Associate Specialist Doctor

Job description

Job responsibilities

The post-holder will contribute to the service in ensuring service users consistently receive high quality services that adhere to the best practice guidelines and achieve high professional standards. They will be required to actively contribute to the overall performance of the service to ensure that contractual output targets are achieved.

They will be required to record and input client data and information in order that the service operates within contractual, administrative and financial requirements.

The post-holder will be required to work flexibly across a number of operational sites as required and work flexibly within an agreed number of hours to maintain the most appropriate level of service provision. This will include some evening and weekend working as determined by service user need.

The post-holder will be expected to take responsibility for personal development, identifying personal training needs and participate in regular supervision, appraisal. They will be required to engage fully in the process for revalidation.

Role-specific responsibilities

This post-holder will be responsible to the Clinical Lead /Consultant Psychiatrist or Regional Lead Consultant in fulfilling the following duties:

Good medical care

• To provide a clinical assessment, including relevant psychiatric and physical investigation, of a wide range of substance misusers presenting to the service.
• In conjunction with other members of the Multidisciplinary Team to plan and deliver appropriate individually tailored treatment plans.
• To regularly review and monitor patients treatment progress (including results of urinalysis and other laboratory investigations).
• To keep accurate appropriate and up-to-date medical and administrative documentation including computer records. These should be entered on the same day or as soon as possible after the clinical consultation.
• To liaise closely with other relevant professionals and organisations including non-statutory addiction services, adult psychiatric services, general practitioners, medical colleagues, Social Services and Prison Services.
• To operate within guidelines, policies and procedures relevant to the post.
• To provide clinical advice, liaison and consultation as required to colleagues in primary care, community services and acute specialties in line with new ways of working
• Engaging with people who have substance misuse problems and providing them with general healthcare and general mental health assessments and contribute to the development of individual care plans.
• Provide specialist prescribing assessments to opiate, stimulant, tranquilizer, barbiturate, alcohol dependent clients, and those with novel psychoactive substance use.
• Initiate appropriate prescribing regimes to clients in line with national legislation and national and local guidance.
• Provide medical management and reviews of prescribed clients
• Provide sound evidence-based clinical practice to facilitate effective treatment decisions.
• Work with other team members to ensure effective administration in terms of record keeping, discharge summaries and correspondence to other relevant bodies. Work with management team to ensure all paperwork is regularly audited.
• Conduct phlebotomy tests if required and support nursing team in ensuring that the maximum number of service users are tested for BBVs and vaccinated against Hepatitis A and B.
• Be an active part of the management team to ensure service and organisational goals are met and that clinical standards are kept high.
• Support nursing team to titrate patients safely on to a treatment regime and ensure that procedures are constantly reviewed to promote best evidenced based practice in accordance with CGLs clinical guidelines.
• Support nursing team to offer wound care assessment.
• Promote understanding in relation to working with individuals suffering from addiction problems.
• Develop, review and audit recovery plans, provide health education especially in regard to harm minimisation, blood borne viruses and overdose prevention.
• Provide training, advice and support to other clinical staff to ensure safe and effective service delivery.
• Attend multidisciplinary meetings, promoting the nomination of named link workers and actively supporting the implementation of integrated care pathways.
• Support the provision of GP shared care in the locality where based.
• Be able when required to represent CGL at a range of meetings with other professionals and agencies in order to evaluate, monitor and develop treatment services for the service user group and minimise barriers to treatment.
• Take an active part in the implementation, adherence and development of internal and external clinical governance procedures.
• Will play a pivotal role in complete clinical audit process within service
• Support the service in carrying out research which will be of benefit to the future treatment of patients
• Utilize evidence-based psychosocial interventions such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral techniques and brief interventions in both one-to-one and group settings to promote engagement in treatment services, encourage self-esteem, well-being, self-responsibility and enhanced motivation.
• When necessary, covering duties of their colleagues and other junior medical staff, in order to ensure continuity of medical care.
• To participate in cross-cover arrangements with medical colleagues from other CGL regional services.
• To provide guidance and support as appropriate to newly appointed and less experienced medical colleagues.
• To provide guidance and support as appropriate to Non Medical Prescribers.
• The post holder should also accept that he/she might be required to perform duties in occasional emergencies and unforeseeable circumstances at the request of the Consultant/Associate Medical Director.

Maintaining good medical practice

• All doctors are expected to participate in continuing professional development, annual appraisal and revalidation and to join appropriate supervision and PDP groups for the role. Doctors are actively encouraged to take their CPD entitlement in line with Royal College Guidelines and to support the development needs identified in their PDP, Peer Group reviews and appraisal.
• The post-holder will attend the monthly Doctors Meeting; which includes an academic programme of CPD, and complex case discussions. They will also be able to attend any other CPD activities organised by this group. There will also be a monthly management meeting for doctors to attend, and this will be chaired by the Associate Medical Director for the region.
• The post-holder will have an annual (GMC) appraisal with an appropriately trained appraiser

Relationships with others

• To work in partnership with users and carers so that they are fully involved in and empowered to make decisions about their treatment and care.
• To work constructively with managers and clinical colleagues to maintain effective team working and service improvement.
• Establish good communication and effective working relationships with all relevant agencies in relation to individual patients and service development.
• Build a knowledge of and links with voluntary and independent service providers locally.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Medical Degree and completing of Basic Medical Training
• Full GMC- UK Registration and Licence to Practice
• Evidence of participation in Clinical Audit

Desirable

• MRCPsych or equivalent
• Section 12 approved

Experience

Essential

• Experience in delivering evidence based treatments in Substance Misuse
• Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team setting and with other Agencies

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

Change Grow Live

Address

Changing Lives

3 Blossom Street

York

YO24 1AU

Employer's website

https://www.changegrowlive.org/ (Opens in a new tab)