Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Specialist

The closing date is 24 June 2025

Job summary

Applicants are invited to apply for a substantive 0.8 WTE Specialist Doctor in Palliative Medicine post based at Sobell House in the Churchill Hospital, Oxford, and Katharine House Hospice, Banbury. Less than full time applicants are also welcome, with the understanding that the associated on-call is a full-time component, regardless of whether the role is taken as full or part time.

Suitably qualified job-share candidates will receive serious consideration

Main duties of the job

This post is suitable for a capable enthusiastic doctor with full GMC registration and an MRCP or MRCGP qualification or equivalent who is keen to join a dynamic team. They will have completed a minimum of 12 years medical work (either continuous period or in aggregate) since obtaining a primary medical qualification of which a minimum of 6 years should have been in a relevant specialty. They will need to meet the criteria set out in the generic capabilities framework for the specialist grade which has been developed by AoMRC, BMA and NHS Employers. It offers a development opportunity for an experienced Specialty Doctor, or equivalent, in palliative medicine or other experienced doctors in palliative medicine who wish to continue their career in a Specialist role.

The successful applicant will be expected to work throughout the service - including in the specialist inpatient palliative care units, the acute hospital, community, including the Hub and Hospice Outreach Team, day services and clinics. The successful applicant will participate in the Consultant/Specialist on-call rota (on-call supplement applies).

About us

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is one of the largest NHS teaching trusts in the country. It provides a wide range of general and specialist clinical services and is a base for medical education, training and research. The Trust comprises four hospitals - the John Radcliffe Hospital, Churchill Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre in Headington and the Horton General Hospital in Banbury.

Our values, standards and behaviours define the quality of clinical care we offer and the professional relationships we make with our patients, colleagues and the wider community.

We call this Delivering Compassionate Excellence and its focus is on our values of compassion, respect, learning, delivery, improvement and excellence.

These values put patients at the heart of what we do and underpin the quality healthcare we would like for ourselves or a member of our family. Watch how we set out to deliver compassionate excellence via the OUH YouTube channel.

Details

Date posted

27 May 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£96,990 to £107,155 a year Pro Rata Per Annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

321-SUWON-MS-7066962-S1

Job locations

Sobell House Hospice

Oxford

OX3 7LE


Job description

Job responsibilities

1. It is expected that the consultants, associate specialists, specialists and specialty doctors in the service will rotate between different areas of clinical responsibility at appropriate intervals agreed by the senior leadership team.

2. The post holder will perform the duties of a Specialist Doctor within the Palliative Medicine team

3. Weekday working hours will be undertaken between 07:00 and 21:00, varying depending on the clinical role undertaken.

- When working for the inpatient unit, supervise the care of patients on the ward, provide senior input to their care including ward rounds, and provide training, supervision and role modelling for the non-consultant ward doctors, working closely with the multidisciplinary team.

- When working for the hospital service lead ward rounds and MDTs, develop closer links with other specialist services, provide senior medical leadership and clinical support for the team.

- When responsible for the community services, lead MDTs, provide domicillary visits and outpatient clinics and provide senior medical leadership and clinical support for the team.

- Engagement in Supportive Palliative Care services as they dovetail with specialist work.

- Support the community hub role on a rotational basis along with other senior doctors

4. Communicate with patients, and their families and friends as appropriate and in accordance with good professional practice.

5. Communicate with the patients general practitioner, hospital doctors and other health and social care staff as necessary to enable seamless care.

6. Maintain clinical records and other documentation to support clinical care as per OUH Trust working practice e.g. thromboprophylaxsis assessment, cognitive screening, EPR and iCare information, medical certificates and electronic discharge documentation.

Clinical care on call:

1. Participate in the on call second on consultant/specialist rota. You provide cover for 1 in 6 nights per week and 1 in 6 weekends, at consultant level. Cover is prospective. On call is non-resident at Category B. Work undertaken on call is recognised as direct clinical activity.

Regardless of the in-hours working commitment the frequency of on-call will be 1 in 6 for weeknights and weekends, Friday 1700 to Monday 0900.

2. Ensure you have had a handover from hospice medical staff before commencing on call. Ensure you have knowledge of any patients waiting for admission including the level of need and order of priority to enable a rapid response to requests for admission. Hand over the same information on completing a period of call.

3. When on call at consultant level, you will be supported by a specialty doctor or specialist registrar who are also non-resident. At Sobell House, they are supported by medical trainees below the registrar level in residence, shared with the Oncology and Haematology wards. At Katharine House there is no resident junior doctor.

4. Organise and supervise admissions to the inpatient unit in conjunction with the nursing team.

5. Provide advice to the Senior Specialist Nurses on duty in the hospital and community teams (9am 5pm 7 days a week) and may need to review patients at home or in the hospital on occasion.

Job description

Job responsibilities

1. It is expected that the consultants, associate specialists, specialists and specialty doctors in the service will rotate between different areas of clinical responsibility at appropriate intervals agreed by the senior leadership team.

2. The post holder will perform the duties of a Specialist Doctor within the Palliative Medicine team

3. Weekday working hours will be undertaken between 07:00 and 21:00, varying depending on the clinical role undertaken.

- When working for the inpatient unit, supervise the care of patients on the ward, provide senior input to their care including ward rounds, and provide training, supervision and role modelling for the non-consultant ward doctors, working closely with the multidisciplinary team.

