Consultant in Specialist Palliative Care - Community

Job overview

This full-time substantive Consultant in Palliative Medicine post is an exciting opportunity to join the motivated and dynamic Community Specialist Palliative Care Team (CSPCT) in St Helens and Knowsley. The main aims of the post are to improve the consistency of consultant cover within the community, increase the capacity for medical domiciliary visits for complex patients, and work strategically with primary care and acute trust services to develop improved pathways of care and reduce avoidable hospital admissions.

The post holder will work within the wider specialist palliative care service (SPS) in St Helens and Knowsley with consultant colleagues working in the community, Whiston Hospital and Willowbrook Hospice.

Applicants are required to hold Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (UK or equivalent qualifications), to be fully registered with the General Medical Council, and to be on the Specialist Register or due to obtain their CCT within six months of the date of interview.

Main duties of the job

The post is full time (10 PA) with 7.5 DCC (including 1.5 PAs for clinical admin) and 2.5 SPA subject to agreement as below. 1 PA = 4 hours.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Core SPA time for full-time consultants is 1.5 PAs per week for professional activity to support revalidation, personal appraisal, personal job planning, mandatory training, and participation at consultant and governance meetings.

Non-core SPA time is objective based and is offered after the purpose and content is agreed between the consultant and the clinical director. It should align with Trust objectives and have evidence of output.

SPA activity must be relevant to the Trust and individual’s needs, and must be agreed at the job planning session in line with the Medical Workforce (Non-Training) Job Planning Policy.

It is a requirement of the post that holders comply with Trust policies and procedures, have (and maintain) GMC registration / licensing and participate in a formal CPD programme (The Trust supports the requirements for Continuing Medical Education as laid down by the Royal College of Physicians and are committed to providing time and financial support for these activities). The post-holders must also participate in regular medical audit and in annual appraisal and job planning with the Clinical Director or one of the other qualified appraisers within the Trust. The Trust supports doctors going through the revalidation process and access to the RCP online CPD scheme. The Trust has a policy to support access to mentorship.

On-Call

The job plan includes a 1:8 non-resident senior on call responsibility (weekday and weekend) which attracts an 5% availability supplement. This provides primarily telephone support to specialty grade doctors for the Hospice in-patient unit, and the Community and Hospital Services via the 24-Hour Advice Line. Should the post holder be required to attend any site they will be compensated with time off in lieu.

Please find attached detailed job description and person specification for main responsibilities and requirements.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.