Speciality Doctor

Integrated Care System; Lichfield; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading palliative care provider is seeking a Speciality Doctor to provide medical cover for an inpatient unit, supervise junior doctors, and engage in both clinical and educational responsibilities. The candidate must possess a GMC registration and experience in specialist palliative care. This role offers an opportunity to contribute to a compassionate patient care team in the UK healthcare system.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Continuous Professional Development

Expenses paid for travel between hospice sites

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years post-qualification experience, with at least 2 in a UK setting.
• Experience in palliative care or a related discipline.
• Teaching course required.

Responsibilities

• Provide continuity of medical care on the inpatient unit.
• Supervise and teach medical students and healthcare professionals.
• Participate in clinical audits and multidisciplinary team meetings.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Leadership and management skills

Interpersonal skills

IT literacy

Ability to manage complex patient problems

Education

Qualified Medical Practitioner

GMC registration with license to practice

Palliative care qualification or willingness to pursue one

Job description

St Giles Hospice is a leading provider of specialist palliative care services, committed to delivering compassionate, patient-centred care for individuals with life-limiting illnesses. We support patients and families in achieving the best possible quality of life through an interdisciplinary approach, including medical, nursing, psychosocial, and spiritual care.

Main duties of the job

The Speciality Doctor reports to the Director for Clinical Services and is responsible for educational and clinical supervision for junior doctors on placement (once GMC-accredited), as well as providing daily clinical support and advice to the nurse practitioner team on the Inpatient Unit as required.

The Speciality Doctor is responsible for providing day-to-day medical cover to the specialist inpatient unit and participating in the weekend working rota. While the post holder will be mainly based on the Inpatient Unit (IPU) at Whittington, there may also be opportunities to gain experience in community and outpatient services.

About us

St Giles Hospice is a registered charity founded in 1983 by Reverend Paul Brothwell, initially to improve care for local people dying from cancer.

We now support patients and their loved ones living with a terminal illness. Our dedicated team provides tailored care, free of charge, either at the hospice or in patients' homes across our communities.

We spend nearly £10 million annually on our specialist services. With only 18% of this funded by the government, we rely heavily on donations and income from the local community.

Job responsibilities

The role includes but is not limited to:

Clinical

• Providing continuity of medical care on the inpatient unit and managing patients admitted to the IPU with the medical team.
• Performing holistic assessments of new patients and ongoing reviews of inpatients.
• Prescribing in accordance with hospice and West Midlands Palliative Care Physicians Guidelines, maintaining accurate drug charts, and requisitions.
• Keeping comprehensive notes in the SystmOne electronic patient record.
• Participating in consultant ward rounds and multidisciplinary team meetings.
• Liaising with other healthcare providers to ensure optimal patient care during and after discharge.
• Completing medical certificates, referrals, and cremation documentation accurately and promptly.
• Timely completion of administrative tasks, including discharge and death notification letters.
• Participating in the weekend medical rota.

Clinical Governance

• Ensuring robust clinical governance through activities such as clinical audits, reviewing guidelines (e.g., NICE), and staying updated on medical developments.

Teaching and research

• Supervising and teaching medical students and healthcare professionals on placement.
• Contributing to internal and external teaching programmes.
• Opportunities exist to develop research interests.

Managerial and Leadership

• Taking on leadership and management activities tailored to skills and development needs.

General

• Undertaking Continuous Professional Development with support from St Giles Hospice.
• Traveling between hospice sites as required, with expenses paid.
• Adhering to health and safety responsibilities and hospice policies.
• Participating in medical appraisal and revalidation.
• Following a formal job plan, updated during induction and periodically.
• Reporting any external commitments, including private practice or NHS responsibilities.
• Maintaining GMC registration and medical defence membership. Note: Employees do not benefit from NHS indemnity.

Additional information

Applications may be reviewed before the deadline. We accept applications until the role is filled, which may be earlier than the closing date. If you do not hear within 14 days post-closure, consider your application unsuccessful. Data will be managed according to our privacy policy, available at https://www.stgileshospice.com/privacy-policy/

Person Specification

Personal Attributes

• Team player
• Ability to work under pressure

Other Requirements

• Valid driving license
• Eligibility to work in the UK
• Note: No sponsorship available as St Giles Hospice does not hold a sponsorship license.

Experience

• Experience in specialist palliative care or related discipline
• Experience in teaching healthcare professionals
• Understanding of UK hospice movement
• Experience with clinical audit and quality improvement
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams
• Confidence to work independently on weekends with on-call support
• Ability to build trust with patients, families, and colleagues
• Adaptability to change
• Commitment to ongoing personal development
• Strategies for resilience

Skills

• Excellent communication skills, both spoken and written
• Ability to manage complex physical, psychological, and social patient problems
• Leadership and management skills
• IT literacy
• Interpersonal skills

Qualifications

• Qualified Medical Practitioner
• GMC registration with license to practice (no restrictions)
• Minimum 4 years post-qualification experience, with at least 2 in a UK setting and related specialty
• Palliative care qualification or willingness to pursue one
• Appropriate medical liability cover
• Teaching course
• Leadership and management course

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This role requires a DBS check due to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975. Applicants will need to submit to the DBS process.

Salary is competitive with NHS standards.