Specialty Doctor in Palliative MedicineNHS

Job summary

To support an existing vacancy and help us plan for the future, we are delighted to be recruiting two compassionate, enthusiastic, and experienced doctors to join our friendly, supportive, and dedicated multidisciplinary team.

We anticipate that one role will be for 1 day (2 sessions) per week, while the second role will be for 3 days (6 sessions) per week. We are keen to offer flexibility around working days wherever possible and welcome conversations about how this could work for the successful candidates.

Both roles will include participation in the Hospice's first on-call medical rota.

You will provide high-quality, person-centred specialist palliative and end of life care, working within our 15-bed Inpatient Unit and contributing, where required, to outpatient, wellbeing and community-facing services, including PACE (Palliative Advice Centre East)

The role involves assessing and managing patients with advanced, progressive illness and complex palliative care needs; participating in ward rounds, multidisciplinary team meetings and Advance Care Planning discussions, supporting sensitive conversations about prognosis and goals of care, and contributing to the non-resident medical first on-call rota.

The role offers an excellent opportunity to develop your expertise in palliative medicine and strengthen your clinical leadership skills within a supportive learning environment.

Main duties of the job

Assess, diagnose, treat and review patients with advanced progressive illness and complex palliative care needs.

Provide day-to-day medical care, including admissions, ward rounds, handovers, multidisciplinary reviews and care planning.

Assess and manage pain and other physical, psychological and holistic needs within competence.

Lead sensitive discussions about prognosis, uncertainty, goals of care, treatment escalation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and preferred place of care or death.

Prescribe, review and deprescribe medicines safely, undertake relevant clinical procedures within competence and arrange investigations or referral when required.

Maintain clear, timely clinical records and complete death certification and associated documentation in accordance with legal and local requirements.

Recognise personal limits and seek senior or specialist advice appropriately.

Work with hospice and external colleagues to provide coordinated, holistic care and safe transfer between services.

Participate in relevant hospice and wider specialist palliative care multidisciplinary meetings.

Provide and review medical advice and support to hospice colleagues and, within competence, to healthcare professionals in primary care, community, care home and hospital settings.

Contribute to PACE and other community facing services, supporting timely decisions, coordination, escalation and referral.

Job description

1. About East Cheshire Hospice

East Cheshire Hospice is an independent charity providing specialist palliative and end of life care across East Cheshire and the surrounding area. Services include a 15-bed Inpatient Unit, the Sunflower Living Well Centre, Hospice at Home, bereavement support and PACE (Palliative Advice Centre East), which provides specialist palliative care advice, coordination and support across 7 days. We work with NHS, primary care, community, care home and other partners, supported by shared electronic clinical records. The combination of specialist inpatient care, responsive community-facing support, multidisciplinary working, with a strong commitment to education gives the post holder the opportunity to influence care both within the hospice and across the wider local health and care system.

2. Job Purpose To provide high-quality, compassionate and person-centred specialist palliative care as part of the multidisciplinary team. The Specialty Doctor will work within the Inpatient Unit and contribute, where required, to outpatient, wellbeing and community-facing services, including PACE and other initiatives. The role includes medical first on-call duties, education, clinical governance, quality improvement, clinical leadership and service development. The post offers an opportunity for an experienced doctor to develop their practice in palliative medicine within a supportive learning environment, while contributing to the continued development of specialist palliative care across East Cheshire.

Key Working Relationships Medical Director, hospice medical team, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and nursing colleagues.

Therapy, psychosocial, spiritual care, pharmacy and other multidisciplinary colleagues.

GP Specialty Trainees, resident doctors and other learners.

Consultants and the Specialist Palliative Care Team at East Cheshire NHS Trust.

General practitioners, community services, care homes, hospital teams and wider system partners.

3. Principle duties and responsibilities:

This list is not exhaustive

3.1 Clinical care Assess, diagnose, treat and review patients with advanced progressive illness and complex palliative care needs.

Provide day-to-day medical care, including admissions, ward rounds, handovers, multidisciplinary reviews and care planning.

Assess and manage pain and other physical, psychological and holistic needs within competence.

Lead sensitive discussions about prognosis, uncertainty, goals of care, treatment escalation, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and preferred place of care or death.

Prescribe, review and deprescribe medicines safely, undertake relevant clinical procedures within competence and arrange investigations or referral when required.

Maintain clear, timely clinical records and complete death certification and associated documentation in accordance with legal and local requirements.

Recognise personal limits and seek senior or specialist advice appropriately.

3.2 Collaborative and community-facing care Work with hospice and external colleagues to provide coordinated, holistic care and safe transfer between services.

Participate in relevant hospice and wider specialist palliative care multidisciplinary meetings.

Provide and review medical advice and support to hospice colleagues and, within competence, to healthcare professionals in primary care, community, care home and hospital settings.

Contribute to PACE and other community-facing services, supporting timely decisions, coordination, escalation and referral.

Support the development of responsive, integrated specialist palliative care across East Cheshire.

3.3 On-call responsibilities Participate in the non-resident medical first on-call rota, with a share of weekday nights, weekends and bank holidays. Duties include telephone advice, clinical decision-making and attendance at the hospice when clinically required. The post holder will work within agreed escalation arrangements and access senior support where appropriate.

3.4 Education, professional development, governance and quality improvement Teach and support GP Specialty trainees, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and other healthcare professionals, undertaking formal supervision only when appropriately trained.

Participate in appraisal, revalidation, continuing professional development and mandatory training.

Maintain appropriate medical indemnity relevant to the role.

Contribute to clinical audit, quality improvement, service evaluation, policy development, incident learning and research where appropriate.

Promote evidence-based practice, patient safety, openness and organisational learning.

Work in accordance with safeguarding, Mental Capacity Act, information governance and other relevant legal, ethical and professional requirements.

Support clinical leadership, service planning and improvement, and promote a respectful, inclusive and supportive team culture.

General Responsibilities Work in accordance with Good Medical Practice, as set out by the GMC, and all relevant Hospice policies and procedures.

Maintain confidentiality and promote equality, diversity, inclusion, dignity and respect.

Comply with safeguarding, infection prevention and control, health and safety and medicines-management requirements.

Demonstrate commitment to the hospices values and charitable purpose and undertake other appropriate duties agreed with the Medical Director.

This job description outlines the principal responsibilities of the role. The post holder will be expected to work flexibly and reasonably in response to changing service needs. The job description may be reviewed with the post holder to reflect service development, contractual requirements or organisational change.

About us

East Cheshire Hospice is an independent charity providing specialist palliative and end of life care for adults with life-limiting illnesses across East Cheshire. We are recognised for delivering outstanding, compassionate care and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation and professional development.

Our services include a 15-bed Inpatient Unit, the Sunflower Living Well Centre, Hospice @ Home, bereavement support, professional education and PACE, which provides specialist advice, coordination and support across seven days. We work closely with East Cheshire NHS Trust, primary care, community teams, care homes and other local partners to deliver coordinated care across organisational boundaries.

This is an opportunity to develop your practice while helping to shape responsive and integrated palliative care across the local health and care system.