- When working for the hospital service lead ward rounds and MDTs, develop closer links with other specialist services, provide senior medical leadership and clinical support for the team.

- When responsible for the community services, lead MDTs, provide domicillary visits and outpatient clinics and provide senior medical leadership and clinical support for the team.

- Engagement in Supportive Palliative Care services as they dovetail with specialist work.

- Support the community hub role on a rotational basis along with other senior doctors

4. Communicate with patients, and their families and friends as appropriate and in accordance with good professional practice.

5. Communicate with the patients general practitioner, hospital doctors and other health and social care staff as necessary to enable seamless care.

6. Maintain clinical records and other documentation to support clinical care as per OUH Trust working practice e.g. thromboprophylaxsis assessment, cognitive screening, EPR and iCare information, medical certificates and electronic discharge documentation.

Clinical care on call:

1. Participate in the on call second on consultant/specialist rota. You provide cover for 1 in 6 nights per week and 1 in 6 weekends, at consultant level. Cover is prospective. On call is non-resident at Category B. Work undertaken on call is recognised as direct clinical activity.

Regardless of the in-hours working commitment the frequency of on-call will be 1 in 6 for weeknights and weekends, Friday 1700 to Monday 0900.

2. Ensure you have had a handover from hospice medical staff before commencing on call. Ensure you have knowledge of any patients waiting for admission including the level of need and order of priority to enable a rapid response to requests for admission. Hand over the same information on completing a period of call.

3. When on call at consultant level, you will be supported by a specialty doctor or specialist registrar who are also non-resident. At Sobell House, they are supported by medical trainees below the registrar level in residence, shared with the Oncology and Haematology wards. At Katharine House there is no resident junior doctor.

4. Organise and supervise admissions to the inpatient unit in conjunction with the nursing team.

5. Provide advice to the Senior Specialist Nurses on duty in the hospital and community teams (9am 5pm 7 days a week) and may need to review patients at home or in the hospital on occasion.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • MRCP/MRCGP
  • Experience commensurate with Specialist Post

Desirable

  • Previous work as a Specialist or Associate Specialist
  • Previous autonomous practice
  • Experience of staff development and mentoring

Experience

Essential

  • Fit to practice safely as defined by GMC Evidence of ability to identify a problem, understand it, develop and implement a management strategy Experience of setting and maintaining work standards Methodical, conscientious & reliable
  • Ability to make decisions at non-consultant level and to manage complex clinical problems.

Desirable

  • Previous SAS experience
  • Previous NHS experience
  • Evidence of team working
  • Experience of teaching
  • Previous research experience
  • Previous leadership experience

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

  • Leadership skills- Excellent leadership, organisational, communication, professional and personal skills sufficient to undertake effectively the role of Specialty Doctor in palliative medicine in a large teaching hospital.
  • Organisation and management skills- Effective administrative and time management skills.
  • Professional - extra skills or achievements
  • Good personal and interpersonal skills
  • Good spoken and written English. Communication skills should be highly developed.
  • Teaching skills- Experience of formal and informal contributions to teaching and training
  • Clinical governance experience- Evidence of effective and sustained contribution to clinical governance, clinical risk management and clinical audit activities
  • Research skills- Evidence of understanding of importance of research and critical appraisal of evidence

GMC Registration

Essential

  • Full registration and licence to practise

Others Requirements

Essential

  • Transport- Clean driving licence
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • MRCP/MRCGP
  • Experience commensurate with Specialist Post

Desirable

  • Previous work as a Specialist or Associate Specialist
  • Previous autonomous practice
  • Experience of staff development and mentoring

Experience

Essential

  • Fit to practice safely as defined by GMC Evidence of ability to identify a problem, understand it, develop and implement a management strategy Experience of setting and maintaining work standards Methodical, conscientious & reliable
  • Ability to make decisions at non-consultant level and to manage complex clinical problems.

Desirable

  • Previous SAS experience
  • Previous NHS experience
  • Evidence of team working
  • Experience of teaching
  • Previous research experience
  • Previous leadership experience

Skills and Knowledge

Essential

  • Leadership skills- Excellent leadership, organisational, communication, professional and personal skills sufficient to undertake effectively the role of Specialty Doctor in palliative medicine in a large teaching hospital.
  • Organisation and management skills- Effective administrative and time management skills.
  • Professional - extra skills or achievements
  • Good personal and interpersonal skills
  • Good spoken and written English. Communication skills should be highly developed.
  • Teaching skills- Experience of formal and informal contributions to teaching and training
  • Clinical governance experience- Evidence of effective and sustained contribution to clinical governance, clinical risk management and clinical audit activities
  • Research skills- Evidence of understanding of importance of research and critical appraisal of evidence

GMC Registration

Essential

  • Full registration and licence to practise

Others Requirements

Essential

  • Transport- Clean driving licence

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Sobell House Hospice

Oxford

OX3 7LE


Employer's website

https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Sobell House Hospice

Oxford

OX3 7LE


Employer's website

https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

PA to the Palliative Care Consultants

Rebecca Davies

rebecca.davies4@ouh.nhs.uk

01865572125

Details

Date posted

27 May 2025

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

£96,990 to £107,155 a year Pro Rata Per Annum

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

321-SUWON-MS-7066962-S1

Job locations

Sobell House Hospice

Oxford

OX3 7LE


Supporting documents

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