Paramedic Practitioner x 2

Job responsibilities

The PCN paramedic practitioner at Chorley Central PCN is a registered paramedic with post graduate qualifications who acts within their professional boundaries.

The post holder aspires to provide a responsive, safe, effective and caring service to patients requires initial history taking, clinical and functional assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of care. They will demonstrate safe, clinic decision making and expert care, including assessment and diagnostic skills, for patients within their own homes.

Along with using a medical model to assess and diagnose for acute medical conditions, the clinician will use a holistic approach to consider methods and interventions to prevent recurrence of problems and complete referrals to appropriate members of the wider multidisciplinary team.

The clinician will participate in, and influence efforts, across health and social care to shape multi-disciplinary pathways designed to support patient choice, improve quality of life, promote self-management and assure early intervention through proactive provision of care in or as close to the patients own home as possible.

The post holder must own their own vehicle as home visits will also be an expectation.

The PCN paramedic practitioner will actively support integrated neighbourhood ways of working to support standardisation for efficiency purposes.

The following are the core responsibilities of the PCN paramedic practitioner

a. Monitor, review and evaluate care interventions to ensure optimum quality is maintained

b. Lead on the assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation of treatment/interventions and care for patients presenting with an undifferentiated diagnosis.

c. Clinically examine and assess patient needs from a physiological and psychological perspective, and plan clinical care accordingly.

d. Assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate interventions/ treatments for patients with complex needs.

e. Proactively identify, diagnose and manage treatment plans for patients at risk of developing a long term condition (as appropriate).

f. Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug and non - drug based treatment methods into a management plan

g. Manage care of patient at End of Life and ensuring palliative care plans are put in place and actioned as necessary

h. Undertake and manage remote consultations

i. To provide assessment, treatment and diagnosis at point of first contact by attending to patients in a variety of clinical or non-clinical settings according to patients needs.

j. Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments.

k. Provide information and advice on prescribed or over the counter medication on medication regimens, side effects and interactions.

l. Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiation of effective emergency care

m. To undertake home visits in accordance with the relevant protocols

n. To make professionally autonomous decisions for which he/she is accountable

o. To instigate necessary invasive and non-invasive diagnostic tests or investigations and interpret findings/reports

p. To ensure that professional standards are maintained and within the guidance provided by the Department of Health, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the College of Paramedics (COP)

q. To support the development of excellent relationships across the PCN to enable collaboration for better patient outcomes

r. To support network implementation of agreed service changes and pathways, working closely with member practices, the wider PCN and the commissioner to develop, support and deliver local improvement programmes aligned to national and local priorities

s. To contribute to the practice achieving its quality targets to sustain high standards of patient care and service delivery

t. To participate in identification of community health needs and develop patient/family-centred strategies to address them

u. To help develop and set up new patient services and participate in initiatives to improve existing patient services

v. To support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the PCN

w. To participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through clinical incidents and near-miss events

x. To provide effective visible leadership that fosters a culture of professionalism, compassion, excellence and the development of effective team working

y. Potential to collaborate in the future with acute colleagues to assist with discharge planning

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the PCN paramedic practitioner may be requested to:

a.Support delivery of QOF, incentive schemes, PCN IIF and other quality or cost effectiveness

b.Undertake any tasks consistent with the level of the post and the scope of the role, ensuring that work is delivered in a timely and effective manner

c.Duties may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered paramedic
• Evidence of continual learning and professional development

Desirable

• Prescribing Qualification

Experience

Essential

• Minimum of two years working as a paramedic
• An appreciation of the nature of GPs and general practice. An appreciation of the nature of primary care prescribing, concepts of rational prescribing and strategies for improving prescribing
• Awareness of telephone triage assessment
• Management of common minor injuries/illnesses
• Clinical examination skills
• Knowledge of needs of patients with long-term conditions
• Management of long term (chronic) conditions

Desirable

• Clinical knowledge and understanding of the principles of evidence-based healthcare
• Understanding of the mentorship process
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners
• Experience of clinical governance including audit
• Broad knowledge of general practice

Skills

Essential

• Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels by telephone, email and face to face
• Willingness to work flexibly to deliver safe and effective healthcare
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills, organisational skills with the ability to constructively challenge the view and practices of managers and clinicians
• Knowledge of IT systems, including ability to use word processing skills, emails and the internet to create simple plans and reports
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Ability to promote best practice regarding all pharmaceutical matters
• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure

Desirable

• Good clinical system IT knowledge of EMIS

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity
• Flexible and cooperative
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance and health and safety

Other Requirements

Essential

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including visiting people in their own home

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).