IT packages, e‑mail and electronic patient records
• Clinical skills including (but not limited to) oral and subcutaneous drug administration, syringe driver management and verification of death
• Teaching skills

Personal Skills and Attributes

• Ability to deal with complex/challenging situations
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Effective leadership skills
• Willingness to work flexibly to meet the needs of the service
• Car owner/driver with full current UK driving licence

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse (RGN) or relevant HCP qualification
• NMC/HCPC Registration
• Willingness to complete V300 within 12 months
• Willingness to complete Advanced Health Assessment within 12 months
• Masters degree or working towards Level 7
• Teaching qualification or demonstrable experience
• European Certificate in Essential Palliative Care
• Advanced Communication Skills Training

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.

£36,277 to £43,683 a year (Progression to Band 7 £44,835 to £51,306 based on competencies)