Job responsibilities
The
following are the core responsibilities of the paramedic practitioner. There
may be on occasion a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be
dependent on factors such as workload and staffing levels. The paramedic
practitioner will work within their scope of clinical practice and:
a. is educated to
degree/diploma level in Paramedicine or equivalent experience;
b. is registered with the
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC);
c. has completed their
two-year ‘Consolidation of Learning’ period as a “newly qualified paramedic”;
d. has a further three years’
experience as a band 6 (or equivalent) paramedic; and
e. is working towards
developing Level 7 capability in paramedic areas of practice and, within six
months of the commencement of reimbursement for that individual (or a longer
time period as agreed with the commissioner), has completed and been signed
off formally within the clinical pillar competencies of the Advanced Clinical
Practice Framework. Where a Practice employs or engages a Paramedic to work in
primary care under the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme, if the
Paramedic cannot demonstrate working at Level 7 capability in paramedic areas
of practice or equivalent (such as advanced assessment diagnosis and
treatment) the Practice must ensure that each Paramedic is working as part of a
rotational model, in which they have access to regular supervision and
support from clinicians signed off at clinical practice level 7.
Where a Practice employs or
engages one or more Paramedics under the Additional Roles Reimbursement
Scheme, the Practice must ensure that each Paramedic has the following key
responsibilities, in delivering health services:
a. work as part of a MDT
within the practice;
b. assess and triage
patients, including same day triage, and as appropriate provide definitive
treatment (including prescribing medications following policy, patient group
directives, NICE (national) and local clinical guidelines and local care pathways)
or make necessary referrals to other members of the primary care team;
c. advise patients on general
healthcare and promote self-management where appropriate, including
signposting patients to the Practice’s social prescribing service, and where appropriate,
other community or voluntary services;
d. be able to:
i. perform specialist health checks and reviews
within their scope of practice and in line with local and national guidance;
ii. perform
and interpret ECGs;
iii. perform
investigatory procedures as required; and
iv.
undertake the collection of pathological specimens including intravenous
blood samples, swabs, and other samples within their scope of practice, and
within line of local and national guidance;
e. support
the delivery of ‘anticipatory care plans’ and lead certain community services
(e.g. monitoring blood pressure and diabetes risk of elderly patients living
in sheltered housing);
f. provide
an alternative model to urgent and same day GP home visit for the network and
clinical audits;
g.
communicate at all levels across organisations ensuring that an effective,
person-centred service is delivered;
h.
communicate proactively and effectively with all colleagues across the
multi-disciplinary team, attending and contributing to meetings as required;
i. maintain
accurate and contemporaneous health records appropriate to the consultation,
ensuring accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with
patient health care and registration with the practice; and
j.
communicate effectively with patients, and where appropriate family members
and their carers, where applicable, complex and sensitive information
regarding their physical health needs, results, findings, and treatment
choices.
Secondary responsibilities
In
addition to the primary responsibilities, the paramedic practitioner may be
requested to:
1.
Identify, signpost or refer patients at risk of
developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects on the patient’s
health
2.
Provide routine care to patients as required in
accordance with clinically based evidence, NICE and the NSF
3.
Examine, assess and diagnose patients and provide
clinical care/management as required
4.
Triage patients and provide the necessary treatment
during home visits
5.
Triage and treat or refer patients who attend the
Practices at which you are based
6.
Collect pathology specimens as required
7.
Maintain accurate clinical records in line with extant
legislation
8.
Ensure that read codes are used effectively
9.
Ensure continuity of care, arranging follow-up
consultations or reviews as necessary
10.
Review the effectiveness of the treatment provided,
making changes where necessary to improve patient outcomes
11.
Chaperone patients where necessary
12.
Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately
13.
Act as the lead clinician when dealing with clinical
emergencies
14.
Recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with
mental health needs
15.
Support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines
or over-the-counter medicines (within own scope of practice)
16.
Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure that the
patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients, etc.)
17.
Ensure that they adhere to the relevant patient group
directives and local clinical pathways at all times
18.
Support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters,
in accordance with local and national policies
19.
Understand practice and local policies for substance
abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately
20.
Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate
21.
Support the practice audit programme, undertaking audits
when necessary
22.
Support junior members of the team, providing guidance
when necessary
23.
Participate in local initiatives to enhance service
delivery and patient care
24.
Support and participate in shared learning within the
practice
25. Continually review
clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where
appropriate
26. Participate in the
review of significant and near-miss events, applying a structured approach,
i.e. root cause analysis (RCA)
27. Take personal
responsibility for own learning and development, including the requirement to
maintain currency, achieving all targets set in own Personal Development Plan
(PDP)
The person specification for this role is
detailed overleaf.