This post is a locum consultant post responsible for the provision of Specialist Palliative Medicine services to the specialist palliative care team in the north of Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB (CTM), based mostly at Ysbyty Cwm Cynon (Mountain Ash) and also in Prince Charles Hospital (Merthyr Tydfil), and serving the populations of Merthyr and Cynon Valleys.
The post holder, in association with the other consultants in the Health Board, will be jointly responsible for provision of specialist palliative care across the whole organisation. On occasions, this may require the post holder to provide cover for, or work in, other areas of the Health Board.
The Community Services Directorate, where this service sits managerially, is undergoing a period of change and innovation in almost all areas including palliative care. This post holder will be, with other clinical colleagues, involved in discussion, and key to the success of service change and development. The post will be advertised substantively as soon as the service change has been concluded.
Main duties are as follows :
- The post holder will, with clinical colleagues (as appropriate), provide a service in the specialty to patients within Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB, with responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of illness.
- The post holder will have continuing responsibility for the care of patients under his / her care
- The post holder will be responsible for carrying out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and for contributing to and participating in postgraduate and continuing medical education activity, locally and nationally.
- The postholder will be required to co-operate with local management in the efficient running of services.
- There is a requirement to work within the financial and other constraints decided upon by the UHB.
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board is part of the NHS Wales family. Our Health Board provides primary, secondary and community health and wellbeing services to around 450,000 people living in three County Boroughs: Bridgend Merthyr Tydfil, and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
We live by our core values:
We listen, learn and improve
We treat everyone with respect
We all work together as one team
We are a proud local employer; around 80% of our 15000 workforce live within our region, making our staff not only our lifeblood of our organisation but of the diverse communities that we serve.
6.1 Clinical
- The post holder will, with clinical colleagues (as appropriate), provide a service in the specialty to patients within Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB, with responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of illness. The post holder will provide leadership in the field of Palliative Medicine and work with a multi professional team providing Specialist Palliative Care throughout Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB.
- The post holder will have continuing responsibility for the care of patients under his / her care, allowing for proper delegation to, and training of staff. The post holder, in liaison with consultant colleagues will have responsibility for the proper functioning of the department in line with the procedures, operational policy and strategic plans of the HB (as amended from time to time).
- The post holder will oversee the work of the specialty doctors in palliative medicine and support their continued professional development.
- The post holder will be required to participate in the UHB risk management process and in Clinical Audit and other clinical governance activities within the department and the UHB. The post holder will be positively encouraged to participate in research and development in line with UHB, and NHS priorities.
- The post holder will be expected to participate in job appraisal and review and be committed to the revalidation process. The Health Board is committed to supporting medical staff with appraisal and revalidation.
- The post holder will provide specialist palliative care advice to all UHB clinical staff as needed.
- The post holder will participate in the regional (Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and the south of Powys Teaching Health Board) specialist on-call rota for palliative medicine, which consists of a 1:12 rota. The on-call responsibility is for telephone advice only to medical or nursing staff about palliative or end of life care patients. Leave and or absences are cross covered with colleagues.
- Travelling as necessary between hospitals / clinics will be required to undertake duties.
- The post holder will be responsible for carrying out teaching, examination and accreditation duties as required and for contributing to and participating in postgraduate and continuing medical education activity, locally and nationally. The post holder will participate in and promote teaching and training programmes in Palliative Care within the team and throughout the UHB.
- All consultants teach and train at postgraduate education and at undergraduate level. Strong links have been established with the Medical School at Cardiff University for the teaching of undergraduate students.
- The successful candidate will participate in the departmental teaching / audit sessions.
- The UHB has excellent postgraduate facilities at Prince Charles Hospital, containing a lecture theatre, library, classrooms and videoconferencing facilities. The library offers full facilities. Junior medical staff have weekly departmental teaching meetings.
- The postholder will be required to co-operate with local management in the efficient running of services and will be expected to share with consultant colleagues in the medical contribution to management. In addition, it should be noted that a Care Group / clinical directorate structure is in operation, which requires close co-operation and liaison with colleagues as appropriate.
- There is a requirement to work within the financial and other constraints decided upon by the UHB. Additional expenses of any kind must not be committed without the approval of the appropriate manager / budget holder.
- Subject to the Terms and Conditions of Service NHS Medical & Dental Staff (Wales), the postholder will be expected to observe policies and procedures of the UHB, drawn up in consultation with the professions where they involve clinical matters.
- The postholder will be expected to comply with local and national employment and personnel policies and procedures in the management of employees of the UHB.
- The postholder will be expected to liaise with voluntary and charitable organisations to promote and develop local palliative care services.
- The postholder will be expected to develop links with other specialist palliative care teams.
- The postholder will be expected to maintain their Continual Professional Development (CPD) undertaking any appropriate training and will be supported to do so. The Health Board supports the requirements for continuing professional development and is committed to providing the time and financial support for these activities.
- The postholder will be expected to be committed in maintaining and meeting role specific revalidation.
- The post-holder will be required to ensure that arrangements are in place for the organisation of medical staff and that they are allocated duties in accordance with the work of the department.
- The post-holder will be required to work flexibly across all three of the UHB’s palliative care units where required.