Job summary
Healthier South Wirral Primary Care Network (PCN) are looking to recruit a Physician Associate, who will operate across three areas in order to increase their learning across Primary Care (see Main Duties of the Job).
Our PCN wants to improve the number of services available to people closer to home, whilst also encouraging people to take more responsibility for their own health and wellbeing and to support their friends and family too. It is also important to us that together we strive hard to explore and address health inequalities amongst our patients.
MIAA Solutions are advertising the above role on behalf of Healthier South Wirral PCN.
Main duties of the job
The Physician Associate (PA) will operate across three areas in order to increase their learning:
- The first area will be working as part of a Multidisciplinary Team to provide assessment and care to patients in Care Homes as part of the Enhanced Health in Care Homes Team.
The PA will provide the initial history taking and clinical assessment through to diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of care. They will work collaboratively with other professional colleagues and Care Home staff to promote and meet the needs of patients in care homes.
- The second area will be to provide assessment and care to patients as part of our PCN Acute Response Team. This Team provide acute care (ART) across the Healthier South Wirral PCN, which includes care to patients at home.
- The third area will be working collaboratively with designated GP practices seeing patients with acute and chronic conditions and assisting the primary care team. The successful candidate will work independently whilst receiving mentorship and supervision from designated GPs, who will ensure that the PA is given a wide range of learning across primary care. Mentorship will be provided by an already established PA working within Healthier South Wirral PCN, who has extensive experience in leadership in all the above areas of work.
About us
Healthier South Wirral PCN is a group of 6 GP practices in and around the
South of Wirral that serves a population of nearly 50,000 patients.
The practices that form our PCN are:
- Sunlight Group Practice
- Spital Surgery
- The Orchard Surgery
- The Allport Surgery
- Eastham Group Practice
- Civic Medical Centre
The PCN has two Clinical Directors, Dr Thomas Wyatt (GP at The Orchard Surgery) and Dr Nazia Syed-Mohammad (GP at Eastham Group Practice).
Read the attached testimonial from James Prendergast, a Physician Associate working within
Healthy South Wirral Primary Care Network.
Our Story
Since the NHS was created in 1948, the population has grown and people are living longer. Many people are living with long term conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, or suffer with mental health issues and may need to access their local health services more often. To meet these needs, practices work together and with community, mental health, social care, pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services in their local areas in Primary Care Networks (PCNs). PCN build on the core of current primary care services and enable greater provision of proactive, personalised, coordinated and more integrated health and social care. Clinicians describe this as a change from re-actively providing appointments to proactively care for the people and communities they serve. PCNs have clear benefits for patients in that they are committed to working together to improve the health and wellbeing of local people.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Provide first point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated and
undiagnosed problems within the General Practice environment/Acute Response Team.
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 or recently
discharged to a Care Home. To manage weekly ward rounds, with the support of an
experienced Multidisciplinary Team of professionals, this includes acute and chronic disease
management. Carrying out holistic assessments using a custom built, fit for purpose
Geriatric Assessment template, and identifying a person’s care and support needs, exploring
options to meet these within a single Personalised Care and Support Plan (PCSP).
• Engage with relatives and carers to ensure a truly personalised and proactive approach to
care.
• Analyse and action diagnostic test results when needed.
• Work within the Multi-Disciplinary Team to identify and manage a caseload of patients and
where required/appropriate, refer individuals onwards to other health professionals.
• Work within the Multi-Disciplinary Team to evaluate interventions and follow up within an
appropriate timeframe. Checking care received and documenting accordingly.
• Develop, share, and update Personalised Care and Support Plans.
• Provide health/disease promotion and prevention advice.
• Support individuals to understand their level of knowledge, skills and confidence (their
“Activation” level) when engaging with their health and wellbeing.
• Utilise clinical guidelines and promote evidence-based practice within the role.
• Partake in clinical audits, Significant Event reviews and other analysis tasks.
• Work to a professional code of ethics and provide excellent clinical care.
• Provide varied support to other members of the team including clinical and non-clinical
members.
• Show flexibility in your role particularly in light of ever-changing and fast paced healthcare
environment.
For the full job Description please see attached
Job description
Job responsibilities
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Provide first point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated and
undiagnosed problems within the General Practice environment/Acute Response Team.
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 or recently
discharged to a Care Home. To manage weekly ward rounds, with the support of an
experienced Multidisciplinary Team of professionals, this includes acute and chronic disease
management. Carrying out holistic assessments using a custom built, fit for purpose
Geriatric Assessment template, and identifying a person’s care and support needs, exploring
options to meet these within a single Personalised Care and Support Plan (PCSP).
• Engage with relatives and carers to ensure a truly personalised and proactive approach to
care.
• Analyse and action diagnostic test results when needed.
• Work within the Multi-Disciplinary Team to identify and manage a caseload of patients and
where required/appropriate, refer individuals onwards to other health professionals.
• Work within the Multi-Disciplinary Team to evaluate interventions and follow up within an
appropriate timeframe. Checking care received and documenting accordingly.
• Develop, share, and update Personalised Care and Support Plans.
• Provide health/disease promotion and prevention advice.
• Support individuals to understand their level of knowledge, skills and confidence (their
“Activation” level) when engaging with their health and wellbeing.
• Utilise clinical guidelines and promote evidence-based practice within the role.
• Partake in clinical audits, Significant Event reviews and other analysis tasks.
• Work to a professional code of ethics and provide excellent clinical care.
• Provide varied support to other members of the team including clinical and non-clinical
members.
• Show flexibility in your role particularly in light of ever-changing and fast paced healthcare
environment.
For the full job Description please see attached
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post graduate diploma or degree (physician associate).
- Member of Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a primary care environment.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a physician associate.
- Experience of dealing with a range of clinical conditions.
- 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.
- Commitment to ongoing professional development.
- 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.
Desirable
- Awareness of public health issues health promotion strategies.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Flexible and cooperative.
- Motivated, forward thinker.
- High levels of integrity and loyalty.
- Ability to process and interpret information and data.
- Ability to work in varied environments.
- Understand the needs of the patient and communicate these effectively.
- Effective in utilising resources.
Other
Essential
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) Check
- Car Driver
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Post graduate diploma or degree (physician associate).
- Member of Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a primary care environment.
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a physician associate.
- Experience of dealing with a range of clinical conditions.
- 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.
- Commitment to ongoing professional development.
- 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.
Desirable
- Awareness of public health issues health promotion strategies.
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Flexible and cooperative.
- Motivated, forward thinker.
- High levels of integrity and loyalty.
- Ability to process and interpret information and data.
- Ability to work in varied environments.
- Understand the needs of the patient and communicate these effectively.
- Effective in utilising resources.
Other
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).
Additional information
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).
