Location                      St Luke’s Hospice (working across inpatient, community, outpatient)       

Reporting to                Chief Executive Officer

Job Purpose and scope

 

This 22.5 hours per week Medical Director post at St Luke’s Hospice represents an expansion of the hospice’s senior medical leadership team. The post holder will provide clinical leadership, strategic direction and governance oversight for all medical services within St Luke’s Hospice, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, safe, responsive and person-centred palliative and end of life care. There is an expectation that cover would be where the clinical need is.

The role is open to senior doctors from Palliative Medicine,Geriatrics or another relevant speciality, reflecting the hospice’s commitment to broadening access to specialist palliative care across its population.

Working closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Director of Clinical Services, senior nurses, allied health professionals and trustees, the Medical Director will lead the strategic development of medical services, support workforce development and education, and strengthen partnerships across the Integrated Care System (ICS), academic institutions and other providers.

Working alongside the Director of Clinical Services (Registered Manager), the Medical Director will hold senior medical accountability for clinical quality, safety and professional standards across hospice services, ensuring robust medical governance and compliance with Care Quality Commission requirements.

The post holder will also retain direct clinical responsibility, contributing to one core area of service delivery and participating in the on-call rota.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

 

1. Leadership

Provide visible, compassionate and credible medical leadership internally and externally, ensuring St Luke’s Hospice maintains a leading role within the local and regional palliative and end of life care system.

2. Strategic Development

Shape and deliver clinical strategy working alongside the Director of Clinical Services and in line with the hospice’s vision and service transformation plans, responding to population needs, feedback, evidence and best practice.

3. Service Delivery

Ensure the highest possible standards of care through professional leadership of the medical team and collaborative working across the multidisciplinary team.

4. Clinical Responsibility

Provide direct clinical input to one core service area (e.g. inpatient unit, community service, outpatient service or Wellbeing), ensuring responsive and effective use of hospice resources.

 

Duties & Responsibilities

Strategic Responsibilities

• Work with the Senior Leadership Team to align clinical, workforce and business plans with the hospice’s vision and long-term strategy.

• Embed a transformative approach to clinical care models and service delivery.

• Lead the strategic development of hospice medical services in response to population need, feedback and evidence-based practice.

• Develop and maintain partnerships with ICS and other Hospital partners, other hospices, acute and community providers and commissioners.

• Maintain and promote the hospice’s reputation for excellence in clinical care.

Corporate Responsibilities

• Act as an engaged member of the Senior Leadership Team and contribute to hospice-wide initiatives.

• Attend and contribute to Board and committee meetings.

• Prepare and present reports and papers as required.

• Positively represent the hospice internally and externally, acting at all times in the best interests of the charity.

• Build effective relationships with trustees, commissioners and key stakeholders.

Operational Responsibilities

• Provide professional leadership and line management for the hospice medical team.

• Ensure safe, effective and evidence-based medical care across all hospice services.

• Act as Caldicott Guardian for the hospice. 

• Ensure senior medical input into MDT working across inpatient, hospital and community services.

• Maintain overall responsibility for the functioning of the medical department.

• Oversee junior doctor rotas, on-call arrangements and locum cover where appropriate.

• Support trainee development in conjunction with the education team.

• Act as a system leader to support integrated palliative and end of life care across the ICS.

• Identify and develop new service opportunities, contributing to business cases and implementation.

Managerial Responsibilities

• Lead recruitment, supervision, appraisal, coaching and development of medical staff.

• Manage the medical workforce budget within agreed governance frameworks.

• Work with senior colleagues to develop clinical leadership capacity across the organisation.

• Ensure medical staff have access to appropriate supervision, mentoring and wellbeing support.

• Support initiatives to reduce inequalities in access to hospice care.

Governance, Quality and Risk

• Lead and support clinical governance across hospice medical services.

• Ensure compliance with CQC, GMC, statutory and professional standards.

• Represent the medical team within governance structures.

• Lead designated aspects of clinical risk management.

• Promote audit, quality improvement and research activity.

Education, Training and Research

• Support and develop the hospice as a centre of excellence for education and training.

• Lead and contribute to in-house education for doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.

• Work in partnership to expand education provision.

• Act as clinical supervisor for doctors in training where appropriate.

• Promote research relevant to local service needs and support translation of evidence into practice.

Clinical Duties and On-Call

• Provide direct clinical care within the different Hospice service areas.

• Participate in the Consultant on call rota and Executive Team on call rota.

• Hold honorary contracts with relevant acute trusts to facilitate out-of-hours support.

Job Planning and Timetable 

• The post is 22.5 hours per week

• Indicative split: 50% Direct Clinical Care / 50% Supporting Professional Activities (SPA).

Note: The timetable will be agreed in negotiation with the successful candidate.

Appraisal, CPD and Revalidation

• Participation in annual medical appraisal and revalidation is mandatory.

• Objectives will be agreed six monthly to annually with the Chief Executive.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES

 

Comply with and promote St. Luke’s Hospice Equal Opportunity Policy and avoid any behavior which discriminates against colleagues, potential employees, patients/clients or their families on the grounds of sex, marital status, race, age, belief, color, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion, disability, creed, class, gender or sexual orientation.

 

MISSION & CORE VALUES

 

All Hospice staff are expected to work in line with St Luke’s Mission & Core Values as these precepts act as a value base which directly influences how all work activities are undertaken. The ethos of the Hospice should be apparent in the behaviors and attitudes of all employees as the work they undertake, whether it is direct or indirect care is ultimately for the benefit of patients. The Mission and Core Values are an integral part of all job descriptions, the probationary period and performance and development reviews.

OTHER

 

St Luke’s Hospice is committed to Equal Opportunities for all present and potential members of staff and patients. Therefore, St Luke’s Hospice expects all employees and volunteers to understand, support, and apply this policy through their working practices which requires all individuals to be treated with respect, dignity, courtesy, fairness and consideration.

This job specification may be modified in the light of development and changing circumstances, according to the needs of the service, and in consultation with the post holder. The post holder should be prepared to undertake any further duties that arise as the post develops. All members of the clinical teams may at times be required to work in other parts of the Hospice, commensurate with the roles and responsibilities laid out in this job description.