General Practitioner

Job description

Job responsibilities

Role summary:

The post-holder will provide general medical services managing a caseload and deal with a wide range of health needs in a primary care setting, ensuring the highest standards of care for all registered and temporary patients.

Main purpose of the role:

To support the practice in delivering general medical services to the patient population. The appointee will also have the opportunity to take part in leading on key disease areas (monitoring trends in treatment, staff training and prescribing) and assist in developing appropriate healthcare services for a diverse, patient list. We are a PMS practice.

Clinical responsibilities:

In accordance with the practice timetable, as agreed, the post-holder will make him/her-self available to undertake a variety of duties including surgery consultations, including telephone, video and eConsult consultations and queries, triaging, visiting patients at home, checking and completing repeat prescriptions and dealing with queries, patient test results, paperwork and correspondence in a timely fashion

Making professional, autonomous decisions in relation to presenting problems, whether self-referred or referred from other health care workers within the organisation;

Assessing the health care needs of patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed problems

Screening patients for disease risk factors and early signs of illness

In consultation with patients and in line with current Practice disease management protocols and developing care plans

Providing counselling and health education

Recording clear and contemporaneous I.T. based consultation notes to agreed standards

Collecting data for audit purposes

Compiling and issuing computer-generated acute and repeat prescriptions

Prescribing in accordance with the practice prescribing formulary (or generically) whenever this is clinically appropriate

In general the post-holder will be expected to undertake all the normal duties and responsibilities associated with a GP working within primary care

The post-holder will be expected to cover Duty Doctor sessions as part of a rota

Other responsibilities with the Practice:

Teaching and training as is appropriate and by agreement

Awareness of and compliance with all relevant practice policies/guidelines, e.g. prescribing, confidentiality, data protection, health and safety

A commitment to life-long learning and audit to ensure evidence-based best practice

Contributing to evaluation/audit and clinical standard setting within the organisation

Contributing to the development of computer based patient records;

Attending training, practice meetings and events organised by the practice or other agencies, where appropriate

Meet all tight timescales/deadlines for audits and written returns to ensure that the practice meets quality standards and receives the designated funding (e.g. Quarterly Enhanced Services returns, annual QOF audit etc.)

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 protection of personal and sensitive data

Health & Safety

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:

Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines

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 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 which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights

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 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. 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

Contribution to the planning and 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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• The post-holder should have an interest and enthusiasm in developing their career in primary health care and general practice, in addition to an interest in continuing professional development. Specifically, the appointee will demonstrate the following qualities:
• A vocationally trained and accredited GP, preferably with MRCGP;
• A good knowledge of and interest in general practice and primary care;
• Initiative, creativity and motivation
• A collegial team spirit and feel comfortable in a strongly multidisciplinary team environment
• Able to take a consultative approach to their work, appropriately involving relevant people
• A good working knowledge and interest in national primary care strategies and ideas on how to implement these for the development of the Practice
• Be able to put the needs of the Practice and Team ahead of individual needs at busy times, periods of increased workloads (QOF assessment, flu campaigns, sickness absences or unplanned leave etc.). Respond in a flexible way to fluctuations in workload
• The Post-holder will be expected to demonstrate the ability to focus on long-term strategic goals rather than short-term issues/ details

Experience

Essential

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to work with limited supervision
• Understanding of the pressures faced by GPs and healthcare teams
• Willingness to contribute to and participate in a peer support group
• Current registration with the GMC and appropriate representation with a recognised medical defence organisation
• Strong levels of IT proficiency and familiarity with primary care clinical systems (the Practice uses SystemOne). Experience in using the Microsoft suite of programmes
• Proven ability to handle a busy and varied primary care case load;
• Proven ability to offer support within a clinical team and share learning points in practice meetings
• A good understanding of GMS contracting requirements and the operation of the Quality Outcomes Framework process

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

Saltash Health Centre

Address

Callington Road

Saltash

Cornwall

PL12 6DL

Employer's website

https://www.saltashhealth.co.uk (Opens in a new tab)