Specialty Doctor

Why work for us?

Are you an experienced doctor thinking of a change in career or a doctor who wants to build a career in palliative care?

Do you want to develop your practice into a specialist role and be part of a pro-active multi-disciplinary and professional team, who put excellent patient care as their priority?

Are you passionate about supporting and empowering patients to live well until their very last moment in their life?

• Through holistic needs assessment
• Providing individually planned care informed by patient wishes
• Supporting patients and their families/carers to have open and honest conversations about their wishes for end of life care

If so, then the role of Specialty Doctor at Pilgrims may be just the job for you!

Pilgrims Hospice provides expert palliative care to the people of East Kent. We have three in patient units at Ashford, Canterbury and Margate where our three multi-disciplinary community teams are based as well as our therapy centres.

We have some opportunities that have arisen in our medical team and are inviting applications for interested physicians. This would be ideal for experienced doctors thinking of a change in career, doctors who are considering a move to palliative medicine with a view to building a career in this speciality or doctors who feel some palliative care would be useful experience for their future career or have a wealth of experience within palliative medicine.

We have an active educational programme and as a training unit for specialist and general practice trainees can offer some excellent opportunities to develop skills and gain experience.

The posts will be based at Canterbury or Margate but there could be some flexibility if Ashford was the preferred site. Posts are available immediately, subject to pre-employment checks and are available on a full or part time basis.

Key duties include:

• To provide clinical care and medical input to the multidisciplinary team for patients under the care of the Pilgrims Hospice, under the supervision of the named consultant (including hospice inpatients, community patients, outpatients, domiciliary visiting and patients attending Pilgrims Therapy Centre).
• To participate in the teaching, supervision and training of medical trainees and other professional staff working at the Pilgrims Hospice or attending courses run by the Pilgrims Hospices.

• To maintain a full programme of personal CPD in line with current recommendations. Please refer to the Hospice study leave policy

• To participate in annual appraisal and to work to the stated strategic direction and objectives of Pilgrims Hospices in East Kent.

• To undertake administrative tasks in support of the activity of the organisation.

• To be actively involved in an effective system of clinical audit and all other aspects of clinical governance.
• To support research undertaken by Pilgrims. We have a thriving research programme led by our research facilitator.

Recognising the need to support employees working within this particular field, we provide an extensive range of physical and psychological support measures through our health and wellbeing programme, to ensure your success, including:

• A supportive and friendly working environment
• Regular quality interactions with our clinical and medical teams
• Strong working relationships with other members of the multi-disciplinary teams
• On-going training and CPD/career development
• Access to a range of resources to ensure our staff have access to help and support where and when they need it; and
• Regular self-care and development sessions

About us

As an award-winning employer, Pilgrims provides end-of-life care services to patients and their families across east Kent.

Our commitment is to provide open, compassionate care and expertise for patients and their families – both in the community and in-patient units.

Our Vision

“Of a community where people with a terminal illness and their family and friends are supported and empowered to live well in mind and body until the very last moment of their life”.

We recognise that our workforce is integral to the delivery of our Vision and our charitable aims. Pilgrims Hospices continues to create a highly skilled, motivated, engaged and healthy workforce by providing an environment where staff and volunteers feel highly motivated to perform their roles to a consistently high standard, and actively role model our charitable behaviours and values.

To achieve our Vision, we have a shared set of values and behaviours that enable us to be the people and the charity that patients and their loved ones need us to be. They form our CODE, which guides us in our daily working and decision making:

Compassionate We treat everyone with compassion and care

Open We communicate openly, honestly and effectively

Dynamic We are dynamic, improving and developing our service

Empowered We empower people to achieve their outcomes

Other benefits

As an Employer of Choice, our commitment to supporting our employees and volunteers is a key priority.

Our Health and Wellbeing Strategy is an important step in ensuring the sustainability of our workforce, and clearly outlines our strategic intentions to improve employee capability, resilience, and engagement, to adapt to and embrace change as the health sector continues to develop.

Our hospices offer:

• Modern, friendly and highly professional working environments
• Opportunities for professional development through a range of extensive learning
• Alignment with NHS pay rates and continuity in membership of the NHS pension scheme
• A sense of achievement in supporting a worthwhile cause
• A sense of wellbeing
• A good work-life balance
• Locations across well-populated areas of east Kent – all providing very good road and rail links
• NHS and financial discounts i.e. Blue Light Card
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free hospice parking

We invest in our employees, which is one of the key things that makes us an award-winning employer of choice.

If you think this is your ideal role and want to join us and contribute to providing high quality patient care and support to those at the end of their life, please apply now.