Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine Covering Maternity Leave in Watford

Nine-month Fixed Term Contract (maternity cover with potential for a further extension if required)

Date: As soon as possible by mutual agreement

Hours: 16 per week (Tuesday & Wednesday - will consider Monday & Tuesday)

Location: Peace Hospice, Watford (with travel to other sites)

To be a member of a multidisciplinary team providing high quality, holistic care and provide medical leadership within this team. It is expected that the post holder will work flexibly alongside colleagues to provide the best possible service for patients and those close to them.

Main duties of the job

• To provide a medical service to RGP hospice inpatients, outpatients and patients in the community setting and take part in RGP medical on call rota.
• To provide leadership and mentorship to junior medical team at RGP, supervising their clinical practice and providing guidance, support and training.
• To contribute to wider MDT education and opportunity to work with the Medical Education team to deliver teaching to a wider group of health care professionals both internally at RPG and to external audiences.
• To input into clinical governance processes at RGP to maintain high quality services, through participation in patient safety activities, audits and quality improvement activities.
• To represent RGP medical team at external meetings when required and to be involved in service development within local systems.

Job responsibilities

• To share in the provision of holistic medical care, working closely with other members of the medical and wider multi‑professional team and supporting the junior medical team.
• This will include contributing to the planning of admissions, clerking in of new patients, review of patients, constructing a management plan, seeking advice appropriately, delivering safe prescription and understanding of the medications used in the specialist palliative care setting, planning discharges, facilitating advance care planning, reviewing new admissions when clerked by members of the junior medical team.
• To attend and support daily ward handover meetings, lead on medical patient reviews, support the junior medical team to manage day to day palliative care issues and to participate in consultant ward rounds.
• Review patients attending the medical outpatient clinic.
• Provide medical support to patients at home, in conjunction with the Community Palliative Care team.
• To share in providing medical advice and support to the RGP virtual wards along with consultants during normal working hours.

Qualifications

• Have MBBS or equivalent medical qualification.
• Be eligible for full registration with, and hold current licence to practice from the GMC at intended start date.
• Be able to provide complete details of employment history including evidence of a minimum of 4 years full time post graduate medical experience (or equivalent gained on a part time or flexible basis) of which at least 2 years are in Palliative Medicine or an allied speciality (including General Practice).
• Evidence of interest in Palliative Medicine.
• Evidence of achievement of foundation competencies from a UKFPO-affiliated foundation programme or equivalent.
• Demonstrate excellent written and spoken English to enable effective communication about complex medical and emotional topics with patients and colleagues.
• Experience of teaching to various audiences.
• Evidence of experience in clinical audit.
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team and recognise when the need for medical leadership arises.
• Ability to successfully lead a team and demonstrate characteristics of strong and cohesive leadership.
• A good understanding of technology with a working knowledge of Microsoft office packages i.e. Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Sensitivity and understanding to the needs of the volunteers and customers, many of whom may have experienced Rennie Grove Peace services or be bereaved themselves.
• Ability to reach the hospice within 30 minutes when 1st on call.
• Previous work within Specialist Palliative Care setting.
• Experience of using an electronic patient record system.
• 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.