An exciting opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic, skilled doctor to join our Palliative Care team at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (LTHTR) on a fixed term basis. The post holder will be responsible for middle grade support to the Palliative Care Consultants in the department at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. The post holder will join the Specialist Palliative Care Team in providing a liaison service for adult inpatients across the Trust. There is also a specialist Palliative Care outpatient service currently based on the Royal Hospital site which the post holder may be asked to support.

Main duties of the job
 

• Work closely with other members of the multi-professional team to ensure delivery of holistic care to patients and their families/carers.
• Assess, diagnose and manage palliative care patients referred in the inpatient and outpatient setting.
• Apply clinical knowledge and skills to synthesise information from a variety of sources in order to reach the best available diagnosis and understanding of the patient's problem, or to know what steps need to be taken to secure the best possible outcome.
• Support patients and those important to them in understanding their condition and what they might expect, including in those circumstances when patients present with symptoms that could have several causes.
• Identify and advise on appropriate treatment options or preventive measures
• Explain and discuss the risks and benefits of various tests and treatments and where possible support patients to make decisions about their own care.
• Liaise with other Specialist Palliative Care Services.
• Coordinate patient care at the point of discharge and in the outpatient setting.
• Maintain a high level of communication between other healthcare professionals involved in the patients care e.g. telephone conversations.

About us

The post holder will have a named supervisor who will be responsible for their overall work. There is a strong Governance system for induction and pastoral care of the post holder.

Please see attached Job description for more information.  Attachments can be downloaded from the advert on NHS Jobs, click "Apply" to view.

Job description

The key duties of the post holder are to:

• Work closely with other members of the multi-professional team to ensure delivery of holistic care to patients and their families/carers.
• Assess, diagnose and manage palliative care patients referred in the inpatient and outpatient setting.
• Apply clinical knowledge and skills to synthesise information from a variety of sources in order to reach the best available diagnosis and understanding of the patient's problem, or to know what steps need to be taken to secure the best possible outcome.
• Support patients and those important to them in understanding their condition and what they might expect, including in those circumstances when patients present with symptoms that could have several causes.
• Identify and advise on appropriate treatment options or preventive measures
• Explain and discuss the risks and benefits of various tests and treatments and where possible support patients to make decisions about their own care.
• Liaise with other Specialist Palliative Care Services.
• Coordinate patient care at the point of discharge and in the outpatient setting.
• Maintain a high level of communication between other healthcare professionals involved in the patients care e.g. telephone conversations.
• Communicate confidentially and sensitivity with integrity at all times. Ensure colleagues uphold the same standard
• Be aware of the principles of the Data Protection Act 1998 and GMC guidance
• Complete accurate and contemporaneous documentation including records of care, referrals, and clinical notes using written and electronic formats. Address requests for information and/or refer appropriately.

Be aware of barriers to effective communication e.g. culture, language, speech impediments, sensory or cognitive dysfunction and physical/emotional distress, making provision to communicate

• Attend at Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) team meetings and Gold Standards Framework (GSF) meetings.
• Provide cross-cover for colleagues.
• Participate in the first on call rota covering St Catherines Hospice. This is non-resident overnight but involves providing a ward round on weekends and bank holidays.
• Be familiar with, and adhere to, Hospital policies and procedures
• You will be expected to play a full part in departmental audit and clinical governance programmes within protected time. This will be evaluated at appraisal.

• Ensure prompt reporting of adverse incidents, accidents, near misses, and errors to the individuals concerned and via the appropriate incident reporting framework (Hospital or Hospice)
• Contribute to the investigation of incident / accident reports
• Be familiar with the complaints policy and assist with the management / investigation as required
• Participate and where appropriate take lead role in specific projects.
• Share knowledge and experience with other staff to improve and enhance patients care
• Contribute to the delivery of education relating to specialist and generalist palliative care.
• Act as role model to other health care professionals.
• Have responsibility for own professional development, identifying training and development needs to line manager and undertake annual appraisal/revalidation
• Maintain up to date clinical knowledge.
• Initiate or participate in active research as appropriate.
• The post holder will be responsible and accountable to the Clinical Director in Palliative Care and supported by the Consultants in Palliative Medicine
• Actively participate in annual appraisal, planning and personal development and revalidation requirements.
• LTHTR has a high intake of medical students from the University of Manchester. When appropriate the post holder will be required to support with formal teaching and student placements within the team.
• The post holder will participate actively in the training of medical staff on both sites, providing both in-service and organised training of high quality, reflecting the ambition of the trust to develop its teaching and academic activities within palliative care.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Full GMC Registration and Licence to Practice
• MBBS or equivalent

Desirable

• Higher diploma e.g. MRCP or MRCGP
• Diploma in Palliative Medicine
• Higher qualification in education

Experience
Essential

• Completed at least four years' full-time postgraduate training (or its equivalent gained on a part-time or flexible basis) at least two of which will be in a specialty training programme in a relevant specialty or as a fixed term specialty trainee in a relevant specialty (e.g. general practice, elderly medicine, oncology, haematology) or shall have equivalent experience and competencies.

Desirable

• 1 year or more post registration experience in palliative medicine

Research & Development
Essential

• Evidence of interest in personal development e.g. through research and/or publications

Desirable

• Experience of audit in End of Life Care