Recruitment Information Pack:

Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine (part-time)

6 PAs per week + 1:7weekend ward round commitment

Closing date – Friday 1 December 2017

This post requires the post holder to have a PVG Scheme membership record. If the post holder is not a current PVG member for the required regulatory group (i.e. adult) then an application will need to be made to Disclosure Scotland and deemed satisfactory before they can begin in post. A joint application will be made which the Hospice will pay for.

Scotland’s first modern hospice, St Columba’s Hospice first opened its doors in 1977. Over the years it has grown and evolved into an exemplary provider of specialist palliative care for thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses in Edinburgh and the Lothians annually, while also providing support to their relatives and loved ones. We currently have the following opportunity to join the Hospice team:

Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine

£38,685 - £72,140 pa pro-rata (dependent on experience) +

out of hours enhancement

Part-time (6 PAs + 1:7 weekend ward round)

Applications are invited for this exciting new Specialty Doctor post comprising six Programmed Activities per week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday), plus one additional PA per week in respect of a Sat/Sun wardround 1 in 7. (i.e.12 hours every 7 weeks). This new post is part of our commitment to increasing the amount of care the Hospice delivers to people living in the community.

We’re committed to delivering the highest standards of care to peoplewith active, progressive, far advanced illness. This post is anopportunity to join our highly motivated and innovative multi-disciplinaryteam providing high quality care, both in the Hospice inpatient unit and also in a variety of community settings. We are halfway through our 5 year strategy and you would join us at an exciting time in our developments.

St. Columba’s Hospice, a modern Specialist Palliative Care Unit, provides inpatient facilities for 30 patients, and has a team of Community based Palliative Care Nurse Specialists, aDay Therapies Service, an outpatient facility and an Education and Research Centre.In addition to clinical activities, the successful applicant willparticipate in teaching and training, and be part of the Hospice clinical governance framework.

Experience in Palliative Medicine is highly desirable but not essential, andapplicants must have full registration with the General Medical Council,with a current licence to practise.

Interested candidates are encouraged to visit the Hospice. Potential applicants wishing to arrange either an informal discussion or visit, please contact Dr. Duncan Brown, Medical Director on 0131 551 1381.

For an application form and job description, visit our website at Alternatively call 0131 551 7722 or by email

Closing date: Friday 1st December 2017

Scottish Charity No SC003634

ST. COLUMBA’S HOSPICE

JOB DESCRIPTION

1.JOB IDENTIFICATION

Job Title: Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine
Responsible to: Medical Director/Consultants
Department(s): Medical
No of Job Holders: 6
Last Update (insert date):15 November 2017

2.JOB PURPOSE

The post holder will play an important medical role in the delivery of care to inpatients, outpatients, community and day-patients in collaboration with the Medical Director, Consultants and medical colleagues, and the wider multidisciplinary team. The post includes two sessions seeing community based patients (outpatients, day-patients and patients in East Lothian).
The role also involves participation in the training and educational work of the hospice including the supervision of junior medical staff, depending on the experience of postholder.
3. DIMENSIONS
The Hospice provides Specialist Palliative Care services to patients and their families and carers across Edinburgh & the Lothians.
1.1. The Hospice:
St. Columba's Hospice, a Specialist Palliative Care Unit, opened in 1977. It is an independent charity providing its Services to NHS Lothian and also accepts patients from other Health Boards according to need. Currently around 25% of its revenue requirements come from NHS Lothian, the balance coming from voluntary support.
It is committed to the care of people with active, progressive, far-advanced disease and to the support of their families.
It has 30 beds in a purpose-built inpatient unit and also provides a Community Palliative Care Service within the City of Edinburgh, as well as a DayTherapies Service, and an Outpatient Service. It also provides support to the East Lothian palliative care service.
There is a comprehensive education and study programme for students and health care professionals This includes a Palliative Care Graduate Certificate, and a multidisciplinary Masters programme in palliative care. Many members of staff are involved in education, led bythe Director of Education and Research.
The Hospice also has a committed research team, led by the Director of Education and Research and actively supported by one the medical consultants. It has two research fellows, a research nurse and a research dietician.
2.
2. The Nursing & Medical Team:
There is a large nursing team within the Hospice. The Community Palliative Care Service has a Team Leader and 6 Specialist Nurses. The Day Therapies Service is run by a Day Services Manager, who is a senior physiotherapist, alongside a therapy assistant and a social worker.
The medical staff consists of the Medical Director, two part-time Consultants,six part-time Specialty Doctors (3.7 WTE) and two GP Specialist Trainees. The Hospice participates in the training of specialty registrars in Palliative Medicine, but registrars are not attached to the Hospice at all times.
3.3. Service Dimensions:
The Hospice services consist of:
  • 30 in-patient beds
  • A Day Therapies Service – up to 15 patients 2 days per week, with a view to possibly expanding this service
  • Complementary Therapy Service
  • A Community Palliative Care Nursing Team working with approx. 140 patients (at any one time) in the community
  • Education Department
  • Medical support to Macmillan nurses, primary care and consultants in East Lothian
  • Outpatient services
Patient statistics:
In-patient admissions: 450 - 500 per annum
Discharge rate: 30-35%
Mean length of stay: 20 days
Bed occupancy: 80-85%
4
4. ORGANISATIONAL POSITION

