Job responsibilities
Responsibilities
Assess and triage patients, including same day triage, and as appropriate provide definitive treatment or make necessary referrals to other members of the PCN team
Advise patients on general healthcare and promote self-management where appropriate, including signposting patients to other community or voluntary services
Be able to:
o perform specialist health checks and reviews
o perform and interpret ECGs; alongside other results as appropriate
o perform investigatory procedures as required
o undertake the collection of pathological specimens including intravenous blood samples, swabs, etc
o perform investigatory procedures needed by patients and those requested by GPs and the wider PCN
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)
Provide an alternative model to urgent and same day home visits for the PCN and undertake clinical audits
Communicate at all levels across PCNs and other organizations, ensuring effective, patient-centred service
Communicate proactively and effectively with all colleagues across the multi-disciplinary team, attending and contributing to meetings as required
Collaborate with other members of the PCN including doctors, nurses and other AHPs, accepting referrals and referring to them for specialist care
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
Prescribe, issue and review medications as appropriate following policy, patient group directives, NICE (national) and local clinical guidelines and local care pathways. This will be done in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice protocols, and within scope of practice
Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments
Provide information and advice on prescribed or over-the-counter medication on medication regimens, side-effects and interactions
Assess, diagnose, plan, implement and evaluate treatment/interventions and care for patients presenting with an undifferentiated diagnosis, and patients with complex needs
Clinically examine and assess patient needs from a physiological and psychological perspective, and plan clinical care accordingly
Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiation of effective emergency care
Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug- and non-drug-based treatment methods into a management plan
Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies that promote healthy lifestyles, and apply principles of self-care
Clinical Governance
Identify risk issues that impact on peoples health or social care needs.
Take appropriate action to the significance of the risk and consistent with protection procedures, applying protection procedures, following lone worker procedure.
Demonstrate effective team working inclusive of all relevant professionals.
Report all accidents / incidents, and all ill health, failings in equipment and / or environment to line managers.
Contribute towards audit and data collection as required.
Once assessed as competent will be accountable for their own practice within their area of responsibility when identified and agreed with the line manager.
Work with your line manager to undertake continual personal and professional development, taking an active part in reviewing and developing the roles and responsibilities.
Adhere to organisational policies and procedures, including confidentiality, safeguarding, lone working, information governance, and health and safety.
Work with the Clinical Lead to access regular clinical supervision, to enable you to deal effectively with the difficult issues that people present.
Miscellaneous
Work as part of the team to seek feedback, continually improve the service and contribute to business planning.
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.
Duties may vary from time to time, without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility.
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 carer(s), 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 must comply at all times with the Practices Health and Safety policies, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures and reporting incidents using the organisations Incident Reporting System.
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 that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal/Professional development:
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, with such training to include:
- Participation in an 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
Quality:
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- 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