Job summary
Applications are invited for a substantive Consultant in Palliative Medicine post jointly delivered between Wexham Park Hospital and Thames Hospice. This innovative cross-site role reflects a shared commitment to delivering integrated specialist palliative and end-of-life care across hospital and community settings.
Developed in line with the priorities of the Frimley Integrated Care Board (ICB), the post aims to strengthen continuity of care for patients with complex palliative needs across East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire.
The successful candidate will work with the Supportive and Palliative Care multidisciplinary team at Wexham Park Hospital and the community services at Thames Hospice, contributing to the continued development of integrated palliative care services across the region.
This role builds on an existing shared consultant model established between the organisations in 2023 and offers an excellent opportunity for a clinician interested in innovative service development, integrated care and community-based palliative medicine.
Main duties of the job
This post has been developed to expand consultant-level palliative medicine provision in community settings across East Berkshire and South Buckinghamshire.
The post holder will be primarily based at Thames Hospice, with one day per week at Wexham Park Hospital, supporting integration between acute and community services.
About us
Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is committed to being an inclusive and disability confident employer and has been awarded the Gold for the Armed Forces Employment Recognition Scheme. We provide first class development opportunities for all staff and have a wide range of professional, management and leadership, and clinical skills training available.
Here at Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, we know how important it is to have a healthy work life balance; this benefits not only individuals but the patients we care for too.
We encourage applications from people who wish to work on a flexible basis, recognising that flexibility may mean a range of different working patterns and hours, we do our utmost to work with our staff to meet their needs and the needs of our service and its users.
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Job description
Job responsibilities
Key elements of the role include:
Clinical leadership of the Thames Hospice Virtual Ward (5 beds) Specialist medical support for patients under the Hospice at Home service Collaborative working with acute teams at Wexham Park Hospital, particularly within the Emergency Department and acute medical services Supporting admission avoidance and facilitating timely discharge where appropriate Participation in service development across the Integrated Care System
The role offers opportunities to contribute to education, quality improvement and research across both organisations.
The post holder will join a collaborative and supportive consultant team working across hospice and hospital services.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Key elements of the role include:
Clinical leadership of the Thames Hospice Virtual Ward (5 beds) Specialist medical support for patients under the Hospice at Home service Collaborative working with acute teams at Wexham Park Hospital, particularly within the Emergency Department and acute medical services Supporting admission avoidance and facilitating timely discharge where appropriate Participation in service development across the Integrated Care System
The role offers opportunities to contribute to education, quality improvement and research across both organisations.
The post holder will join a collaborative and supportive consultant team working across hospice and hospital services.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oFull registration with the GMC MRCP/MRCGP
Desirable
- oOther higher degree or diploma
Experience
Essential
- oTo have a CCT or equivalent experience in palliative medicine or be within six months of achieving such at the time of interview
- oExcellent clinical skills in specialist palliative care
- oProven ability to efficiently and sensitively manage patients with complex physical, psychological, spiritual and social problems
- oAbility to respond sensitively to needs of carers, relatives and friends of people with palliative care needs
- oProven ability to work well within a multidisciplinary and support others to flourish
- oAbility to work sensitivity within a multicultural community
- oA creative and imaginative approach to service delivery and improvement
- oThe highest ethical and professional standards
- oExcellent communication skills, both verbal and written
- oCommitment to developing specialist palliative care services in all settings
- oAbility to work under pressure
- oAbility to both lead and be led as part of a team
- oAbility to manage time effectively
Desirable
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- oAn understanding of and proven abilities in clinical audit
- oAn understanding of the importance of continuous professional development and life-long learning and commitment thereto
- oAn understanding of and a proven ability to apply research findings to individual patients or populations of patients
- oAbility and commitment to teach in a clinical and academic setting
- oAbility and commitment to teaching various clinical disciplines
- oEvidence of management and leadership skills or training
- oAbility to effectively organise, prioritise and manage clinical workload
- oCommuter literacy and IT skills
- oAbility to lead multi-professional teams and be able to work effectively within such teams
- oExperience supervising junior medical staff
- oBe skilled at encouraging and giving feedback
- oAbility to organise time effectively and meet deadlines
- oExperience of taking responsibility for own actions and know when to seek advice appropriately
- oAbility to remain calm under pressure
- oBe a skilled communicator, with a commitment to continuous improvement
- oAbility to develop effective and supportive relationships with colleagues
- oHave an interest in complex decision- making and ethical issues, working as part of a team and with patients and families to find the best approach
- oCommitment to Thames Hospice and FHFT Values
Desirable
- oProven ability and commitment to carry out high quality research leading to publication
- oExperience of contributing to multi- professional / multiagency clinical guidelines or care pathways
- oTeaching qualification
- oProven experience of management in a clinical area
- oAbility to support advanced practitioners from other professional groups develop new skills
- oAdvanced Communication Skills training
Special Requirements
Essential
- oAbility to reach the hospice within 45 minutes if 1st on call (very rare)
- oAppointment is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check including Barred Lists
- Ability to travel between sites
Desirable
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- oFull registration with the GMC MRCP/MRCGP
Desirable
- oOther higher degree or diploma
Experience
Essential
- oTo have a CCT or equivalent experience in palliative medicine or be within six months of achieving such at the time of interview
- oExcellent clinical skills in specialist palliative care
- oProven ability to efficiently and sensitively manage patients with complex physical, psychological, spiritual and social problems
- oAbility to respond sensitively to needs of carers, relatives and friends of people with palliative care needs
- oProven ability to work well within a multidisciplinary and support others to flourish
- oAbility to work sensitivity within a multicultural community
- oA creative and imaginative approach to service delivery and improvement
- oThe highest ethical and professional standards
- oExcellent communication skills, both verbal and written
- oCommitment to developing specialist palliative care services in all settings
- oAbility to work under pressure
- oAbility to both lead and be led as part of a team
- oAbility to manage time effectively
Desirable
Skills & Knowledge
Essential
- oAn understanding of and proven abilities in clinical audit
- oAn understanding of the importance of continuous professional development and life-long learning and commitment thereto
- oAn understanding of and a proven ability to apply research findings to individual patients or populations of patients
- oAbility and commitment to teach in a clinical and academic setting
- oAbility and commitment to teaching various clinical disciplines
- oEvidence of management and leadership skills or training
- oAbility to effectively organise, prioritise and manage clinical workload
- oCommuter literacy and IT skills
- oAbility to lead multi-professional teams and be able to work effectively within such teams
- oExperience supervising junior medical staff
- oBe skilled at encouraging and giving feedback
- oAbility to organise time effectively and meet deadlines
- oExperience of taking responsibility for own actions and know when to seek advice appropriately
- oAbility to remain calm under pressure
- oBe a skilled communicator, with a commitment to continuous improvement
- oAbility to develop effective and supportive relationships with colleagues
- oHave an interest in complex decision- making and ethical issues, working as part of a team and with patients and families to find the best approach
- oCommitment to Thames Hospice and FHFT Values
Desirable
- oProven ability and commitment to carry out high quality research leading to publication
- oExperience of contributing to multi- professional / multiagency clinical guidelines or care pathways
- oTeaching qualification
- oProven experience of management in a clinical area
- oAbility to support advanced practitioners from other professional groups develop new skills
- oAdvanced Communication Skills training
Special Requirements
Essential
- oAbility to reach the hospice within 45 minutes if 1st on call (very rare)
- oAppointment is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check including Barred Lists
- Ability to travel between sites
Desirable
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
