Physician Associate (PA)

Job responsibilities

The Physician Associate has the following key responsibilities in delivering health services at Irwell Medical Practice. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

Provide first point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems by 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)

Support the management of patients conditions through offering specialised clinics following appropriate training including (but not limited to) family planning, cervical screening, baby checks, COPD, asthma, diabetes and anticoagulation

Provide health/disease promotion and prevention advice, alongside analysing and actioning diagnostic test results

Develop integrated patient-centred care through appropriate working with the wider primary care multi-disciplinary team and social care networks

Utilise clinical guidelines and promote evidence-based practice and partake in clinical audits, significant event reviews and other research and analysis tasks

Participate in duty rotas; undertaking face-to-face, telephone and online consultations for emergency or routine problems as determined by the organisation, including the management of patients with long-term conditions

Undertake home visits when required

Develop and agree a personal development plan (PDP) utilising a reflective approach to practice, operating under appropriate clinical supervision

Receive referrals and directed patients from triage services and other clinicians

Manage a caseload of complex patients and potential care institutions

Plan, implement and evaluate treatment/interventions for patients with acute and chronic physical and psychological conditions

Utilise as needed the full range of non-drug therapies for all patients, consider pharmacological interventions and make recommendations to prescribers in accordance with evidence-based practice and national, local and practice protocols

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

Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote healthy lifestyles and apply principles of self-care

Review the latest guidance ensuring the organisation conforms to NICE, CQC etc.

Provide targeted support and proactive reviews for vulnerable, complex patients and those at risk of admission and re-admission to secondary care

Be responsive to the changing needs of patients and service provision in terms of scope and nature of clinical practice

Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality

Undertake clinical responsibilities as required by the organisation within scope of practice defined by RCP/GMC

Identify and be proactive in own training needs and development and as agreed with clinical mentor

Recognise and work within own competence and professional code of conduct as regulated by the GMC

Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultations, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures

Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements on behalf of the organisation

Support virtual and remote models of consultation and support including e-consultations, telehealth and telemedicine

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

Develop yourself and the role through participation in clinical supervision, training and service redesign activities

Contribute to a patient safety culture through the reporting and investigation of significant events and patient safety incidents and to undertake proactive measures to improve patient safety

Actively signpost patients to the correct healthcare professional

Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes

Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance

Attend a formal appraisal with your manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed

Contribute to public health campaigns (e.g., COVID-19 and flu clinics) through advice or direct call

Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area

Qualifications

Essential

• Physician Associate Postgraduate Diploma/Masters from accredited UK university
• Registered with Faculty of Physician Associates/PAMVR and or the General Medical Council following implementation of statutory regulation, working within the latest code of professional conduct (CIPD)
• Has passed the UK Physicians Associate (PA) National Re-Certification Exam which needs to be taken every six years

Other Requirements

Essential

• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Participates in continuing professional development opportunities by keeping up to date with evidence-based knowledge and competence in all aspects of the role, meeting clinical governance guidelines for continuing professional development (CPD)
• Is working under supervision of a doctor as part of the medical team
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality on a regular basis, including to visit people in their own home
• Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• Ability to maintain confidentiality
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
• Able to provide leadership and to finish work tasks and be both flexible and cooperative
• Knowledge of and ability to work to policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance and health and safety
• Ability to follow legal, ethical, professional and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct
• Good organisational skills, enthusiastic and dynamic member of the clinical team
• Effective time management
• Reflective practitioner
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and negotiation skills and organisational skills with the ability to constructively challenge the view and practices of managers and clinicians
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure

Desirable

• Good clinical system IT knowledge of EMIS/SystmOne/Vision

Experience

Essential

• Evidence of working autonomously or as part of a team
• Understanding and knowledge of healthcare provision in GP surgeries, QOF, Enhanced Services and national standards that inform practice (NSF, NICE Guidelines)
• Understanding GMC Good Medical Practice and the medico-legal aspects of PA role
• Experience and an awareness of common acute and chronic conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice

Desirable

• Understanding of the mentorship process
• An appreciation of the new NHS landscape including the relationships between individual practices, PCNs and the commissioners
• Experience of working in a primary care setting

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).