Palliative medicine
Doctors in palliative medicine provide holistic, quality-of-life care to patients with serious, advanced and progressive illnesses that cannot be cured.
You’ll provide expertise and support to colleagues, particularly those treating patients with complex conditions.
Life as a doctor in palliative medicine
Doctors in palliative medicine play an important and wide-ranging educational role, advising colleagues, families and other healthcare professionals while helping to ensure high standards of care.Most of your patients will have advanced or progressive cancer, although increasingly palliative medicine doctors treat patients with a range of conditions such as heart failure, renal failure and neurological conditions.
It is essential to possess a deep understanding of the pathology and management of these conditions, which creates opportunities to develop a sub-specialty. You will need expertise in the pharmacological management of a range of problems and an understanding of drug interactions and side effects.
You’ll be an essential part of specialist palliative care services, for clinical expertise, quality improvement, education, research management and research.
You can expect to work in hospitals, hospices and in the community with home visits being common. In some settings, such as specialist impatient units, you’ll have responsibility for the medical management of a patient. However, in most hospital settings, you’ll play an advisory role alongside nurses who deliver most of the patient care.
At all times, you’ll provide care that:
- strives to achieve the best quality of life for the patient for as long as possible
- involves managing and anticipating pain and other symptoms
- addresses the psychological, social and spiritual needs of the patient
- facilitates multi-professional support to provide joined-up care across care boundaries, enabling care at home and fewer avoidable admissions towards the end of life
- supports anticipatory planning with patients and professionals including advance planning in the last year of life
- supports end of life care that meets the needs and wishes of the individual and family
- supports the patient’s family and significant others during the patient's illness and their bereavement
Common procedures and interventions include:
- paracentesis (drawing off fluid form a natural cavity of the body)
- use of portable ultrasound
- specialist pain techniques including management of epidural infusions (a local anaesthetic procedure for blocking pain) occasionally in conjunction with a pain specialist
- management of central lines
- management of non invasive ventilation
- management of tracheostomies
How much can I earn?
You’ll first earn a salary when you start your foundation training after medical school. Find out details of current salary ranges for foundation and specialty training, SAS doctors and consultants on the Pay for doctors page.How about the benefits?
- make a difference
- flexible and part-time working
- high income early in your career
- work anywhere in the world
- excellent pension scheme
- good holiday entitlement
- NHS discounts in shops and restaurants
Must-have skills
- excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, and patients and their families
- emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure
- teamwork and the capacity to lead multidisciplinary teams
- problem-solving and diagnostic skills
- outstanding organisational ability and effective decision-making skills
- first-class time and resource management for the benefit of patients
In addition, doctors in palliative medicine need to demonstrate:
- a high level of personal credibility as a clinician
- adaptability and resilience
- compassion, empathy, a flexible outlook and a sense of humour
- interests such as enhancing the quality of life for patients with life-limiting illnesses and improving end of life care and developing multicultural awareness
- well-developed skills in bedside clinical assessment (especially in settings and situations when routine investigations would not be appropriate)
- expertise in managing difficult pain, physical symptoms and psychological distress
- excellent decision-making in the context of changing and distressing situations using sound knowledge of ethical considerations
Entry requirements
Your first step is medical school. Typically, you’ll need excellent GCSEs and three A or A* passes at A level including chemistry for a five-year undergraduate degree in medicine. Many medical schools also ask for biology and others may require maths or physics.If you already have a degree, you could study for a four-year postgraduate degree in medicine.
You’ll need to pass an interview and admissions test. You’ll be asked to show how you demonstrate the NHS values such as compassion and respect.
Some medical schools look to recruit a mix of students from different backgrounds and geographical areas, so your educational and economic background and family circumstances could be considered as part of your application.
How to become a doctor in palliative medicine
After medical school, you’ll join the paid two-year foundation programme where you’ll work in six placements in different settings.After your foundation programme, you can apply for paid specialty training to become a doctor in palliative medicine, which will take a minimum of six years.