NB: Organisational Chart is not hierarchical

5.ROLE OF DEPARTMENT
St Columba’s Hospice is an Independent Health Care provider, registered as a Company Limited by Guarantee and is a Registered Charity. Through partnership and consultation with other agencies the Hospice provides an integrated Specialist Palliative Care service to patients and their families in all care settings across Edinburgh & the Lothians. Through the provision of education and participation in research and development, the Hospice promotes the development of palliative care in all settings.
The appointee will have secretarial support, IT facilities and office accommodation within the Hospice.
6.KEY RESULT AREAS
Duties and Responsibilities of the Post-Holder
  1. The Specialty Doctor will, under the direction of the Medical Director and the Consultant, be responsible for providing medical care and/or specialist advice for
in-patients
patients at home (including in East Lothian), in Day Therapies, or attending as out-patients (including in East Lothian)
This will include telephone advice to primary care colleagues and liaison with colleagues in
secondary care by telephone and email.
  1. The Specialty Doctor will contribute to the on-call (non-residential) medical rota comprising weekend ward round cover of 1:7. The weekend ward round is Saturday and Sunday 9:00am – 3:00pm (i.e. 12 hours every 5 weeks). They will also be required to work to 6pm, once or twice a month.
  1. Additional locum on-call duties may be available by mutual agreement, to cover for absent colleagues or through other gaps on the on call rota.
  1. The post-holder may be responsible for the training and supervision of postgraduates and undergraduates and may be expected as part of their SPA allocation to devote time to this activity on a regular basis. In addition he/she will be expected to ensure that Junior Staff and medical students receive adequate support and advice and may contribute to the supervision and teaching of GP trainees, depending on experience.
  1. The Specialty Doctor will, under the direction of the Medical Director, contribute to clinical and/or service audit.
  1. Discussions with the Medical Director and Consultantswill ensure that the job plan is up-to-date.
  1. The appointee will be expected to provide cover for absent colleagues during periods of annual leave, professional and sick leave. In exceptional unforeseen circumstances the post holder may have to perform additional duties to ensure the safe running of the Hospice. Where such duties take place outside your normal contracted duties, the appointee will receive either an equivalent off duty period or will be remunerated appropriately.
  1. To ensure good medical practice is maintained, the Specialty Doctor will be given every opportunity to attend Continuing Professional Development activities
  1. Medical staff are encouraged to contribute to the education programmes provided by the Hospice for other health care professionals. The medical team also provide informal education, which is an integral part of the advisory components of the service, and to support individuals on placements eg. Medical students, General Practitioners, other doctors, nurses etc.
This job description is not intended as an indication of the full and detailed range of duties that may be undertaken by the post holder and will be reviewed and developed to reflect the changing needs of the service. Other duties required by the Medical Director and/or Consultant that are commensurate to the grade of the post may be requested from time to time.
Responsibilities will be reviewed regularly with the post holder and on an annual basis as part of the appraisal process.

