Palliative Care Staff Specialist / Senior Staff Specialist

‘Creating exceptional health care together.’

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Position Title: Palliative Care Staff Specialist / Senior Staff Specialist

Employment Type: Permanent, Part-time (0.8FTE)
Classification: Staff Specialist / Senior Staff Specialist 
Salary: $204,936 - $274,696 (pa) Pro-rata for part time FTE
Location: Clare Holland House, Barton ACT
Section: Palliative Care
Closing Date: 23 November 2026

Please note: Applications with affiliation to a recruitment agency will not be considered

·         City living without the traffic – click here to see why you should live in Canberra

·         Competitive pay rates and excellent working conditions within a tertiary hospital

·         Salary Packaging with many options that provide full fringe benefits tax concessions

·         12.5%25 Superannuation

·         Visa sponsorship for eligible candidates

·         Reimbursement of relocation expenses for interstate candidates up to $55,000 (subject to review and approval).

To find out more on what a career at CHS can give you, the benefits of working with us and why Canberra is Australia's happiest city click here: Benefits of working with us - Canberra Health Services

Potential total package value of $351,226 to $460,646 (Inclusive of additional incentives and allowances) dependent on the level of experience and participation.

Indicative Base Package inclusive of:

l     Base Salary $204,936 to $274,696

l    Superannuation (12.5%25)

l    Private Practice Allowance 

l     Professional development allowances

l     On-call allowance 17.5%25

l     Mobile Phone allowance

l    Generous leave provisions, including up to 4 weeks training/education leave and up to five weeks annual leave per annum

l    Annual Leave Loading 17.5%25

Note: Starting base salary will be negotiated within this classification for the successful candidate, depending on experience and expertise.

Canberra Health Services (CHS) is focussed on the delivery of high quality, effective, person-centred care. It provides acute, sub-acute, primary and community‐based health services, to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding regions. More information can be found on the CHS website.

Medical Staff in the Canberra Health Services enjoy excellent conditions, and our Enterprise Agreement is available at: ACTPS Medical Practitioners Enterprise Agreement 2023 - 2026

North Canberra Hospital (formerly Calvary Public Hospital Bruce) and Clare Holland House are now run and operated by Canberra Health Services (CHS).

The Specialist Palliative Care Service at Clare Holland House (CHH) provides Tertiary Level Palliative Care to the people of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and surrounding district. This service is offered through several arms including:

·    27 bed Specialist Palliative Care Inpatient Unit

·    Community Specialist Palliate Care Service (CSPCS)

·    Home Based Palliative Care (HBPC)

·   Palliative Care Specialist Outpatient Clinics

·  Residential Aged Palliative Care Medical and Nursing Consultancy

·  Participation in palliative care support to external multidisciplinary speciality clinics as required (e.g. Motor Neurone Disease, Renal Supportive Care, Winnunga Aboriginal Health)

·  Acute Hospital Consultancy Service at Canberra Hospitals (public hospitals)

·  North Canberra Hospital Palliative Care Research Unit

This Palliative Care Staff Specialist position will be responsible for providing high-quality patient clinical care and leadership, working within the various arms of this service, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team at Clare Holland House. It also plays a pivotal role in providing advice, support and education to the family and carers, and to the people referred to the service for support. This position is required to provide on-call and after-hours support to ensure clients and their family are supported during end-of-life care.

Clare Holland House is a fully accredited service with RACP/Chapter of Palliative Medicine and currently provides multiple advance trainee registrar positions. Rotations in the Inpatient Unit, Community Service and with the Acute Hospital Consultancy Service at CHHS are fully accredited. Additionally, the service is accredited as a training post for the Clinical Foundation in Palliative Medicine and as a Special Skills rotation as part of FRACGP training.

Palliative Care Staff Specialist roles predominantly focus on providing either inpatient or community support as described below. A 1FTE staff specialist is generally expected to provide the following minimal clinical requirements:

· Clinic requirements (four clinics per month)

· Inpatient support - Ward Rounds (Twice weekly, with attendance at MDT or equivalent in HBPC/PEACE or Consultancy Service), Or

· Community support - Clinical support within the HBPC/PEACE setting, including home visits when needed

· On call

Applicants who have completed requirements for fellowship or are in the last three months of training pending successful completion by December 2026 are also invited to apply. Applicants who fit in these circumstances will be offered a Post Graduate Fellow contract until they are eligible for a Staff Specialist contract. 

The position holder is expected to operate within the Public Sector Management Act (1994), the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct and the professional requirements specified by the appointee’s Specialist College.

The preferred candidate maybe considered for a conjoint position in ANU at an academic level commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience.  The academic position will be held for the duration of the Canberra Health Services employment and will be subject to regular performance reviews.  No remuneration is attached to the University position. The employee will be responsible to the University on academic matters and to The Canberra Hospital & Health Services / Canberra Health Services for clinical/ research matters.  

For more information in relation to conjoint positions with the ANU please contact The Director, ANU School of Medicine and Psychology (02) 6125 2622 director.smp@anu.edu.au 

For more information regarding the position duties click here for the Position Description.

Please note prior to commencement successful candidates will be required to:

l  Hold Specialist registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency

l  Meet credentialing requirements and receive an Endorsed scope of clinical practice from the Medical Dental Appointments Advisory Committee (MDAAC)

l  Undergo a pre-employment National Police Check.

l  Comply with Canberra Health Services Occupational Assessment, Screening and Vaccination policy.

To Apply:

Please apply online by submitting a copy of your CV along with a two-page cover letter or pitch, responding to the Selection Criteria, listed in the Position Description.

CHS is committed to workforce diversity and to creating an inclusive workplace. As part of this commitment, we welcome applications from all diversity groups. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability and people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are particularly encouraged to apply.

CHS Contact: Dr Michael Chapman, Unit Director Palliative Care. Michael.Chapman@act.gov.au

 If you would like further information regarding this opportunity, please contact Grace Johnson at Grace.Johnson@act.gov.au

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