You may be able to train part time, for example for health reasons or if you have family or caring responsibilities.Where a career as a doctor in palliative medicine can take you
You could:- specialise or conduct research
- teach medical students or postgraduate students in training
- get involved in research at universities, the NHS or private sector
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Consultant in Palliative Care Medicine
Dartford, DA2 8DA
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
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Consultant In palliative Care Medicine
Cottingham, HU16 5JQ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
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Palliative Care Counsellor
Salford, M6 5FW
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust
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Specialty Doctor in Palliative Medicine
Swindon, SN4 9BY
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Prospect Hospice
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Specialty Doctor Palliative Medicine - Sustantive
Birmingham, B24 0DF
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Birmingham Hospice
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Palliative Care Specialist Physiotherapist
Southall, UB1 3HW
- Salary :
- £53751.00 to £60651.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Specialist Occupational Therapist Palliative Care
Llantrisant, CF45 4BZ
- Salary :
- £39263.00 to £47280.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
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Specialist Palliative Care Support Sister
Middlesbrough, TS6 6TD
- Salary :
- £38682.00 to £46580.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor/Clinical Fellow in Palliative Medicine
Romford, RM4 1QH
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Saint Francis Hospice
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Palliative Care and Symptom Control CNS - Band 7
West End, W1G 6BW
- Salary :
- Negotiable
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The London Clinic
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CONSULTANT IN PALLIATIVE MEDICINE
Stoke on Trent, ST4 6QG
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- University Hospital of North Midlands NHS Trust
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Consultant in Palliative Medicine
London, SE5 9RS
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
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Consultant in Palliative Medicine
Cambridge, CB2 0QQ
- Salary :
- £109725.00 to £145478.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Cambridge University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Palliative Medicine
London, NW1 2BU
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
-
Community Consultant in Palliative Medicine
London, W10 6DZ
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Central London Community Health Trust
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Specialty Doctor - Emergency Medicine
Bournemouth, BH7 7DW
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialist Doctor in Elderly Medicine
Wakefield, WF14DG
- Salary :
- £100870.00 to £111441.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- The Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust
-
Bank Senior Doctor - General Medicine
Redhill, RH1 5RH
- Salary :
- £75.00
- Type :
- Bank
- Employer :
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Speciality Doctor in Rehabilitation Medicine
Burslem, ST6 7AG
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Emergency Medicine
Guildford, GU2 7XX
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust
-
Pharmacist Advanced - Frailty & Elderly Care Medicine
Stevenage, SG1 4AB
- Salary :
- £55690.00 to £62682.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust
-
PCN Care Coordinator (Medicines Optimisation)
Birkenhead, CH42 0LQ
- Salary :
- £14630.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- St Catherine’s Surgery
-
Medicines Management Pharmacy Technician - Primary Care
Whitley Bay, NE26 3LW
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
-
Medicines Management Pharmacy Technician - Primary Care
Ashington, NE63 0NG
- Salary :
- £31049.00 to £37796.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Emergency Medicine (A&E)
Redditch, B98 7UB
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Geriatrics and Stroke medicine
York, YO318HE
- Salary :
- £65048.00 to £73992.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Specialty Doctor in Emergency Medicine (2nd post)
Redhill, RH1 5RH
- Salary :
- £61542.00 to £99216.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust
-
Senior Locally Employed Doctor in Respiratory Medicine
Manchester, M23 9LT
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Clinical Research Fellow – Trust Doctor in Medicine
London, NW1 2BU
- Salary :
- £52656.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Senior Clinical Fellow in Intensive Care Medicine (ST3)
Ashford, TN24 0LZ
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust
-
Senior Lecturer Doctorate Social Work and Social Care
London, NW3 5BA
- Salary :
- £64156.00 to £71148.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust
-
Advanced Clinical Pharmacist - Critical Care & Digital Medicines
Liverpool, L9 7AL
- Salary :
- £55690.00 to £62682.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in Care of the Elderly Medicine
Doncaster, DN2 5LT
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Doncaster & Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS FT
-
Locally Employed Doctor (Higher) in Emergency Medicine QEHB
Birmingham, B15 2TH
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Trust Doctor (ST3+) in Cardiothoracic Anaesthesia and Critical Care
London, EC1A 7BE
- Salary :
- £44170.00 to £67610.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- Barts Health NHS Trust
-
Locally Employed Doctor (Higher) in Emergency Medicine - HGS sites
Birmingham, B9 5SS
- Salary :
- £65048.00
- Type :
- Fixed-Term
- Employer :
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust
-
Consultant in General Medicine - Interest in Care of the Elderly
Jersey, JE2 3RR
- Salary :
- £114667.80 to £170947.54
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Health and Community Services
-
Consultant in Care of the Elderly Medicine Specialising in Stroke
Chester, CH2 1UL
- Salary :
- £105504.00 to £139882.00
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
-
Care Assistant - Care Home
Guildford, GU4 8HN
- Salary :
- £13.50
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barchester Healthcare
-
Care Assistant - Care Home
Heckmondwike, WF16 0ND
- Salary :
- £12.78
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barchester Healthcare
-
Care Assistant - Care Home
Basingstoke, RG21 5NW
- Salary :
- £12.71
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barchester Healthcare
-
Care Assistant - Care Home
Bath, BA2 3NR
- Salary :
- £13.19
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barchester Healthcare
-
Care Assistant - Care Home
Hailey Nr Witney, OX29 9UB
- Salary :
- £12.71
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barchester Healthcare
-
Care Assistant - Care Home
Stoke on Trent, ST7 3DD
- Salary :
- £12.71
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barchester Healthcare
-
Care Assistant - Care Home
Horley, RH6 7DJ
- Salary :
- £13.31
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barchester Healthcare
-
Care Assistant - Care Home
Tarporley, CW6 0EG
- Salary :
- £14.31
- Type :
- Permanent
- Employer :
- Barchester Healthcare
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These organisations have further information about being a doctor in palliative medicine, particularly as your career progresses. Take a look.
Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
The Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland
The National Council for Palliative Care (NCPC)
And hear from people working as palliative care doctors:
A palliative medicine consultant (BMJ)