Specialty Doctor In Palliative Medicine in London

This is an excellent opportunity for a doctor with experience in palliative medicine who is looking to take the next step in their career, combining hands-on clinical work with opportunities to develop leadership, teaching and service development experience. The post holder will be based predominantly within the inpatient unit and will participate in the hospice first on call rota. We are offering a full time substantive post within a supportive multidisciplinary team.

Main duties of the job

• The specialty doctor is an experienced member of the medical team who works closely with consultants to deliver high-quality palliative care across hospice services.
• Alongside direct patient care, the post holder will support the development of resident doctors and medical students, contribute to quality improvement and service development initiatives, and undertake agreed administrative and operational responsibilities within the department.
• Opportunities for professional development, education, quality improvement and career progression will be supported in line with the post holder's experience, interests and development goals.

About us

St Josephs is a large 24-bed hospice in Hackney, East London, with an inner-city, ethnically diverse population. There are excellent modern facilities including a busy community team, day hospice, complementary therapies centre, bereavement service, access to a multi-lingual advocacy team and a purpose-built education centre and library. The successful applicant will join a team of 3 Consultants, 2 Specialty Doctors, 2 Palliative Medicine Specialty Registrars, 1 IMT doctor, 2 GPVTS doctors and additional Clinical Fellow posts.

