Physician Associate

Job responsibilities

Psychiatry:

Key Duties & Responsibilities

Your range of duties will be developed over the course of 12 months in conjunction with your capability and development. You will practice under the supervision of a consultant psychiatrist. You will:

• Undertake clerking on admission of patients to the Assessment wards or contingency beds covering all aspects of relevant history including collateral history, mental state examination, risk assessments, clinical examination, order appropriate investigations and a working hypothesis to discuss with Supervisor or senior clinicians

• Discuss with Supervisor or senior medical colleague the case summary, differential diagnoses, investigations, risk assessment and be guided by them in formulating the management plan

• Actively contribute to the multi-disciplinary team meetings, safety huddles, work with the supervisor, ward manager to ensure comprehensive assessments are undertaken and a holistic approach is adapted in the management of patients

• Work collaboratively with the ward junior Doctors in the clinical care of patients, perform delegated tasks, follow up and interpret laboratory and radiological results and initiate appropriate patient management or seek advice from medical colleagues

• Respond to patients changing health status and undertake appropriate actions

• Gain knowledge and competencies on relevant legislations including Human Rights Act, Mental Capacity Act, Mental Health Act, DoLS, and ensure patients rights are respected

• Maintain timely and appropriate documentation on Trust electronic patient records/alternatives if this is not in place

• Ensure timely discharge summaries and discharge medication is completed and communicate effectively with everyone involved in follow-up care

• Ensure effective communication with patients, relatives, in-patient and community teams, external partners including Acute service providers, Local Authority

• Support health promotion activities including those relating to smoking, drugs and alcohol

• Provide psycho-educational support to patients and carers / families

• Support proactive screening and interventions with regard to the physical health of patients

• Improve the quality of the patient experience by helping formulate individualised care plans and contribute to pathways enhancing patient experience

• Take active part in Quality improvement including Clinical Audits and Serious incident reviews and engage in Trust Quality Improvement activities and ensure learning is implemented in daily practice

• Work flexibly to meet the needs of assessment wards, including weekend work and supporting other wards or teams if required in exceptional circumstances or during service reconfiguration

• Ensure the provision of a high standard of care at all times maintaining good working relationships with internal and external partners

• Contribute towards policies and procedures development relevant to the clinical department and wider services

• Maintain own clinical development by keeping abreast of new treatments and technologies within your role or specialism

• Implement effective systems and processes for infection control management and relevant audit within your clinical area

• Act at all times, in such a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at all times, in keeping with LSCFT Safeguarding policies

Emergency Medicine:

• Delivery and participation in the clinical care of patients

• Ensure the provision of a high standard of care at all times

• Exercise a high degree of personal autonomy when assessing and planning care for patients

• As a dependant practitioner, undertake patient consultations, assessments, clinical examinations, order appropriate investigations and interpret investigation findings

• Form a list of differential diagnoses, recommend management/treatment for discussion with and sign off by a clinical supervisor

• Adapt specialist clinical knowledge and skills to different clinical settings and influence service delivery and patient care

• Recognise patients with changing health status and undertake appropriate actions

• As part of a multi-disciplinary team, support the delivery of care in a range of settings

• Under clinical supervision, take responsibility for a dedicated patient caseload, where required

• Maintain timely and appropriate documentation

• Within your scope of practice and working as part of multi-disciplinary team, perform delegated diagnostic/therapeutic procedures

• Interpret laboratory and radiological results and initiate appropriate patient management

• Communicate highly complex and highly sensitive information to patients and families and within the healthcare team

• Improve the quality of the patient experience by identifying and meeting the individual clinical needs of patients

• Rigorously review with a supervisor, all aspects of the patients plan of care and identify and address issues that may result in less than high quality care

• Contribute to the development of efficient pathways of care

• Work flexibly to meet the needs of the service, including out of hours work and working across different clinical areas and hospital sites as required

• Analyse reports in order to support patient care

• Liaise closely and work collaboratively within the clinical/multi-disciplinary team to ensure good working relationships are in place which maximise benefits to patient care

• Assist in the development of patient management systems, processes and tools within the work area and associated clinical/assessment areas

• Comment on policies and processes to inform policy and process development relevant to the clinical department

• Maintain own clinical development by keeping abreast of new treatments and technologies within your role or specialism

• Implement effective systems and processes for infection control management and relevant audit within your clinical area

• Act at all times, in such a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at all times, in keeping with ELHT safeguarding policies

Qualifications and experience

Essential

• Minimum Postgraduate Diploma in Physician Associate Studies
• Registered on the Faculty of Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Body
• Current and valid certification or re-certification of the National Certifying Examinations for Physicians Associates (Royal College of Physicians)
• Passed and completed 1 year post graduate preceptorship
• Membership of the Faculty of Physician Associates (Royal College of Physicians)
• Experience working as a Physician Associate in an Acute Hospital or Community setting

Desirable

• Life support course certification e.g. ILS, ALS or PALS

Clinical Care

Essential

• Knowledge of medical procedures and terminology
• Competent in basic clinical procedures e.g. CPR, infection control, physical examination, history taking etc
• Able to prioritise clinical need
• Aware of own limitations, consults senior colleagues appropriately and knows when to ask for help
• Understands the principles of patient confidentiality and data protection
• Understands the principles of clinical governance - ensures patients are not put at risk
• Understands the importance of working effectively in teams
• Computer literate
• Ability to work cohesively within the multi- disciplinary team
• Has participated in quality improvement
• Understands the importance and impact of information systems in health care
• Knowledge of UK health systems, practices and values and awareness of current issues in the NHS

Maintaining Clinical Competence

Essential

• Keeps professional knowledge and skills up to date
• Maintains clinical and non-clinical skills

Desirable

• Demonstrates a critical and enquiring approach to knowledge acquisition
• Ability to practise evidence based medicine

Acute Care

Essential

• Ability to assess and recognise an acutely ill patient and escalate appropriately

Organisation and Planning

Essential

• Able to manage time and prioritise workload

Quality and improvement and teaching and research

Essential

• Understands the basic principles of audit and research
• Contributes to teaching and learning of others in the clinical setting

Desirable

• Participation in clinical/ laboratory research
• Publications, abstracts, peer reviewed articles, book chapters
• Evidence of assisting in the development of the Physician Associate role in the UK
• Evidence of teaching Physician Associate students or Medical students

Communication and interpersonal skills

Essential

• Able to communicate effectively both writtn and verbal
• Able to discuss treatment options with patients in a way they can understand

Desirable

• Able to establish good working relations with patients, carers and multi-disciplinary colleagues
• Understands the responsibilities of being an employee in the NHS
• Evidence of communication skills
• Experience of working in teams

Personal attributes

Essential

• Recognises stressful situations and responds appropriately
• Demonstrates initiative, and enthusiasm
• Respects and promotes individual's rights, interests, preferences, beliefs and cultures
• Potential to benefit from the training available
• Ability to identify potential areas of risk; takes action to minimize the risk.
• Willingness to travel as necessary for post. Own transport advantageous.

Desirable

• Evidence of leadership qualities

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).