Job summary
- Main area
- Palliative Medicine
- Grade
- NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 10 sessions per week
- Job ref
- 387-SPS-6635MP
- Employer
- University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Bristol Royal Infirmary
- Town
- Bristol
- Salary
- £105,504 - £139,882 pa pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 11/06/2025 23:59
- Interview date
- 23/07/2025
Employer heading
Consultant in Palliative Medicine
NHS Medical & Dental: Consultant
As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.
We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.
Click on this link to find out about our values https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/p/about-us/our-trust-values
Job overview
Join our dynamic and innovative Supportive & Palliative Care Team. We are seeking a dedicated and forward-thinking Consultant in Palliative Medicine to join our enthusiastic multidisciplinary team. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in developing hospital-advisory inpatient and outpatient services across Bristol and Weston hospital sites.
This full-time, substantive post (10 PAs) has been created following significant investment by the UHBW Trust Board in adult palliative and end-of-life care. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to help shape the future of palliative and end-of-life care within the Trust, working alongside consultants, clinical nurse specialists, resident doctors, and an occupational therapist. Key details include:
- Full-time (10 PAs) with on-call commitment (less than full-time applications welcomed).
- Work across Bristol and Weston hospital sites.
- Opportunity to contribute to service development, innovation, and quality improvement.
Main duties of the job
The post-holder will join a cohesive multidisciplinary team, including consultants, the Lead Nurse for Palliative & End of Life Care, clinical nurse specialists, resident doctors and an occupational therapist. They will share medical responsibility for delivering high-quality supportive and palliative care for adults, including teenagers and young adults referred to the service.
Key responsibilities include:
• Providing expert palliative care advice and support across the Trust.
• Supervising resident doctors and contributing to undergraduate medical education.
• Role modelling high quality person-centred care to multi-professional colleagues across the Trust
• Engaging with professional visitors and supporting the ongoing development of the service.
• Collaborating with the wider holistic team, including chaplaincy, allied health professionals, psychology services, and other healthcare providers.
Working for our organisation
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward- thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Candidate Requirements:
GMC registration with a valid license to practice.
Completion of Specialist Training (or equivalent) and inclusion on the GMC Specialist Register for Palliative Medicine, or CCT within six months of the interview date.
For further information or to arrange a visit, please contact Dr Sophy Gretton
Interview Date: 23rd July 2025
Please see the attached job description for further details
Person specification
Qualifications & Training
Essential criteria
- Full Registration and a licence to practise with the General Medical Council (GMC)
- Entry onto the General Medical Council (GMC) Specialist Register in Specialist Palliative Medicine or
- Eligible for specialist registration within six months of interview or
- Holder of Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT), or evidence of within six months of award of CCT or equivalent by date of interview
Desirable criteria
- Higher academic qualification e.g. MD, PhD or equivalent
- Educational Supervisor accreditation
- Advanced communication skills training
- Good Clinical Practice training
Experience
Essential criteria
- Evidence of thorough and broad training and experience in palliative medicine
- Able to take full responsibility for delivering service without direct supervision
- Proven ability to efficiently manage patients with complex physical, psychological, spiritual and social problems.
- Proven ability to work well within a multidisciplinary team and support others to flourish
- Ability to respond sensitively to the individual needs of patients with palliative care needs and to the needs of carers, relatives and friends of people with palliative care needs
- Ability to work with sensitivity within a multicultural community
Desirable criteria
- Ability to lead clinical care across professional and organisational boundaries.
- Evidence of a special interest and expertise that complements those of other consultants in the department and is consistent with the Trust’s service strategy
- Experience of drafting or contributing to multi-professional /multiagency clinical guidelines or care pathways
Clinical Knowledge and Skills
Essential criteria
- Up to date knowledge and experience of specialist palliative care
- Knowledge of NHS priorities with reference to specialty
- Excellent skills relevant to the specialist palliative care of patients with malignant and non-malignant life-limiting illness
- Ability to organise efficient and smooth running specialist service. Proven ability to organise and prioritise workload
- Broad range of IT skills
Desirable criteria
- Specific skills or qualifications in relation to ethical or legal matters pertaining to specialist palliative care
- Experience working with user led groups to enhance service delivery
Clinical Governance and Audit
Essential criteria
- Understanding of clinical governance and the individual responsibilities it implies
- An understanding of and a proven ability to apply research findings to individual patients or populations of patients
- Knowledge of the principles of clinical audit and quality improvement with evidence of participation with particular reference to palliative medicine.
- An understanding of the importance of continuous professional development and life-long learning and evidence of participation in continuing professional development (CPD) scheme
Desirable criteria
- Demonstrate experience as lead for clinical governance
- Lead for improvement initiative at local or regional level
Research
Essential criteria
- Knowledge of the principles involved in research
- Evidence of involvement in research
- Interest in clinical research and an ability to apply research outcomes to clinical problems
Desirable criteria
- Ability to increase the academic profile of the department
- Proven participation in clinical research
- Publications in peer reviewed journals
- Experience in supervising undergraduate +/- postgraduate research projects
- Experience of patient and public involvement in service co-design
Teaching and Training
Essential criteria
- Ability and commitment to teach in a clinical and academic setting
- Ability and commitment to teaching undergraduates and postgraduate medical staff
- Experience of supervising trainees
- Ability and commitment to teaching to a multidisciplinary team
Desirable criteria
- Formal teaching qualification
- Experience in developing, implementing, and evaluating undergraduate +/- postgraduate training.
- Ability to teach advanced communications skills
- Teaching the Teacher course or Cert Med Ed
Management & Leadership
Essential criteria
- Evidence of management training and evidence of learning from it
- Ability to motivate, inspire and support multi-professional teams and be able to work effectively within such teams
- Ability to cope with and effectively organise the workload of a consultant
- Ability to take on responsibility and show evidence of leadership
Desirable criteria
- Demonstration of knowledge of NHS management structures
- Management experience
- Experience working at system-level and working with colleagues across health and care settings
- Experience and ability to lead a team effectively through change
- Ability to support advanced practitioners from other professional groups develop new skills
Interpersonal, communication and team working skills
Essential criteria
- Excellent ability to communicate effectively with patients, relatives, clinical colleagues, support staff and other colleagues.
- Good knowledge of, and ability to use, spoken and written English
- Ability to present effectively to an audience, using a variety of methods, and to respond to questions and queries
- Ability to develop effective working relationships on an individual and multi-professional basis with all levels of staff both within and across divisions
- Ability to be a flexible team member and be skilled at encouraging and giving feedback
Desirable criteria
- Experience working at system-level and working with colleagues across health and care settings
Any other Personal Abilities and Aptitudes
Essential criteria
- Ability to adapt and respond to changing circumstances and support uncertainty
- Awareness of personal strengths and limitations
- Enquiring and critical approach to work
- Commitment & enthusiasm
- Ability to work under pressure and cope with setbacks
- Be able to demonstrate a commitment to the four Trust values
- Reflect Trust values through examples in clinical practice
Desirable criteria
- Ability to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional or national levels
- A willingness to undertake additional professional responsibilities at local, regional or national levels
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 Sophy Gretton
- Job title
- Clinical Lead for Supportive and Palliative Care
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0117 342 3598
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