7a. EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY

Telephone, access to computer, access to secure printing, shared dictaphone
7b. SYSTEMS
Responsibility for paper and computerised systems in relation to:
  • Clinical Governance
  • Patients’ Records
  • Clinical Services

8. ASSIGNMENT AND REVIEW OF WORK

The post is accountable to the Medical Director/Consultants.
Review of performance is through the agreement of performance objectives by the Medical Director. Formal medical appraisal (using the SOAR system) is undertaken annually (and is essential for revalidation) and is outsourced. Informal reviews with the Medical Director/Consultants will be held as appropriate
Progression through the Speciality Doctor payscale will be subject to satisfactory participation in annual appraisal, job planning and contribution to personal and service objectives. Progression through pay thresholds will require demonstration of increasing development of specialist knowledge and skills and wider contribution to the service and increasing independent practice.
Job plan discussions will take into account the outcome of appraisal discussions and development objectives will be reflected in the agreed personal development plan.
9.DECISIONS AND JUDGEMENTS
  • Autonomous practitioner using expert knowledge and clinical judgment skills to plan and provide advanced medical practice in specialist palliative medicine
  • Advanced level physical and psychosocial assessment skills to inform diagnosis and interventions.
  • Reviews best practice and disseminates and promotes the development of evidence based practice.

10. MOST CHALLENGING/DIFFICULT PARTS OF THE JOB

St. Columba’s Hospice exists to provide effective care and support for patients with far-advanced disease and the focus of care is maintaining quality of life. The Specialty Doctor takes a role in the medical team, facilitating and delivering an accessible, equitable, high quality, palliative care service across Lothian for patients with end stage advanced illness irrespective of diagnosis. The most challenging part of the job is ensuring, directly and indirectly through the support of his/her medical and nursing colleagues, that the Hospice achieves this and in addition:
a.Managing and maintaining relationships across the Hospice team.
b.Maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of developments in specialist palliative care, and working with a wide range of colleagues to ensure best clinical practices are consistently applied.
c.Supporting staff in the provision of specialist palliative care and the particular challenges that brings.
d.Dealing with the emotional challenges of continuous involvement in the care of patients at the end of their life and in supporting their families.
11. COMMUNICATIONS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Excellent communication skills are required to communicate clearly with patients and their families/friends, to work effectively with medical colleagues, other members of the multidisciplinary team and external health care professionals.
The post holder will develop working relationships and communicate regularly with a wide range of individuals, clinical and non-clinical, internal and external to the Hospice.

12. KNOWLEDGE, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED TO DO THE JOB

It is desirable that the appointee has experience in Palliative Medicine.
It is essential that the appointee is fully registered with the General Medical Council with a Licence to Practise.
The post holder will have excellent clinical abilities, a high level of interpersonal and team working skills and will have a sound understanding of current developments in specialist palliative care.
See ‘Person Specification’ for full details

JOB PLAN:

PROVISIONAL JOB PLAN

The following Job Plan(s) may be subject to alteration in discussion with the post holder(s)

PAs / HOURS / TYPE OF WORK
MONDAY AM
PM
TUESDAY AM / 1 / Ward work/MDT
PM / 1 / Ward work/SPA time
WEDNESDAY AM / 1 / Ward work/Teaching
PM / 1 / Outpatient/community work
THURSDAY AM
PM
FRIDAY AM / 1 / Outpatient/community work
FRIDAY AM / 1 / Ward work/admin

Plus Sat/Sun ward round cover 1 in 7 (9:00am – 3:00pm, Saturday & Sunday) i.e. 12 hours every 7 weeks (frequency under review but unlikely to be more frequent).

There will be times when cover in other areas will be required. The medical team works as flexibly as possible supporting leave in the service and depending on work load, there may be changes needed in the medical staffing of each team necessitating staff being requested to work in other areas.

