Job summary
This is an exciting opportunity for a First Contact
Physiotherapist to join the Coast & Country Primary Care Network, working as part of an established
multi-disciplinary team to deliver timely and
personalised care for patients, and deliver key objectives of the PCN. First contact physiotherapists operate at an advanced level of clinical
practice, with skills to assess, diagnose, treat and manage musculoskeletal
(MSK) problems and undifferentiated conditions. This will involve seeing
patients, without prior referral from their GP, to establish a rapid and accurate
diagnosis and management plan, thus streamlining pathways of care.
Main duties of the job
Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients through:
- effective shared decision-making with a range of first line management options (appropriate for a patients level of activation);
- assessing levels of patient activation to support a patients own level of knowledge, skills and confidence to self-manage their conditions, ensuring they are able to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of self-management interventions, particularly for those at low levels of activation;
- agreeing with patients appropriate support for self-management through referral to rehabilitation focused services and wider social prescribing as appropriate; and
- designing and implementing plans that facilitate behavioral change, optimise patients physical activity and mobility, support fulfilment of personal goals and independence, and reduce the need for pharmacological interventions;
About us
The Coast &
Country PCN is a collaboration of four practices in Devon and Cornwall, serving approximately 39000
patients. The geography is largely rural with no acute hospitals within the PCN
boundaries; the population is therefore reliant on community based services. This
role provides an excellent opportunity for an individual to help shape a
network of services, designed on the needs of the population with a significant
need and to support local services as part of this process.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Core Responsibilities
- Work independently, without day to day supervision, to assess, diagnose, triage, and manage patients, taking responsibility for prioritising and managing a caseload of the PCNs Registered Patients;
- Receive patients who self-refer (where systems permit) or from a clinical professional within the PCN, and where required refer to other health professionals within the PCN;
- Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role, using their expert knowledge of movement and function issues, to create stronger links for wider services through clinical leadership, teaching and evaluation;
- Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients, providing a range of first line treatment options including self-management, referral to rehabilitation focused services and social prescribing;
- Make use of their full scope of practice, developing skills relating to independent prescribing, injection therapy and investigation to make professional judgements and decisions in unpredictable situations, including when provided with incomplete or contradictory information. They will take responsibility for making and justifying these decisions;
- Manage complex interactions, including working with patients with psychosocial and mental health needs, referring onwards as required and including social prescribing when appropriate;
- Communicate effectively with patients, and their carers where applicable, complex and sensitive information regarding diagnoses, pathology, prognosis and treatment choices supporting personalised care;
- Implement all aspects of effective clinical governance for own practice, including undertaking regular audit and evaluation, supervision and training;
- Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients through:
- effective shared decision-making with a range of first line management options (appropriate for a patients level of activation);
- assessing levels of patient activation to support a patients own level of knowledge, skills and confidence to self-manage their conditions, ensuring they are able to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of self-management interventions, particularly for those at low levels of activation;
- agreeing with patients appropriate support for self-management through referral to rehabilitation focused services and wider social prescribing as appropriate; and
- designing and implementing plans that facilitate behavioral change, optimise patients physical activity and mobility, support fulfilment of personal goals and independence, and reduce the need for pharmacological interventions;
- Request and progress investigations (such as x-rays and blood tests) and referrals to facilitate the diagnosis and choice of treatment regime including, considering the limitations of these investigations, interpret and act on results and feedback to aid patients diagnoses and management plans; and
- Be accountable for decisions and actions via Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration, supported by a professional culture of peer networking/review and engagement in evidence-based practice.
- Work across the multi-disciplinary team to create and evaluate effective and streamlined clinical pathways and services;
- Provide leadership and support on MSK clinical and service development across the PCN, alongside learning opportunities for the whole multidisciplinary team within primary care;
- Develop relationships and a collaborative working approach across the PCN, supporting the integration of pathways in primary care;
- Encourage collaborative working across the wider health economy and be a key contributor to supporting the development of physiotherapy clinical services across the PCN;
- Liaising with secondary and community care services, and secondary and community MSK services where required, using local social and community interventions as required to support the management of patients within the PCN; and
- Support regional and national research and audit programmes to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the First Contact Practitioner (FCP) programme. This will include communicating outcomes and integrating findings into own and wider service practice and pathway development.
Strategy and Leadership:
- Understands, and contributes to, the PCN strategic plan.
- Able to improve quality within limitations of service.
- Understands the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service
- Demonstrates understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice
- Demonstrates ability to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol.
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:
- Completion of stage 2 and 3 of the attached FCP roadmap supported by the clinical lead;
- Participation in an annual individual performance review, annual 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.
