Job responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- In accordance with the Practice timetable, as agreed, the post holder will make themselves available to undertake a variety of duties including surgery consultations, telephone consultations and queries, visiting patients at home, issuing and signing repeat prescriptions and dealing with queries, paperwork and correspondence in a timely fashion.
- Makes professionally autonomous decisions in relation to presenting problems, whether self-referred or referred internally within the Practice.
- Receives patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed problems and makes assessment of their health care needs.
- Screens patients for disease risk factors and early signs of illness.
- Develops care plans for health in consultation with patients and in line with current Practice disease management protocols.
- Provides counselling and health education.
- Prescribes in accordance with the CCG prescribing formulary whenever this is clinically appropriate.
- Admits or discharges patients to and from caseload and refers them to other care providers internally or externally as appropriate.
- Supports the trainers in teaching in the Practice and gives clinical supervision to training doctors.
- Complies with relevant Practice policy/guidelines, e.g., safeguarding, confidentially issues etc.
- Is committed to lifelong learning, audit and effectiveness issues to ensure evidence based best practice.
- Maintains GMC registration.
- Ensures continuous Medical Defence cover.
- Ensures inclusion on a local Performers list.
Other Responsibilities within the Practice
- Consults with patients in the surgery and at home visits as agreed internally between all partners.
- Be available for on-call duties to answer patients telephone queries or carry out emergency home visits, or surgery consultations as appropriate.
- Contributes to the evaluation/audit and clinical standard setting with colleagues.
- Records clear and contemporaneous I.T. based consultation notes to agreed standards.
- Collects data for audit purposes.
- Compiles and issues computer-generated acute and repeat prescriptions (avoiding hand-written prescriptions whenever possible).
- In general, the post holder will be expected to undertake all the normal duties and responsibilities associated with a GP working within primary care.
- Contributes to the strategic management and development of the Practice e.g., in developing and contributing to Practice policies and guidelines.
- Attendance at training, Practice Meetings and events organised by the practice or other agencies, where appropriate.
- Meets all tight timescales/deadlines for audits and written returns to ensure that the Practice meets quality standards and receives the designated funding (e.g., Enhanced Services returns, QOF audit etc.)
- Ensuring full accreditation which will include full and unrestricted registration with the GMC, membership of an appropriate defence body and delivery of annual evidence for appraisal or accreditation purposes in keeping with National requirements at any time.
- A commitment to life-long learning and audit to ensure evidence-based best practice.
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 careers, 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 and information gained must not be communicated to other persons except in the recognised course of duty. Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information will result in disciplinary action and may lead to dismissal.
Health & Safety
The post holder must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) to ensure that the agreed procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for patients, visitors and staff.
The post holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:
Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.
Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.
Reporting potential risks identified.
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 is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and recognises the importance of peoples circumstances, feelings, priorities and 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.
Personal/Professional Development
In addition to maintaining continued education through attendance at any courses and/or study days necessary to ensure that professional development requirements are met, the post holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
Participation in an annual individual performance review, annual GP Appraisal including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.
Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
Quality
The post holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
Alert other team members to issues of Clinical Governance issues, quality and risk; participate in Significant Event Analysis reviews
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.
Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
Effectively manage own time, workload and resources. The post holder will also contribute to the overall team-working of the Practice putting the needs of the Practice first.
Communication
The post holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
Communicate effectively with other team members.
Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
Flexibility
This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. The post holder will be expected to be flexible in relation to duties undertaken and location of work where required by the Practice.
Contribution to the Implementation of Services:
The post holder will:-
Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance
Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work.
Participate in audit where appropriate.
Work with the partners and management team to achieve standards of quality, performance standards, budgets and targets without compromising levels of patient healthcare
Contribute towards the development and implementation of new standards, policies and procedures that are/will be required by GP practices now and in the future.