Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine

Salary scale: Aligned to the NHS Specialty Doctor Contract 2021 pro rata depending on experience and qualifications. Up to 24 hours available with an additional on-call commitment as part of a rota.

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a suitably qualified and enthusiastic Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine to join our team at the Hospice of the Good Shepherd a busy multidisciplinary specialist palliative care unit in Chester.

The Hospice has a ten-bedded inpatient unit serving patients with complex palliative care needs and end-of-life care needs and a Living Well Centre which provides day therapy short courses complementary therapy and family support services including social work counselling and chaplaincy.

Patients are referred with a wide range of malignant and non-malignant conditions at various stages of illness. You will join a well-integrated multidisciplinary team comprising medical and nursing staff physiotherapists occupational therapists social workers chaplaincy counselling staff and complementary therapists. We work in close partnership with local providers including the Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) with the Community Specialist Palliative Care team having a base at the Hospice.

You will make a vital contribution to the care of patients and those important to them working as part of the multidisciplinary team (including five other Specialty Doctors) with senior medical oversight from a Consultant in Palliative Medicine who also acts as the Responsible Clinician for the Hospice. The Hospice medical team provides first on-call out-of-hours cover with second on-call remote support provided 24/7 by a team of Consultants in Palliative Medicine at Supportive Care UK (SCUK).

Main responsibilities include medical care of patients on the inpatient unit medical input into the Living Well Centre communication with hospital and community colleagues and attendance at multidisciplinary meetings as well as supporting clinical audit research and clinical governance.

We are committed to supporting staff professional development with opportunities to participate in teaching and quality improvement activities.

This is a unique opportunity for doctors in other specialties who wish to develop or enhance their palliative care knowledge and skills as well as for doctors interested in pursuing a career in Palliative Medicine.

If you are interested in applying for this role you will have:

• Full GMC registration with a licence to practise

• A minimum of four years postgraduate experience including at least two years in a relevant specialty

• A demonstrable interest in Palliative Medicine

• Experience of working effectively within a multidisciplinary team

We offer stimulating and rewarding opportunities in caring for people at some of the most challenging times of their lives. Our staff really do make a difference every single day and we welcome applications from passionate committed and flexible individuals who would welcome the chance to shape the future care delivered by the Hospice of the Good Shepherd.

If you would like an informal discussion about the post please contact Dr Kate Davie Consultant in Palliative Medicine () or Claire Royce Director of Clinical Services ().

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure from the Disclosure Barring Service.

The Hospice is a great place to work and in Backford Chester (with retail shops in Chester and Ellesmere Port) the Hospice provides specialist palliative and end-of-life care in a welcoming and compassionate environment.

Our specialist team of medical and nursing staff deliver end of life care to our patients and support their families carers and friends but our services are varied across a number of disciplines and reflect the diverse nature of our care and addition to Doctors Nurses and Health care roles we employ staff in a wide range of roles including Fundraising and Retail in our charity shops Housekeeping and Catering Social Work and Family Support such as Counselling and Spiritual Care Living Well / Day Services as well as Business Support functions such as Administration People & Development and Finance.

We also have a large number of Volunteer roles in all these service have been supported by our volunteers ever since the hospice was established and we now have over 400 people contributing their time in so many different ways. Every hour volunteered allows us to continue providing specialist care and we are always welcoming applications for new volunteers so please get in touch.

We believe that equality of opportunity and freedom from discrimination is a fundamental right for everyone and that diversity within our organisation and our community is a strength to be valued promoted and developed.

Being a part of and supporting such a diverse community it is vital that our staff and volunteer team represents the community in which we work. We welcome applications from people from all walks of life and backgrounds irrespective of peoples age disability sex gender identity and gender expression race or ethnicity religion or belief sexual orientation or other personal circumstances.

We understand that people perform better when they can be themselves and that by creating an environment that includes everyone our staff will perform to their full potential.

We do not discriminate against employees and volunteers or applicants and select the best person for each job or role based on relevant skills and experience.