Physician Associate

Job description

Job responsibilities

• Provide first point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems, utilising history-taking, physical examinations and clinical decision-making skills to establish a working diagnosis and management plan in partnership with the patient (and their carers where applicable).
• Undertake face to face, telephone and online consultations for emergency or routine problems, as determined by the Practice, including management of patients with long-term conditions. Participate in all treatment and preventative healthcare services in the Practice as delegated and agreed by the supervising GP(s).
• Perform diagnostic physical examinations and treatment.
• Identify, signpost or refer patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects on the patients health.
• Organise onward investigation, treatment and referral where appropriate.
• Ensure continuity of care, arranging follow-up consultations or reviews as necessary.
• Attend regular practice clinical meetings.
• Support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies.
• Under supervision of the GPs in the practice, make professional, autonomous decisions in relation to presenting problems, whether self-referred or referred from other health care workers within the Organisation.
• Record clear and contemporaneous IT based consultation notes to an agreed standard.
• Review and act on laboratory results and clinical communication from Hospitals and other providers.
• Recognise, assess and refer where appropriate patients presenting with mental health problems.
• Understand practice and local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately.
• Be able to justify choice of medication, and support patients in the use of their prescribed medication (within own scope of practice).
• Be able to understand the impact of comorbidities, other medications and poly-pharmacy.
• Deliver integrated patient centred care through appropriate working with the wider primary care multi-disciplinary team and social care networks.
• Conduct home visits and Care Home visits (following adequate training).
• Act on alerts (e.g. QOF, local enhanced services etc.) and reminders during a consultation.
• Assist the practices in achieving their clinical targets and objectives in QOF, Local enhanced services etc.
• Participate in continuing professional development opportunities and keep up to date with evidence-based knowledge and competence in all aspects of your role, meeting clinical governance guidelines for continuing professional development (CPD).

Communication and Key Working Relationships:

The post holder must be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills at all times, and build and maintain good working relationships with all stakeholders including the following:

Clinical Lead

UTC Medical Director

Operational Project Leads

HR Team

CQC, IG and Safeguarding leads

Clinical Governance Team

Business Manager

Urgent Care Practitioners

Receptionist/HCAs

Practice Nursing Team

Administrative Team

GPs at FMP

Multi-disciplinary team within FMP

Out of hours services

Other Urgent Treatment Centres, A&Es, Hospitals

Other PCN practices and PCN staff

Administration and professional responsibilities:

• Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team
• Ensure the clinical computer system is kept up to date, with accurate details recorded and amended
• Ensure appropriate items of service claims are made accurately, reporting any problems to the practice administrator
• Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice
• Ensure collection and maintenance of statistical information required for regular and ad hoc reports and audit
• Restocking and maintenance of clinical areas and consulting rooms

Training, professional and personal development:

The post holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

Training requirements will be monitored by yearly appraisal and will be in accordance with practice requirements. Personal development will be encouraged and supported by the practice. It is the individuals responsibility to remain up to date with recent developments.

• Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the induction of all members of the practice staff where appropriate
• Develop and maintain an in house training programme reporting to the practice manager
• Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development, ensuring revalidationrequirements are met
• If it is necessary to expand the role to include additional responsibilities, full training will be given
• Develop and maintain a Personal Development Plan

Liaison:

As well as the clinical team, there is a need to work closely with reception to ensure the smooth running of the practice, reporting any problems encountered to the relevant person and ensuring everyone is aware of the different roles within the clinical team

There is also the need to establish and maintain good liaison with other surgeries and agencies, including secondary care

Meetings:

It will be necessary to attend and contribute to various practice meetings as requested. Attendance at such meetings will be mandatory.

Confidentiality:

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the personal and sensitive data

Health & Safety:

The post holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others health and safety and infection control, as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory/contractual/professional requirements and good practice guidelines
• Responsible for correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements
• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
• Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses/training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Making effectiveuse of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Safe management of sharps procedures, including training, use, storage and disposal
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)

Safeguarding:

It is the responsibility of all staff at Faversham Medical Practice to;

• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
• Ensure their safeguarding adults and safeguarding children training is up to date at the level appropriate to their role.
• Ensure the safeguarding policies and procedures in place within the Practice are adhered to during employment.

Equality and diversity:

The post holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights

Quality:

The post holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

This job description provides an outline of the main responsibilities associated with the role but is not exhaustive. The range of activities and areas of responsibility will evolve over time. The content of this job description will therefore be subject to regular review and amendment in line with any resulting change in the need to fulfil and meet the organisations needs.

Person Specification

Other

Essential

• Able to provide evidence of right to work in the UK.
• Willingness to work weekends and bank holidays.
• Full driving licence.

Desirable

• Flexibility of working hours/ability to help cover shifts.

Experience

Essential

• Demonstrable patient assessment skills.
• Demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of related medical conditions, treatments and pharmacology.
• Experience of supporting doctors in clinical decision making.
• Ability to work autonomously within the scope of supervised practice.
• Detailed knowledge of maintaining confidentiality and implementing data protection legislation requirements including information governance.

IT

Essential

• Good IT skills.

Desirable

• Experience of EMIS clinical system.
• Experience of Microsoft Office software.

Qualifications

Essential

• Masters Degree in Physician Associate from an accredited UK university.
• Member of Faculty of Physician Associate (PAMVR).
• Valid National certification and recertification every 6 years.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Excellent Communication skills written and verbal.
• Excellent clinical decision-making skills.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to clear workload by the end of each shift.

Qualities & Attributes

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate enthusiasm to develop clinical skills.
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense.
• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities.
• Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team.
• Pleasant and articulate.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to work in a changing environment.
• Ability to use own initiative.
• Empathetic and caring approach to patients.
• Suitability for working with children.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Faversham Medical Practice

Address

Faversham Health Centre

Bank Street

Faversham

Kent

ME13 8QR

Employer's website

https://www.favershammedicalpractice.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)