Physician Associate

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

The Physician Associate (PA) will operate as part of a multidisciplinary team of professionals to provide assessment and care to patients in care homes.

The PA will provide the initial history taking and clinical assessment through to diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of care. They will demonstrate critical thinking in clinical decision-making and will work collaboratively with other professional colleagues and care home staff to promote and meet the needs of patients in care homes

Mentorship and supervision will be provided by designated senior medical personnel.

Responsibilities:

• Assist seniors when required
• 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.
• Provide first point of contact care for patients who are newly admitted to a care home
• Complete post discharge medical reviews
• Work with the multi-disciplinary team to identify and manage a caseload of patients, and where required and as appropriate, refer people to other health professionals.
• Holistically bring together all of a persons identified care and support needs, and explore options to meet these within a single personalised care and support plan (PCSP), in line with PCSP best practice, based on what matters to the person
• Develop, share, and update care plans
• Support patients to utilise decision aids in preparation for a shared decision-making conversation
• Support people to understand their level of knowledge, skills and confidence (their Activation level) when engaging with their health and wellbeing.
• Check care received and document accordingly
• Work with team to evaluate interventions
• Utilise clinical guidelines and promote evidence-based practice and partake in clinical audits, significant event reviews and other research and analysis tasks
• Provide health/disease promotion and prevention advice
• Analyse and action diagnostic test results
• Work to a professional code of ethics
• Provide varied support to other members of the team
• Show flexibility in your role

Person Specification

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral/clear, polite telephone manner)
• Understanding of the use of EMIS
• Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
• Effective time management (planning and organising)
• Ability to work both autonomously and as a team member
• Good interpersonal skills
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
• Understanding of audit processes
• Understanding of clinical risk management

Qualifications

Essential

• Post graduate diploma or degree (physician associate)
• Member of Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a physician associate
• Experience of dealing with a range of clinical conditions

Desirable

• Experience of working in a primary care environment

Clinical knowledge and skills

Essential

• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Experience in the management of long-term conditions
• Ability to triage, assess and diagnose effectively
• Requesting pathology tests, analyse results, advising patients accordingly
• Understand the importance of evidence-based practice
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and when to refer to others

Desirable

• Awareness of public health issues health promotion strategies

Personal qualities

Essential

• Ability to work in varied environments
• Understand the needs of the patient and communicate these effectively
• Effective in utilising resources
• Flexible and cooperative
• Motivated, forward thinker
• High levels of integrity and loyalty

Desirable

• Ability to process and interpret information and data

Other Requirements

Essential

• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Car driver

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

Southport and Formby Health (GP Federation)

Address

12 Church Street

Southport

Merseyside

PR9 0QT

Employer's website

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