Training Programme Director (North West)
Dr Kirsten Baron
Consultant in Palliative Medicine
St Catherine's Hospice
Lostock Lane
Lostock Hall
Preston
PR2 9HT
Tel: 01772 629171
E-mail: Kirsten.baron@lthtr.nhs.uk
North Western Training Programme
Trainees in the first two years gain essential core skills, with 12 months based in hospice units gaining experience of inpatient care, day therapy services and community services, 6 months as a member of a Hospital Palliative Care Team and 6 months in medical and clinical oncology.
In the third year trainees will spend six months based with a Community Specialist Palliative Care Team and six months gaining wider clinical experience through the completion of ‘special modules.’ All trainees will complete a two month placement with a Pain Team and two months in Old Age Psychiatry. A further two months is spent in another specialty selected from Respiratory Medicine, Care of the Elderly, Rehabilitation Medicine or Neurology. During all special modules and Oncology placements trainees will continue to gain experience in Palliative Medicine with two days per week allocated to the parent specialty. During ST5 and ST6 trainees will be given a half day per week to support achievement of research competencies.
The final 12 months of training completes advanced Palliative Medicine within hospice and hospital palliative care teams. Overall there is a progressive development of clinical responsibility from inpatients to outpatient clinics and domiciliary visits. Opportunities are provided to learn about other aspects of the Consultant role, including management skills, audit, teaching and educational supervisory skills.
Each trainee is linked to an Educational Supervisor throughout the 4 year training programme. All StRs participate in an on-call rota in hospice palliative medicine throughout the training programme.