Specialty Grade Doctor in Palliative Medicine

Specialty Grade Doctor in Palliative Medicine

St Elizabeth Hospice is looking for a Specialty Grade Doctor in Palliative Medicine to support their provision of Specialist Palliative Care in the Ipswich area.

St Elizabeth Hospice improves life for people living with a progressive or life-limiting illness. Our work is centred on an individual's needs, which means specialist support, whenever and wherever it is needed, whether at home, in the community or at the hospice. Through medicine and therapy we ease pain; we give life purpose and make life liveable.

Applications are invited for the following fixed term post:

SPECIALTY GRADE DOCTOR IN PALLIATIVE MEDICINE

IN-PATIENT UNIT - IPSWICH

Main duties of the job

The post will commence in February 2025 for 6 months, with the possibility of further extension. Caring for patients in the In-Patient Unit, and occasionally in other areas such as day care, at home, in community hospitals or care homes, the post holder will participate fully in the provision of medical care of patients referred to St Elizabeth Hospice. You will ensure patients receive appropriate medical assessment and care as part of the multi-disciplinary care plan. Post holders will also participate as first on-call for palliative care on a 1:5 rota.

This post would suit someone looking to gain palliative care experience prior to application for higher specialist training or who wishes to develop their palliative medicine experience further.

Appointments are subject to a Disclosure and Barring check at an enhanced level.

About us

For over 30 years St Elizabeth Hospice has driven forward innovation and development of services, both in the Ipswich and East Suffolk locality and now further up the coast to the Great Yarmouth and Waveney area. NHS Norfolk and Waveney CCG awarded the specialist palliative and end of life care contract to East Coast Community Healthcare. The contract includes a specialist palliative care service, which is delivered in partnership with St Elizabeth Hospice.

Our most recent Care Quality Commission report rated the hospice as Outstanding.

St Elizabeth Hospice is committed to safeguarding and protecting the adults and young people that we work with and has a zero-tolerance approach to abuse, neglect and discrimination of any person. As such, all posts are subject to a rigorous safer recruitment process, including the disclosure of criminal records and vetting checks. We have a range of robust safeguarding policies in place which promote safeguarding across the hospice and staff are expected to undertake regular, mandatory safeguarding training to equip them with the knowledge and skills to identify and respond to potential risks.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

To work together with the multidisciplinary team in the provision of medical services to patients of St Elizabeth Hospice on its Ipswich Site. To develop services and improve integrated working between local Palliative Care providers - Hospice, Hospital and in the wider community.

GENERAL

St Elizabeth Hospice is an independent hospice, which opened its services in East Suffolk in 1989 and provides a full range of specialist palliative care and hospice services. At our Ipswich site, there are 18 beds, a specialist palliative care Community Care Unit which provides multidisciplinary outpatient clinics, a 24 hour community service and End of Life Coordination Hub, provided by specialist nurses, and an education centre and library.

We receive approximately 25% of our funding from the NHS, the rest of the nearly £13 million running costs being raised through local community support and we maintain a strong level of reserves.

Since April 1st, 2019, in Great Yarmouth and Waveney area the hospice is commissioned to provide Specialist Palliative Care services, delivered in partnership with East Coast Community Health the adult services community provider. The hospice operates 6 specialist palliative care beds within Beccles Hospital, a 24 hour SPC advice line, a Community Clinical Nurse Specialist service, specialist Day Services and an in-reach hospital advisory service to James Paget University Hospital.

Across services there is a full multi-professional team including Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists and an Emotional Wellbeing team incorporating Counsellors, Spiritual Care, Art and Music Therapy and Complementary Therapy.

The Hospice has a Chief Executive and a Senior Leadership Team which includes the Medical Director, Director of Patient Services, Director of Income Generation, Director of Finance, and Director of Corporate Services.

The Medical Directorate consists of Consultant in Palliative Medicine posts.

This post is to be based in Ipswich for a fixed term of 6 months due to vacancy in the specialty registrar training rotational scheme. The post may be extended for further 6 months or longer. The post is to support the provision of inpatient care to patients on the Ipswich site but there may be the opportunity to support the medical aspects of community palliative care. Requests for less than full-time working will be considered.