Relationships:
- Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role in patient care
- Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the co-operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations e.g. CCGs)
- Demonstrates ability to work as a member of a team
- Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
- Liaises with other GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients
Job description
Job responsibilities
Core Responsibilities
- Work independently, without day to day supervision, to assess, diagnose, triage, and manage patients, taking responsibility for prioritising and managing a caseload of the PCNs Registered Patients;
- Receive patients who self-refer (where systems permit) or from a clinical professional within the PCN, and where required refer to other health professionals within the PCN;
- Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team in a patient facing role, using their expert knowledge of movement and function issues, to create stronger links for wider services through clinical leadership, teaching and evaluation;
- Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients, providing a range of first line treatment options including self-management, referral to rehabilitation focused services and social prescribing;
- Make use of their full scope of practice, developing skills relating to independent prescribing, injection therapy and investigation to make professional judgements and decisions in unpredictable situations, including when provided with incomplete or contradictory information. They will take responsibility for making and justifying these decisions;
- Manage complex interactions, including working with patients with psychosocial and mental health needs, referring onwards as required and including social prescribing when appropriate;
- Communicate effectively with patients, and their carers where applicable, complex and sensitive information regarding diagnoses, pathology, prognosis and treatment choices supporting personalised care;
- Implement all aspects of effective clinical governance for own practice, including undertaking regular audit and evaluation, supervision and training;
- Develop integrated and tailored care programmes in partnership with patients through:
- effective shared decision-making with a range of first line management options (appropriate for a patients level of activation);
- assessing levels of patient activation to support a patients own level of knowledge, skills and confidence to self-manage their conditions, ensuring they are able to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of self-management interventions, particularly for those at low levels of activation;
- agreeing with patients appropriate support for self-management through referral to rehabilitation focused services and wider social prescribing as appropriate; and
- designing and implementing plans that facilitate behavioral change, optimise patients physical activity and mobility, support fulfilment of personal goals and independence, and reduce the need for pharmacological interventions;
- Request and progress investigations (such as x-rays and blood tests) and referrals to facilitate the diagnosis and choice of treatment regime including, considering the limitations of these investigations, interpret and act on results and feedback to aid patients diagnoses and management plans; and
- Be accountable for decisions and actions via Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration, supported by a professional culture of peer networking/review and engagement in evidence-based practice.
- Work across the multi-disciplinary team to create and evaluate effective and streamlined clinical pathways and services;
- Provide leadership and support on MSK clinical and service development across the PCN, alongside learning opportunities for the whole multidisciplinary team within primary care;
- Develop relationships and a collaborative working approach across the PCN, supporting the integration of pathways in primary care;
- Encourage collaborative working across the wider health economy and be a key contributor to supporting the development of physiotherapy clinical services across the PCN;
- Liaising with secondary and community care services, and secondary and community MSK services where required, using local social and community interventions as required to support the management of patients within the PCN; and
- Support regional and national research and audit programmes to evaluate and improve the effectiveness of the First Contact Practitioner (FCP) programme. This will include communicating outcomes and integrating findings into own and wider service practice and pathway development.
Strategy and Leadership:
- Understands, and contributes to, the PCN strategic plan.
- Able to improve quality within limitations of service.
- Understands the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service
- Demonstrates understanding of, and conforms to, relevant standards of practice
- Demonstrates ability to identify and resolve risk management issues according to policy/protocol.
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:
- Completion of stage 2 and 3 of the attached FCP roadmap supported by the clinical lead;
- Participation in an annual individual performance review, annual 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.
Relationships:
- Recognises the roles of other colleagues within the organisation and their role in patient care
- Demonstrates use of appropriate communication to gain the co-operation of relevant stakeholders (including patients, senior and peer colleagues, and other professionals, other NHS/private organisations e.g. CCGs)
- Demonstrates ability to work as a member of a team
- Is able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary
- Liaises with other GP Practices and staff as needed for the collective benefit of patients
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Has an undergraduate degree in physiotherapy.
- Masters Level qualification or the equivalent specialist knowledge, skills and experience
Experience
Essential
- Can demonstrate working at Level 7 capability in MSK related areas of practice or equivalent (such as advanced assessment diagnosis and treatment)
- Can demonstrate ability to operate at an advanced level of practice
Other
Essential
- Registered with the Health and Care Professional Council.
- Holds the relevant public liability insurance.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Has an undergraduate degree in physiotherapy.
- Masters Level qualification or the equivalent specialist knowledge, skills and experience
Experience
Essential
- Can demonstrate working at Level 7 capability in MSK related areas of practice or equivalent (such as advanced assessment diagnosis and treatment)
- Can demonstrate ability to operate at an advanced level of practice
Other
Essential
- Registered with the Health and Care Professional Council.
- Holds the relevant public liability insurance.
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).
Additional information
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).