Physician Associate

Job summary

There has never been a more exciting time to work in Primary care. We are seeking to recruit a positive, caring, and self-motivated Physician Associate to work as part of our Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH) team working across the Purbeck locality.

Main duties of the job

You will be supporting the existing team in delivering a person-centred approach to care, focusing on the needs of the individual, their families and care homes staff, ensuring that peoples values, needs and preferences guide clinical decisions. You will be responsible for the assessment, treatment and care of our care home residents and will enjoy dealing with a wide range of complex needs and presentations working within your capabilities as a Physician Associate, and will have a passion for working within frailty, including end of life and palliative care planning.

About us

Purbeck PCN is forward-thinking, and continuously looking for further areas of growth. All six practices meet on a regular basis, placing our patients at the heart of the work that we do.

The post holder will be based out of Swanage Medical Practice, and will be required to travel around the Purbeck PCN locality to meet the demands of the role.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Practice

• Working alongside the rest of the clinical team, the post holder will provide a first point of contact for patients presenting with undifferentiated undiagnosed problems, making use of skills in history taking, physical examination, problem solving and decision making to establish a diagnosis and management plan.
• Making professional, autonomous decisions in relation to presenting problems offering care complementary to that offered by the GPs, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, and Community staff.
• Participate In weekly care home ward rounds and MDT meetings. Undertake face to face consultations including management of patients with long term conditions and implementing Personalised care and support plans.
• If required, to carry out assessment, diagnosis, and treatment during urgent/acute episodes of care with the supervision and support of the GPs/EHCH ANP.
• Instigate when necessary investigations/diagnostic tests and interpret findings/reports.
• Screen patients for disease risk factors and early signs of illness.
• Prioritising health problems, intervening as appropriate, including initiation of emergency care.
• Promote health and wellbeing through the use of health promotion, health education/prevention, screening and therapeutic communication skills.
• Clearly Communicate the health status of the patient using appropriate terminology, technology and format.
• Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug and non-drug-based treatment methods into a management plan.
• Proactively identify, diagnose and manage treatment plans for patients at risk of developing long term conditions as appropriate.
• Timely assess incoming electronic and paper correspondence relating to both patient and non-patient information as required using the appropriate electronic systems.

Delivering a Quality Service

• To input to and extract information from the Practice and PCN Systmone clinical IT system.
• Use system templates and read coding to record appropriate information for the Enhanced Services and Quality of Outcomes Framework and any other such data-gathering necessary to achieve targets set for the Practice.
• To maintain accurate and systematic documentation of patient interactions and clinical care provided, including any adverse events, child protection issues or other notifiable matters.
• To work collaboratively with other members of the health care teams.
• To ensure that the wellbeing of patients and staff is maintained in accordance with Practice and PCN policies.
• To undertake clinical audits in line with the organisations clinical audit plan, and to participate as required in equipment testing and other research.
• To contribute to the analysis of information to inform future development of the service.
• To participate and contribute to clinical meetings
• To identify risks to service provision and highlight them to the Clinical Lead/s.
• To maintain registration with the Faculty of Physician Associate, managed voluntary register (PAMVR)
• Maintain a valid national certification and recertification every six years stipulated by PAMVR
• To operate as an effective member of the Practice and EHCHPCN team.
• To provide information to inform the evaluation and efficiency of the role and for performance management purposes as requested.
• To engage in self appraisal and utilise reflective practice to enhance and develop personal and Organisational practice.
• To use broad clinical guidelines (NICE etc.) relating them to individual cases.
• To ensure practice is within good clinical governance and based on sound up-to- date clinical evidence. Where appropriate, to identify and assess any risks associated with patient care or to oneself and communicate these risks to the appropriate clinical manager.

Other

• Understand own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time.
• Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working.
• Use clear referral mechanisms to meet patient need.
• Prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are adopted.
• Participate in discussion with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care
• Input on the delivery of specifically identified services or projects as agreed.
• To ensure the security, safe storage and maintenance of any allocated equipment and goods.

It would benefit the role if the applicant had a willingness to complete a prescribing qualification, should the opportunity arise.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Postgraduate Diploma/Masters in Physician Associate from an accredited UK University.
• Bachelors degree in life Science/Biomedical/Nursing or Allied Health Science.
• Member of Faculty of Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR).
• Valid National certification and re certification every six years stipulated by PAMVR.
• For USA trained candidates; current and valid certification with the National Commission on Certification for Physician Assistants (NCCPA).

Desirable

• Basic or Advanced Life Support
• Equal Opportunity Training in the last three years

Experience

Essential

• Experience of demonstrating patient assessment skills.
• Experience of demonstrating in depth knowledge of related medication conditions, treatments and pharmacology.
• Experience in supporting doctors in clinical decision making.
• Ability to work autonomously with the scope of supervised practice.
• Detailed knowledge of maintaining confidentiality and implementing Data protection legislation requirements including information governance.
• IT Literate.

Desirable

• Experience in General Practice and or Secondary Care.

Other

Essential

• Aptitudes/Attitude/Commitment:
• Ability to manage and prioritise workload.
• Ability to exercise sound judgement when faced with conflicting pressure.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent Record keeping.
• Ability to adjust and respond in rapidly changing environments.
• Ability to work in a calm and organised manner.
• Ability to use own initiative.
• A wiliness to develop professionally.
• Evidence of willingness to participate in a multi-disciplinary team environment to provide and integrated service for patients.
• Self-motivation and ability to motivate other team members.
• Able to cope under pressure.
• Audit and Research:
• Knowledge of audit principles and evidence of participation in audit; quality improvement projects.
• Experience of applying evidence to clinical practice.
• Other:
• Hold a current driving license with business insurance.
• Satisfactory Enhanced DBS check.
• Satisfactory References.
• Maintain CPD requirements of 50 hours per year (25 Type 1 and 25 Type 2).

Desirable

• Teaching and Training:
• Experience and enthusiasm for clinical teaching of multi-disciplinary students and qualified staff when appropriate.
• Audit and Research:
• Critical appraisal skills.
• Evidence of knowledge of research methodology.
• Other:
• Hold a current driving license with business insurance.
• Satisfactory Enhanced DBS check.
• Satisfactory References.
• Maintain CPD requirements of 50 hours per year (25 Type 1 and 25 Type 2).

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Part-time hours: 30 - 37.5 per week

Salary: £17.24-£21.31 per hour

Benefits:

• Company pension
• On-site parking

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 14/05/2023