Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title

Speciality Doctor in Palliative Medicine

Responsible to

Medical Director

Professionally Accountable to

Medical Director

Pay Band

As per pay scales for SAS doctors in Wales

Enhancements

6% Uplift for 1 in 4 weekend cover

Primary Location

Nightingale House Hospice (NHH) Wrexham

Job Summary

As a speciality doctor in palliative care, you will work within the medical team at Nightingale


House Hospice to provide a high standard of medical care to patients admitted to the


inpatient unit for symptom management, end of life care or respite, as well as patients


attending outpatients or the wellbeing programme. This post offers an opportunity to


develop palliative care experience and skills, with SPA time and a culture of learning and


developing professionally. You will also have the opportunity to participate in audit, teaching


of GP registrars, medical students and disseminating knowledge to the wider team.


The medical team consists of the medical director, 2 speciality doctors (including you), 1 GP


registrar and 2 advanced nurse practitioners. We work with palliative care consultants who


remotely review the patients twice a week, at a board round. You will work alongside the


nursing team, pharmacist, patient flow, rehab, family support team, chaplain and


complementary therapist to deliver care to patients with life limiting conditions. You will


deliver individualised, holistic care to patients and their loved ones, with empathy,


compassion and kindness, respecting patient's dignity and with an aim to empower them to


live well with a palliative diagnosis.

Main responsibilities

Admit patients to the inpatient unit for end-of-life care, symptom management or
respite.
Along with the rest of the medical team, nursing team and consultants, provide care
for inpatients, outpatients and patients attending wellbeing or rehab appointments if


needed, including initial assessment, daily reviews, planning and management.
To identify and address the physical, psychological, spiritual and social needs of
patients and the emotional, spiritual and psychological needs of their families and


friends.
Reviewed October 2025 - Medical Director


Work closely with and support the nursing team and wider MDT, maintaining positive
working relationships and close teamwork.
Communicate compassionately with patients and their families regarding their
condition, treatment, prognosis and advanced care planning.
Participate in weekend rota (1:4 weekends), being on-site Saturday and Sunday 9 to
5.
Participate in clinical meetings as part of the MDT. Complete administrative tasks arising from medical work - discharge summaries,
letters following outpatient appointments, death certificates, coroners reports.
Liaise closely with external partners - such as GPs, Specialist Palliative Care Team,
district nurses, specialist clinical nurses and secondary care.
Develop and maintain high professional standards within the service and promote
multidisciplinary team working
To promote and participate in teaching and educational activity, teaching medical
students, GP registrars, colleagues, patients and families.
To participate in clinical governance activities e.g. quality improvement activities and
ensure implementation of best practice guidelines.
Promote the ethos of audit in the organisation and where possible participate in
clinical audit
To maintain personal development through personal development reviews, monthly
1:1 meetings, clinical supervision, training, SPA time and appropriate courses, which


the hospice will support.
Engage in the appraisal process, the organisation has the required arrangements in
place and ensures all doctors have an annual appraisal with a trained appraiser and


supports doctors going through the revalidation process.

Key working relationships External key relationships

Medical director General practitioners


Palliative care consultants District nurses


Speciality doctor Secondary care teams at local hospitals


General practitioners Specialist clinical nurses


Advanced nurse practitioner Specialist palliative care team


Director of clinical and patient services


Patient flow lead and co-ordinator


Ward manager and deputy ward managers


Wellbeing lead


Family support team


Pharmacist


Physiotherapists


Occupational therapist


Chaplain


Complementary therapist


Ward Clerk/ clinical administrators

General Requirements

This post is subject to the Terms and Conditions of employment of the Hospice as

specified in the staff handbook

Competence

You are responsible for limiting your actions to those that you feel competent to undertake.


If you have any doubts about your competence during the course of your duties, you should


immediately speak to your line manager / supervisor.

Risk Management

It is a standard element of the role and responsibility of all staff of the Hospice that they fulfil


a proactive role towards the management of risk in all of their actions. This entails the risk


assessment of all situations, the taking of appropriate actions and reporting of all incidents,


near misses and hazards. It is a requirement that you adhere to Nightingale House Hospice


Policies, Procedures, Protocols and guidelines at all times.

Health and Safety Requirements of the Hospice

All employees of the Hospice have a statutory duty of care for their own personal safety and


that of others who may be affected by their acts or omissions. Employees are required to co-

operate with management to enable the Hospice to meet its own legal duties including


attendance at mandatory training updates and also to report any hazardous situations or


defective equipment.

Data Protection and Confidentiality

The post holder must treat all information, whether corporate, staff or patient information,


in a discreet, secure and confidential manner in accordance with the provisions of the current


data protection legislation and organisational policy. Any breach of such confidentiality is


considered a serious disciplinary offence, which is liable to dismissal and / or prosecution


under statutory legislation and the hospice's disciplinary policy. This duty of confidence


continues after the post holder leaves the organisation.

Records Management

As an employee of the hospice, the post holder is legally responsible for all records that they


gather, create or use as part of their work within the organisation (including patient health,


staff health or injury, financial, personal and administrative), whether paper based or on


computer. The post holder should consult the IG Lead if they have any doubt as to the correct


management of records with which they work.

Flexibility Statement

The content of this represents an outline of the post only and is therefore not


a final list of duties and responsibilities. The is therefore intended to be


flexible and is subject to review and amendment in the light of changing circumstances,


following consultation with the post holder.