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Job description

Job Description Physician Associate

Responsible to: Clinical Director

Reports to: Clinically to the Partners/Administratively to the Practice Manager

Hours: 37.5 hours - Full-time (part time will be considered)

Salary: Negotiable: depending on experience

About KWH

K&W Healthcare Ltd is GP network that provides a range of services to a population of over 176,000 in 24 GP practices within Kingsbury, Willesden and Wembley. These services include a clinical pharmacy service, phlebotomy and the Integrated Care Service.

Job Summary

A new and exciting opportunity has arisen for a Physician Associate (PA) to join our team as part of the Primary Care Networks in K&WH. The successful candidate will be well supported in this Primary Care role, by accountable GPs, in accordance with the needs of the PA. Our practices adopt new methods of working via extended clinical workforce which includes Salaried GP's, Clinical Pharmacists, Practice Nurses and Health Care Assistants. We are keen to add another Physicians Associates to our repertoire as we further develop our teams.

The PA will provide care for the presenting patient from initial history taking and clinical assessment through to the diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of care. They will demonstrate critical thinking in the clinical decision-making process, including assessment and diagnostic skills, leading to the delivery of safe care for all patients. They will work collaboratively with the healthcare team to meet the needs of the patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures. The PA will provide a holistic and clinical service, with support from GPs as required, implementing agreed management plans and following approved protocols as appropriate. The PA will be expected on a typical day to carry out some home visits and consult with patients who present on the day and via booked appointments. The PA will also review and act appropriately on blood results and referrals/correspondence regarding their patients.

Mentorship and supervision will be provided by designated senior medical personnel. The level and type of supervision will be dependent on the post holder’s acquisition of skills and knowledge and determined by the organisation’s clinical governance arrangements. The practice hold monthly education meetings and the PA would be expected to attend and partake in these.

• An enhanced DBS check will be carried out for all successful candidates.
• You will be expected to travel between named practices and meetings across the patch.
• You must have full driving license with suitable insurance and access to suitable vehicle.

Key responsibilities and Clinical Duties

• Participate in all treatment and preventative healthcare services in the practices as delegated and agreed by the supervising GP(s).
• Provide direct clinical care to patients using established clinical guidelines.
• Consult and refer patients to physicians, medical specialists and other health professionals as indicated.
• Interview patients, take medical histories, perform physical examinations, analyse, diagnose and explain medical problems during surgery consultations and home visits.
• Recommend and explain appropriate diagnostic tests and treatment.
• Request and interpret results of laboratory investigations when necessary.
• Perform specialised diagnostic physical exams and treatment procedures.
• Instruct and educate patients in preventative health care.
• Conduct telephone consultations which may involve discussing the result and implications of laboratory investigations with patients as well as dealing appropriately with routine and emergency complaints
• Order laboratory tests as required and agreed under supervising doctor(s).
• Fully document all aspects of patient care and complete all required paperwork for legal and administrative purposes.
• Contribute to the clinical development of practices by developing a special interest and to help establish appropriate systems to manage common chronic medical conditions, ensuring compliance with national guidelines.
• Participate fully in the clinicians’ duty rota including the provision of home visits when appropriate.
• Formulate diagnoses and treatment plans, in consultation with or referring to Supervising doctor(s) as appropriate.
• Give clinical instructions to nursing staff and Primary Care Team as required.
• Communicate when necessary with colleagues in Primary Care and hospital specialists in order to discuss or refer specific patients, plan and co-ordinate activities or exchange information in order to improve the quality of patient care.
• Deal regularly with community hospitals, consultants and other health care providers, insurance companies and other community organisations to refer/consult on specific cases, participate in community service and education projects and activities and the like.

