Job Summary
Garden House Hospice Care is looking for a full to part-time specialist doctor in palliative medicine to join our multi-award winning hospice. We are the Hospice for North Hertfordshire, dedicated to putting the patient at the heart of everything we do. This year, we started an innovative frailty service in collaboration with the Lister Hospital, expanding our services to help more patients through symptom control, reablement, or last days of life care. We seek a candidate with the right skills and experience to join our amazing team as we grow further.
Main Duties of the Job
The successful candidate will be an experienced palliative care doctor, either at the specialist grade or a specialty doctor soon eligible for this designation. You will work under the leadership of the Hospice Medical Director, providing specialist palliative care at the hospice, for outpatients, and via domiciliary visits, while supporting the community CNS palliative team. You will also assist the Medical Director in providing leadership to the medical team and be part of the senior medical leadership at the hospice, including serving as a Clinical Supervisor to trainees on placement. You will actively engage in clinical governance and quality improvement at the hospice and have opportunities to participate in research.
About Us
Garden House Hospice Care is located in the beautiful and historic Letchworth Garden City, which offers a peaceful, leafy setting along with a variety of amenities, including independent shops, restaurants, and a cinema. The nearby towns of Baldock, Hitchin, and Stevenage provide a wide range of amenities, schools, and housing. The hospice is well-connected to both Cambridge and London via road and rail, with on-site parking available for commuting staff.
Job Responsibilities
The successful applicant will be part of the Hospice Medical and Pharmacy Team, led by the Medical Director. The team provides specialist palliative medical care to patients in the Hospice Inpatient unit, outpatients, and during domiciliary visits. The medical team also offers medical advice and oversight to the Herts Community Trust specialist palliative care CNS team. The successful applicant will join the Hospice first on-call rota, providing non-resident on-call cover. In line with the hospice's commitment to training and education, there is a training slot for a Specialty Trainee in Palliative Medicine and GP Trainees, with the successful applicant serving as one of the Hospice Clinical Supervisors. The successful candidate will have access to shared office space, a computer, internet access, and secretarial support. Garden House Hospice Care recognizes the importance of mentoring, and the successful applicant will be supported in finding a mentor if desired. Applicants unable to undertake the duties of a whole-time post will receive equal consideration, with job content modified to support part-time working.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
* Practices with professional values and behaviours as per GMC standards in Good Medical Practice.
* Comprehensive clinical experience in palliative medicine across various clinical settings, including hospice and community.
* Ability to take full and independent responsibility for clinical care and formulate evidence-based, individualised management plans.
* Able to manage complexity and uncertainty in patient care, functioning as a senior, independent practitioner.
* High level of communication skills with an empathetic, caring approach to patients and families.
* Ability to share decision-making with patients and promote a person-centred approach to care.
* Respect for patient dignity and confidentiality.
* Ability to make complex ethical decisions, including withdrawal and withholding of treatments.
Desirable
* Attendance at Advanced Communication Skills course or communications skills qualification.
Personal Skills
Essential
* Able to critically appraise own performance and that of colleagues to enhance performance.
* Able to understand own limits, seek help when necessary, and be receptive to appropriate challenge.
* Able to develop practice in response to changing population or service user needs.
* Able to effectively organize the workload of a specialist doctor.
* Ability and drive to use information and experience to improve clinical service.
* Self-awareness and ability to learn from feedback.
* Commitment to maintaining professional skills and knowledge relevant to the job.
* Familiarity with standard office packages and IT technology, with a willingness to learn new IT skills as needed.
Desirable
* Formal management training.
Qualifications
Essential
* Full GMC registration with a licence to practice.
* Minimum of 12 years of medical work since obtaining a primary medical qualification, with at least 6 years in palliative medicine.
Desirable
* MRCP.
* Postgraduate qualifications in palliative medicine, such as the Palliative Medicine Specialty Certificate Examination or MSc.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, necessitating a Disclosure submission to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information, please see the NHS Careers website.
Employer Details
Employer Name
Garden House Hospice Care
Address
Gillison Close
Letchworth Garden City
Hertfordshire
SG6 1QU
Employer's Website
https://www.ghhospicecare.org.uk/
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