What type of work to expect and learning opportunities:
During your 4 month rotation, you will gain experience in working within a multidisciplinary team in a community setting, to support patients and families in their own homes. You will be based in the community specialist palliative care team office on the Ysbyty Eryri site in Caernarfon and work closely with our specialist nursing teams, GPs and district nurses and the senior doctors in the specialist palliative care team, to deliver palliative and end of life care in the community setting.
You will gain experience in managing symptom control, end of life care and psychosocial support to patients with life limiting illnesses (both cancer and non-cancer). You will learn how to carry out holistic assessments, extend your clinical skills in an environment without ready access to investigations and develop your communication skills and confidence in discussions with patient about their choices and wishes for their future care.
By the end of the placement, you will have improved your knowledge, skills and confidence in palliative and end of life care, including when to refer to specialists within the hospital for interventions that may improve quality of life or symptom management. You will be encouraged to carry out a piece of audit or quality improvement work during the placement.
This post also has additional option to carry out an educational postgraduate diploma over the Academic year during all three foundation posts – 1 day a week available for academic studies.
Your Main Duties:
Providing general medical support to our specialist nursing team during home visits, by way of clinical assessments and physical examinations. Ensuring appropriate prescriptions are available for anticipatory prescribing and managing symptoms in the last days of life through discussion and liaison with nurses and GPs. Attending weekly MDT. You must be able to drive and have your own transport (including insurance for business use for the duration of the placement). Travel expenses for community visits will be reimbursed as appropriate according to usual BCU policies.
Your typical working pattern in this placement could be:
Daily team triage / handover meeting to discuss / allocate new referrals and plan for the day.
– Monday
Telephone triage / catch up from the weekend. Home visits. Perhaps attend GP palliative care meetings
– Tuesday
Daily triage meeting. Home visits, Liaison with CNS, GPs and DNs. Joint visit with senior SPCT Dr.
– Wednesday
Consultant led weekly MDT meeting. Liaison with specialist pharmacist. Monthly MND MDT. Education / training sessions as scheduled
– Thursday
Academic study day (if appropriate) or
Daily triage meeting. Home visits, Liaison with CNS, GPs and DNs. Joint visit with senior SPCT Dr
– Friday
Daily triage meeting. Potentially attend consultant out-patient symptom management clinic, home visits. CPCT Weekend planning / handover, liaison with GP OOH / DN teams.
It is important to note that this description is a typical example of your placement and will be subject to change depending on the geographical area of work.
On call requirements: No on call.