Job responsibilities

• INPATIENT HOSPICE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• This role will mainly be spent within the inpatient unit setting. Community cover and rotation between service departments may be required depending on service requirements.
• The post holder will be expected to contribute fully to the day to day clinical workload of the service, including the assessment of new admissions and development of initial management plans.
• Provide day to day clinical support and guidance to resident doctors, clinical fellows and medical students, offering advice within own level of competence and escalating to consultant colleagues as appropriate.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary clinical decision-making and support collaborative working across professional groups.
• Assist in prioritisation of clinical workload and admissions within the inpatient unit in collaboration with consultant colleagues and senior nurses.
• Assess new admissions to the hospice, including holistic assessment of physical, psychological, social and spiritual needs, and develop initial management plans covering symptom control, advance care planning and treatment escalation decisions, with consultant support as required.
• Participate in consultant ward rounds, multidisciplinary team meetings and other clinical discussions relating to patient care.
• Communicate proactively with patients, families and carers, providing appropriate information and support, and leading family meetings and advance care planning discussions where appropriate, including discussions relating to prognosis, treatment options, ceilings of care and preferred place of care.
• Use of the multi-lingual advocacy service to aid assessment of and communication with patients and families who do not speak English fluently.
• Liaise effectively with professionals and organisations involved in patient care to ensure continuity of care, safe discharge planning and coordinated service delivery.
• Ensure timely completion of clinical documentation, including medical correspondence and discharge summaries.
• Participate in bereavement follow up as required.
• COMMUNITY PALLIATIVE CARE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Reviewing community patients and providing advice to community team Clinical Nurse Specialists, plus undertaking joint home visits as necessary.
• Undertaking home visits, video calls and providing telephone contact and advice to patients and their families.
• Working closely alongside the primary healthcare team, to ensure both the good co-ordination of care and effective communication with different community healthcare professionals.
• Use of the multi-lingual advocacy service to undertake joint visits, or telephone contacts, for patients and families who do not speak English fluently.
• Bereavement follow up of families/carers of patients as appropriate.
• Provision of clinical advice to external healthcare professionals by telephone or by undertaking joint home visits.
• Review of day hospice patients who require medical intervention.
• Attendance at weekly Multi-disciplinary team meetings where community / day hospice / respite patients are being discussed.
• OUT-OF-HOURS / ON-CALL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• The on call component of this role comprises a full on call rota working 1 in 5 weekdays and 1 in 4 single weekend days. There may be additional on call duties available at other times.
• Participation in the hospice first on-call rota, providing out-of-hours cover for the hospice inpatient unit and community palliative care team with consultant support throughout.
• On-calls days from Monday to Friday are resident 09:00-19:00 then non-resident 19:00-09:00 with average estimated average work of 2 hours during the non-resident period.
• On-call days at weekends and bank holidays are single-days non-resident 09:00-09:00 with estimated average work of 12 hours during each 24-hour non-resident period.
• In practice the doctor will usually be on site from 9am to 5pm with scope for a longer day and/or overnight work as dictated by the clinical need.
• Must be available to attend the hospice within 60 minutes during all non-resident on-call periods. On site on-call accommodation is available if required.
• There will be full discussion prior to inclusion/cross-covering the rota.
• NON-CLINICAL DUTIES / EDUCATION, TRAINING & SUPPORT
• Educational opportunities include weekly doctors journal club, weekly doctors teaching, monthly Schwartz Rounds, and courses available via hospice Education Centre as per candidates training needs.
• Delivery of teaching includes teaching and supervision of medical students, and supporting the learning and development of resident doctors and clinical fellows, both on the ward and within the education centre.
• Contribute to induction and orientation programmes for rotating resident doctors.
• Large group teaching to year 3 and 5 Barts, The Royal London and Queen Marys Hospitals Medical School students, GPs, DNs and multi-disciplinary groups.
• Research & Audit includes undertaking of clinical audit and quality improvement projects and supervision of audit projects undertaken by other St Josephs Hospice staff.
• The post holder would be encouraged to participate in research projects with the assistance and support of the research governance and support lead.
• Support the organisation of rotas, induction and departmental educational activities.
• Working with consultants on service development and operational projects appropriate to the post-holders experience and areas of interest.
• Participate in medical team business meetings and contribute to discussions regarding service delivery and operational issues.
• Monthly group clinical supervision for specialty doctors.
• Monthly Schwartz rounds the post holder can attend and present as they wish.
• Facilitated debriefing sessions about individual patients arranged on request.
• Regular clinical/educational supervision by named Consultant.
• Availability of consultant support/advice daily following patient reviews or telephone contacts with patients, carers, staff and external healthcare professionals.
• GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICAL STAFF
• To contact one of the consultants, other senior colleague or managers, as appropriate, if there are any clinical concerns.
• To make accurate, legible and contemporaneous entries in the patients records and to ensure continuity of patient care by handover to colleagues.
• To participate in audit, research or any ongoing developments within the hospice.
• To participate in teaching students, hospice staff and volunteers as required.
• To participate in journal club and educational activities at St Josephs Hospice.
• To comply with Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements as stipulated by the Royal Colleges.
• To maintain own professional indemnity insurance to cover work in the hospice.
• To maintain confidentiality at all times and comply with all other aspects of the General Medical Councils Code of Professional Conduct.
• To keep a portfolio of evidence, to have an annual appraisal and write a personal development plan (PDP) in line with GMC revalidation policies and procedures.
• GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL STAFF
• To perform his / her duties according to the philosophy of the Hospice, acting at all times to safeguard the interests of patients and their families, and in particular to respect and live out the Hospice Mission and Core Values.
• To attend the induction programme.
• To comply with Occupational Health procedures.
• To attend any staff meetings, where appropriate, in discussion with the Medical Lead.
• To keep up to date and complete all statutory and mandatory training, e.g. fire training, lifting and handling and other health and safety issues.
• To monitor, record and assist in investigations of any complaints from patients, visitors and staff, reporting these to the Medical Lead.
• To recognise the importance of, and to participate in, Clinical Governance activities at St Josephs Hospice.

SAMPLE WEEKLY TIMETABLE

Please see the attached JD alongside this post for the sample timetable.

MAIN TERMS AND CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

• Educational supervision will be provided by one of the medical consultants.
• The post holder will be appraised via an arrangement between the hospice and Homerton University Hospital unless they hold an NHS contract with another organization who acts as their designated body.
• The Responsible Officer for this post, in relation to revalidation, is the Medical Director of the Homerton University Hospital NHS Trust.
• St Josephs Hospice supports requirements for continuous professional development as laid down by the Royal College of Physicians and is committed to providing time and financial support for these activities. There is a study leave budget for the medical staff. Study leave will need to be approved by the medical director or other member of the consultant team.
• Job planning will be undertaken and reviewed on a yearly basis with the Medical Lead.
• NHS superannuation can be continued subject to no significant gaps in service.
• There is an office for the medical team at the Hospice. There is secretarial support, internet access and email facilities.
• Three months notice of termination of contract must be given by the postholder and employer.