The duties described here are provisional and will be the subject of regular review and will form a composite part of the post holders’ job plan, which will be agreed between the post holder and the Medical Director/Consultants.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

ESSENTIAL / DESIRABLE
Qualifications
Full GMC Registration with a current Licence to Practise. /

MRCP/ MRCGP or equivalent

  • Recognised medical qualification

Relevant Experience
  • 3+ years at FY2/Core Medical Training/GP training or equivalent
/
  • 6+ months experience in palliative medicine at FY2/Core Medical Training/GP training or equivalent
  • Experience in supporting patients in community e.g. general practice or palliative medicine

Training
  • General Medicine/ Palliative Medicine/ General Practice
  • Evidence of appraisal, learning and continuous professional development
/
  • Up-to-date with current practices in palliative care

Key Skills & Abilities
  • Ability to demonstrate clinical leadership skills.
  • Able to work effectively with colleagues in MDT
  • Capable of organising and prioritising work effectively
  • Evidence of ability to take full responsibility for independent management of patients throughout the patient journey
  • Demonstrable skills in communication (written & verbal) in particular with colleagues, patients and families about sensitive and complex issues
  • Problem solving skills
  • Proven ability to work under pressure/stress
  • Ability to take independent clinical decisions when necessary and to seek advice from senior doctors as appropriate
  • Flexible in approach to work and a willingness to meet the changing needs of Hospice users
  • Basic computer skills
  • Evidence of initiative and self-motivation

Teaching/Academic
  • Evidence of commitment to formal and informal teaching and training of Junior Medical Staff and medical students.
/
  • Experience of developing & participating in teaching programmes for trainees

Research/Audit
  • Evidence of participation in audit projects
/

Completed audit project(s).

  • Evidence of compliance with the Good Medical Practice guidance

Other Requirements
  • Enthusiastic, cheerful and co-operative team worker, reliable and dependable, committed, flexible and supportive. Satisfactory health record and completion of Occupational Health assessment.
  • Physically able to carry out demands of job.
  • Ability to undertake on-call
  • Holding valid UK driving licence with access to own vehicle (eg to undertake home visits)

SUMMARY

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

TITLE:Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine

REPORTING TO:Medical Director/Consultants in Palliative Medicine

LOCATION:15 Boswall Road, Edinburgh, EH5 3RW

TENURE:Part-time

HOURS AND DAYS OF WORK:6 PAs per week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday.

One extra PA for a commitment of weekend ward round cover 1:7, 9:00am – 3:00pm, Saturday & Sunday. One or two 6:00pm finish, on average, per month

Each PA is equivalent to 4 hours work.

SALARY:£38,685 - £72,140(pro-rata)on the Hospice Specialty Doctor Salary Scale. Placement on the salary scale is dependent on experience. Plus appropriate remuneration for weekend ward round commitment of 1:7.

ELIGIBILITY FOR APPOINTMENT:Specialty Doctors must be fully registered medical practitioners with a Licence to Practise.

If, on applying for a post, an applicant is relying on a work permit being obtained, he/she should note that he/she will not initially be considered for appointment where there is a suitable qualified EEA applicant for the post.

PROBATIONARY PERIOD For new entrants to the Hospice all offers of employment are subject to a twelve week probationary period.

SUPERANNUATION:We offer a generous Hospice Pension. The amount that the Hospice will pay will depend on your age, as shown in the table below.

Hospice Pension Scheme
Age / Your Contribution / Hospice contribution / Total
16-29 / 3% / 6% / 9%
30-39 / 4% / 8% / 12%
40-49 / 5% / 11% / 16%
50-59 / 6% / 14% / 20%
60-69 / 7% / 17% / 24%
70-74 / 8% / 20% / 28%

Alternatively, current members of NHS Superannuation Scheme may request to continue membership during Hospice employment – contribution rates may vary as set by NHS.

HOLIDAYS:33 days in a full holiday year (i.e. 1st April - 31st March), in addition to the 8 Public Holidays recognised by the Hospice (Pro-rata to hours worked). Doctors may be required to work on designated public holidays and will be remunerated at the appropriately enhanced rate plus a day off in lieu.