The post holder must be a registered medical practitioner with the GMC. Preferably the post holder should have experience in palliative medicine or general practice with an interest in palliative medicine. The post holder will participate fully in the provision of medical care of patients referred to St Elizabeth Hospice, primarily based on the Inpatient Unit or in the hospice community team. This post could enable a post holder to fulfil the End of Life competencies of the Internal medicine stage 1 generic curriculum.

The post holder/s will have shared administrative support from the medical team PA alongside a pool of administrators and will have a computer station in a shared office. IT team support is available.

The Hospice will support all essential CPD requirements and other appropriate requests that are agreed, to attend courses and conferences, including reasonable travel and accommodation costs, as stated in the Hospice Education & Training Policy. The team decides among themselves which members of the team can attend particular courses, based on the appropriateness of the education, the team's ability to cover the clinical workload, Personal Development Plans agreed at appraisal and a fair spread of education across the team members.

Accountability

The post holder will be accountable to the Medical Director. The post holder will need to have engaged and continue to engage with the appraisal and revalidation process. The post holder's designated body will be confirmed on appointment.

Mentoring by an experienced doctor will be available to the successful post holder. A named consultant supervisor will be allocated. The level of supervision will be tailored to the needs of the individual applicant with the aim being to facilitate autonomous practice in the longer term.

Main Responsibilities

DIRECT PATIENT CARE

1. Ensure that inpatients receive appropriate medical assessment and care as part of the multidisciplinary care plan ensuring that medical care is evidence-based where possible and best practice.
2. To review inpatients regularly with other members of the multidisciplinary team.
3. To ensure that all prescribing is in accordance with hospice policy and statutory requirements.
4. Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings held daily or weekly to plan patients' care.
5. Ensure that full and accurate clinical information is maintained on all patients.
6. Liaise with primary and secondary carers as appropriate to ensure continuity of medical care.
7. Ensure that the clinical practice complements and facilitates the provision of multidisciplinary care, recognising the physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual needs of the patient and family.
8. At times, to visit patients at home or in community hospitals, and in day services, in order to do assessments either singly or jointly with other members of the multidisciplinary team. This may include remote (telephone or video) assessments and support to the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure timely and responsive service.
9. Within their level of competence, to be available to advise and support primary and secondary carers from other agencies involved in the provision of palliative care.
10. Participation in the provision of on-call medical cover for inpatients of St Elizabeth Hospice Ipswich Site (maximum 18 patients).

MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY OF CARE

1. To be an active participant in audit.
2. To maintain an awareness of developments and research in medical practice in particular and care in general, in the provision of palliative care.
3. Commitment to continuing professional development.
4. To participate, as appropriate, in the promotion of palliative care within the community.
5. Regular reviews of Job Plan with a Consultant and appraisal for revalidation.

Person Specification

Personal Skills

• Able to work in a close-knit team and co-operate with all medical, nursing and other healthcare staff.
• Professional attitude towards work, reliability, good record of attendance and tidy personal appearance.
• Car driver with driving licence. Business insurance will be required upon commencement.

Qualifications

• Full registration with the GMC.
• MRCP, MRCGP, or equivalent Diploma e.g. Diploma or MSc in Palliative Medicine or MD.

Administration

• Familiarity with information technology and general computer skills including outlook, word, excel and PowerPoint.
• Familiar with current structure of NHS and conversant with recent initiatives and changes.
• Electronic patient recording system.

Management

• Possession of basic management skills.
• Management course and/or qualification.

Audit / Research and Publications

• Thorough understanding of principles of medical audit.
• Experience in undertaking and completing audit projects.
• Knowledge of the principles of medical research.
• Presentation or publication of audit results.
• Research experience.
• Publication of research and/or review articles.

Experience

• Completed at least 4 years full-time postgraduate training, or its equivalent on a part-time or flexi-time basis, at least 2 of which will be in a specialty training program in a relevant specialty or as a fixed term specialty trainee in a relevant specialty or shall have equivalent experience and competencies.
• Experience in palliative care and other specialties such as oncology, care of the elderly, general practice.
• Attended a Communication skills training course or have a qualification.

Teaching

• Experience of junior doctor, other clinical staff and medical student teaching.
• Teaching skills course and/or qualification.

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.