Job summary
- Main area
- Palliative Medicine
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Specialty Doctor
- Contract
- 4 months (Fixed Term)
- Hours
- Full time - 10 sessions per week (On Call rota 1:6)
- Job ref
- 193-MS2205NCG
- Employer
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Berkshire Hospital
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- £61,542 - £99,216 pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 09/04/2026 08:00
Employer heading
Locum Specialty Doctor - Palliative Medicine
NHS Medical & Dental: Specialty Doctor
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”
Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’.
We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions
We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate
We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live
We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, we value candidates who bring their unique personalities, skills, and experiences to the Trust. When completing your application, we encourage you to highlight your individual achievements and strengths, showing us how they align with the requirements outlined in the job description and person specification. While we recognise that some applicants may use AI tools during the process, please be mindful that AI-generated responses can often lack the personal detail and relevance needed to demonstrate your suitability for the role. AI generated content is discouraged by the Trust and may diminish the candidates chances of success.
Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.
Job overview
The service’s ‘hub’ is based at Sue Ryder Duchess of Kent Hospice, a 15 bedded Specialist Palliative Care unit on Liebenrood Road, Reading. The service also has inpatient beds in West Berkshire and Wallingford Community Hospitals, and delivers community services in Reading, Newbury and Wokingham, as well as through the South Oxfordshire Palliative Care Hub.
We are looking to appoint a suitably qualified, enthusiastic and experienced Specialty Doctor to join a committed consultant-led team at this busy, multi-disciplinary specialist palliative care service.
Main duties of the job
To clerk and examine newly admitted patients and to plan their management with reference to senior medical staff members as necessary;
Co-operate with the other members of the multi-disciplinary team in ensuring on-going optimum symptom control for patients, taking into account the physical, psycho-social and spiritual elements of those symptoms;
To co-operate with other members of the multi-disciplinary team in the support of relatives and friends of patients;
Maintain accurate and comprehensive records and provide patient discharge summaries as required;
Attend and contribute to the weekly journal club
The Post is full time with 1 in 6 on call, non resident. We will consider applications for part time work.
Working for our organisation
Sue Ryder
Sue Ryder is a national charity which provides specialist palliative care throughout the UK. It was founded over fifty years ago as the Sue Ryder Foundation and has major experience as a provider of care to adults with complex needs. Currently with six specialist palliative care centres across the country, Sue Ryder is one of the largest independent providers of specialist palliative care in the United Kingdom.
The Department of Palliative Medicine
The Sue Ryder teams work closely with the Royal Berkshire Hospital palliative care team, to provide specialist inpatient and community palliative care for patients in West Berkshire, and South Oxfordshire.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please refer to the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details. I f you would like to discuss this role or arrange a visit, please contact our Clinical Lead Dr Hannah Western.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Full GMC Registration
Desirable criteria
- Additional qualifications in Palliative Medicine
- MRCP or equivalent
Clinical experience
Essential criteria
- Completed core / internal medical training, or training in general practice
Desirable criteria
- Experience in Palliative Medicine
Academic
Essential criteria
- Evidence of active involvement in audit
- Understanding of clinical governance
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of a good knowledge base of clinical research processes and ability to utilise evidence based practice
Management skills
Essential criteria
- Able to organise oneself and prioritise clinical workload
Desirable criteria
- IT skills especially use of databases
Teaching Skills
Essential criteria
- Evidence of education expertise and experience
Desirable criteria
- Experience of using reflection on practice incidents and the ability to learn from incidents
Communication and Interpersonal skills
Essential criteria
- Evidence of effective team working
- Caring attitude to patients
Desirable criteria
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
Physical Requirements
Essential criteria
- Meets professional health requirements
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Dr Hannah Western
- Job title
- Consultant for Palliative Care
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0118 950 5276
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