Staff Specialist in Palliative Care - John Hunter Hospital

REQ695515
Staff Specialist, Palliative Medicine
John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle NSW 
Fixed term temporary part time 0.8 FTE from November 2026 to July 2027
 

Join a service where compassionate, specialist care is at the heart of everything we do, while enjoying an exceptional lifestyle in one of Australia’s most liveable coastal cities.
 

Leading Care Beyond the Hospital Walls
This role offers the opportunity to practise across a broad spectrum of settings including inpatient consultation, outpatient clinics, community-based care and innovative virtual models of care. You'll play a key role in delivering equitable specialist palliative care across Hunter New England while helping shape the future of integrated palliative and end-of-life services for a diverse regional population.
 

Why Newcastle?
Newcastle offers the ideal balance of professional challenge and lifestyle reward. With pristine beaches and coastal walks, a vibrant café and dining scene, excellent schools, and thriving arts and sporting communities, Newcastle provides a relaxed coastal lifestyle without sacrificing career opportunity. Easy access to the Hunter Valley vineyards and national parks, and just two hours from Sydney, makes it an outstanding place to live, work and raise a family.
 

Why John Hunter Hospital?
John Hunter Hospital (JHH) is the principal tertiary referral centre for Hunter New England and Northern NSW, delivering complex specialist care within a leading teaching and research environment that supports innovation, collaboration and clinical excellence.

Opening in late 2026, the new state of the art Acute Services Building will integrate emergency, critical care, surgical and inpatient services, enhancing patient flow, safety and experience while providing contemporary facilities to support high acuity care and future growth.
 

About the Role
John Hunter Hospital delivers a well established, integrated Palliative Care and Kidney Supportive Care Service, providing compassionate, high quality care to patients with advanced and life limiting illness across inpatient, outpatient and community settings. The service operates as part of the Newcastle specialist multidisciplinary palliative care hub and is recognised for its strong clinical leadership, collaborative culture, and focus on quality of life, dignity and goal concordant care.
 

As a Staff Specialist in Palliative Medicine, you will provide contemporary, comprehensive and professional specialist care that is safe, effective, evidence-based and patient-centred. Working within a highly skilled interdisciplinary team, you will support people with advanced, progressive and life-limiting illnesses through comprehensive symptom management, advance care planning, end-of-life care and complex decision-making, while providing compassionate support to patients, families and carers across inpatient, outpatient, community and virtual care settings.
 

You Will:
• Work within the John Hunter Palliative and End of Life Care multidisciplinary team, delivering specialist care to patients with advanced disease and limited prognosis across inpatient, outpatient, community and virtual care settings. 
• Provide expert assessment and management of pain, complex symptoms and the psychosocial, cultural and spiritual challenges associated with life-limiting illness. 
• Lead advance care planning conversations and support patients, families and healthcare teams in establishing treatment goals and care preferences. 
• Provide expert clinical guidance regarding end-of-life care, including the management and withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments where appropriate. 
• Collaborate with the Hunter New England Palliative Care Stream to review, develop, implement and evaluate evidence-based models of care, clinical standards and service improvements across the district. 
• Support seamless transitions between care settings through coordinated, integrated and patient-centred care. 
• Deliver consultative support, mentoring, education and clinical supervision to medical, nursing and allied health colleagues to strengthen workforce capability. 
• Participate in the Hunter New England Palliative Care on-call roster and contribute to the ongoing development and delivery of virtual care services across the district.
 

Academic and Research Connections
Hunter New England Health has strong partnerships with the University of Newcastle and the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI), offering excellent opportunities for teaching, research and innovation. Clinicians are supported to participate in undergraduate and postgraduate education, engage in locally led and multicentre research, pursue academic appointments and translate evidence into clinical practice within a health district that values inquiry and continuous improvement. The successful applicant will also have opportunities to contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, clinical supervision and workforce development, while participating in research and quality improvement initiatives that help translate evidence into everyday clinical practice.
 

Sustainable Healthcare – Together Towards Zero
John Hunter Hospital is committed to environmentally sustainable healthcare, embedding energy efficiency, waste reduction and responsible resource use into service planning. This supports a safe, healthy workplace and aligns with Hunter New England Health’s commitment to high quality care that benefits both the community and the environment.
 

Senior Medical Recruitment and Medical Settlement Concierge Support
Hunter New England Health offers a dedicated Senior Medical Recruitment Team and Medical Settlement Concierge Service, providing personalised end to end support from initial enquiry through to onboarding, credentialing and relocation. This service supports clinicians and their families to settle quickly, allowing them to focus on delivering excellent patient care and enjoying life in the region.
 

About You
You are a compassionate, collaborative specialist with a strong commitment to excellence in supportive and end of life care and a desire to contribute to the continued growth of an expanding palliative care service. You will bring:
• A primary medical degree registrable with AHPRA
• Fellowship of the Australasian Chapter of Palliative Medicine (FAChPM), or equivalent
• Demonstrated recent experience as a medical expert in Palliative Medicine and/or Kidney Supportive Care
• A commitment to achieving excellent patient and family experiences
• A proven ability to deliver high quality, compassionate care as both a leader and valued member of an interdisciplinary team
• Highly developed interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Experience or demonstrated interest in leadership, mentoring, supervision and education, with a commitment to developing the future palliative care workforce. 
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across disciplines, influence positive change and contribute to innovative models of care. 
• An understanding of culturally safe, person-centred care that respects the values, preferences and priorities of patients, families and carers. 
• An interest in clinical governance, quality improvement, research and broader health system objectives beyond direct patient care.
 

Advance your career. Enrich your lifestyle. Make a meaningful impact.