The Position

The role of Clinical Director Palliative Care is to provide high quality clinical and non-clinical services to benefit the patients / clients of the THHS. This includes research as well as teaching the health professionals of the future.

Lead and manage the provision of Palliative Care services in accordance with the standards, the ethics of the profession and in accordance with the THHS and (QH) policies, in a hospital, community and outreach setting.

• This position reports professionally and operationally to the Medical Director Cancer, Medical Service Group.
• This position has 4 direct reports (2.8 FTE) as well as supervision of junior medical staff.
• This position has nil financial delegation.

Health Service

The Townsville Cancer Centre at the Townsville University Hospital is the tertiary referral unit for Oncology services for North Queensland.

Oncology specialities include:

• Radiation Oncology - 6 Radiation Oncologists
• Medical Oncology - 5 Medical Oncologists
• Haematology/BMT - 6 Haematologists
• Palliative Care - 3 Palliative Care Consultants

The Townsville Palliative Care Service provides a comprehensive service to the people of the region as befits a large tertiary hospital. Components include an inpatient unit, consultation to the rest of the hospital and community at large, and domiciliary care. It has strong links to other clinical departments in the Hospital and Health Service. The Service is based in a purpose-built facility in the grounds of the hospital to which it is connected by a secure link. The facility includes 20 beds with associated facilities and gardens as well as teaching facilities that are equipped for tele-education and telemedicine. The Service is staffed by the full range of medical, nursing and allied health staff necessary to deliver tertiary level services.

The Service also provides a significant quantity of teaching to health sciences students of James Cook University, particularly to medical students, to postgraduate medical education and to education in other disciplines.

Multidisciplinary clinics are conducted in order to provide optimal patient care.

Full time specialists are offered the right to private practice, making use of the hospital facilities.

The Townsville Cancer Centre has:

• A 20-bed Palliative Care Centre
• An Oncology Ward of 23 beds, with a bone marrow transplant unit
• A Chemotherapy Day Unit with an Aphaeresis Unit.
• 5 linear accelerators, a superficial unit and a brachytherapy unit.

The Medical Service Group provides tertiary and secondary services to the Townsville Hospital and Health Service and North Queensland. These services include Emergency Medicine, General Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Renal, Rheumatology, Rehabilitation, Neurology, Cancer Services and Chronic Disease. Pharmacy also falls under the Medical Service Group banner

The Location

The Townsville Hospital and Health Service (HHS) is the public healthcare provider for more than 250,000 people across a geographic area of 150,000km2.

We serve the local government areas of Townsville, Burdekin, Charters Towers, Flinders, Richmond, Hinchinbrook and Palm Island.

In doing so, we operate 21 facilities: 19 hospitals and health centres and two residential aged care homes. More than 6,600 staff work across our facilities, which is about one in every 17 working people, making us members of the communities we serve.

We provide a comprehensive range of services, from primary care in remote locations, to highly specialised care at Townsville University Hospital. This is the largest tertiary hospital in Northern Australia, providing specialist referral services for the 700,000 people living from Mackay to the Torres Strait, to the Northern Territory border.

More than providing the healthcare of today, we are planning and innovating for the future. Our staff and collaborators are advancing healthcare through impactful research. While as a major teaching hospital, we are training tomorrow’s doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health practitioners, and more.

Essential Criteria

• Registered or eligible for registration with the Medical Board of Australia as a Specialist in Palliative Medicine.
• Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP) with subspecialty training in Palliative medicine, or Fellowship in the Chapter of Palliative Medicine of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FAChPM).
• Appointment to this position requires proof of qualification and registration or membership (if applicable) with the appropriate registration authority or association. Certified copies of the required information must be provided to the appropriate supervisor/manager prior to commencement of clinical duties. 
• All applicants must be awarded Scope of Clinical Practice (SoCP) by the THHS Credentialing and SoCP committee. All appointments are subject to maintenance of SoCP within the CSCF for the facilities in which clinical work is to be undertaken.
• A class C motor vehicle licence. 
• This position may require the incumbent to work at other facilities within the THHS.

The Package

Fixed term temporary full-time for three (3) years.

Generous remuneration package value up to $486,763 p.a. comprising:

• Salary range of $188,800 to $239,377 p.a. (L18-L27) 
• 4 weeks annual leave with 17.5% loading 
• 12.75% employer contribution to superannuation. 
• $25,500 p.a. motor vehicle allowance. 
• 50% base annual salary attraction and retention allowance.
• $13,800 p.a. inaccessibility allowance. 
• $21,500 p.a. allowance and 3.6 weeks professional development leave. 
• Plus Clinical Managers Allowance of up to $289.60 per fortnight (CM1)

About Skilled Medical

Skilled Medical is a leading international medical recruitment firm that delivers qualified medical professionals wherever they are needed in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. We are a quality accredited firm with years of industry experience supporting communities and assisting medical professionals in their work and careers. To learn more about Skilled Medical please visit us at www.skilledmedical.com

To Apply

For further information, please send your most up to date CV to Kirsty MacIsaac by selecting the 'Apply' button below, or please call a member of our permanent team in London on +44 (0) 333 444 2000 or in Australia on 1300 900 100.