Administration

• Send and receive written information on behalf of the Practice regarding matters of insurance, housing and other issues relating to the physical and social welfare of patients.
• Work to deliver with other members of the practice and Primary Healthcare Team, the objectives of the GMS contract, including the terms of the Quality and Outcomes Framework and services commissioned from practices.
• Attend regular multi-disciplinary meetings organised by practices in order to discuss the health and social needs of particular patients.
• Attend practice meetings

Training / Educational development

• Ensure continuing education, training and development is undertaken to meet clinical governance guidelines for Continuing Professional Development and a Personal Development Plan.
• Keep up to date with relevant medical research, technology and evidence-based medical practice by attending continuing education courses and professional meetings, reading journals etc.
• Undertake 50 hours of continuing medical education (CPD) every year. A minimum of 25 hours must be in accredited direct learning programmes.
• Take and pass the national re-certification exam every 6 years in accordance with the requirements of the PA Managed Voluntary Register and as recommended by the National Examination Sub Committee of the UKUBPAE (UK Universities Board of Physician Associate Education) and subsequently as required by the statutory regulating body when in place.
• Perform a variety of research and analysis tasks associated with improvement of clinical care, medical diagnosis and treatment where appropriate using the following means:
• Audit of clinical practice
• Review of relevant literature.
• Research unusual symptoms and treatment options, through consultation with physicians and other medical specialists.
• Provide literature reviews and the like; review, analyse and determine the significance of a variety of diagnostic test results
• Assist in clinical instruction and supervision of medical and nursing students as well other learners that may periodically be attached to the practice, including the educational development and mentoring of Physician Associate students.
• Attend regular multi-disciplinary meetings organised by practices in order to discuss and learn from recent significant events relating to clinical practice occurring within practices.
• Attend regular educational meetings organised by practices in order to update clinical knowledge, practice policy and guidelines and disseminate other useful information relevant to the provision of adequate healthcare for patients.
• Regularly reflect on own practice (and keep a record of learning encounters) in order to identify learning needs and encourage self-directed lifelong learning and continued professional development.
• Demonstration of learning which contributes either directly to performance within the role or to personal development. This should be discussed at the annual appraisal and courses and learning should be agreed with the clinical supervisor.
• The learning may take the form of attendance at courses or audits or other activities agreed by the appraiser or supervisor.
• Learning activities should be supported by reflective learning entries demonstrating the application of learning to clinical scenarios.

Key Relationships

• Patients and their families / carers
• GP, nurses and other practice staff
• Other healthcare professionals including CCG pharmacists, optometrists, dentists, health and social care teams and dieticians etc.
• Primary Care Network Leads
• Social prescribers, community nurses and other allied health professionals
• Community and Hospital teams

Key Outcomes

• Provide care closer to home
• Reduce and/or maintain a reasonable level of Non-Elective admissions
• Integration of community services to help provide seamless service closer to home
• Improve productivity within primary care
• Increase capacity within primary care
• Reduce pressures of GP workload

Audit and risk stratification

• Participate in the effective care planning and management of high risk patients as part of the multidisciplinary team
• Participate in audit activities in practices and with groups of practices to optimise the use of prescribing resource
• Feedback results of clinical audit activities in areas agreed with GPs and implement recommendations and completing full audit cycle
• Make recommendations based on the outcomes of audit and shared learning activities
• Work with practices to proactively identify and recall patients due for review ensuring all appropriate monitoring tests performed
• Analyse, interpret and present prescribing information at practice and population level to support effective decision making and change in evidence based clinical practice

Other conditions:

Communication

The post-holder will recognise the importance of effective communication and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with colleagues.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
• Communicate effectively with providers and members of the general public.
• Be polite and courteous at all times and communicate relevant information where appropriate.
• Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust providers with, or allow the providers 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. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, the post-holder must maintain the confidentiality of information about patients. This work is of a confidential nature and information gained must not be communicated to other persons except in the recognised course of duty. Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information will result in disciplinary action and may lead to the post-holder’s dismissal.

Equal Opportunities

It is the aim of K&W Healthcare Ltd. to ensure that no job applicant or employee receives less than favourable treatment on grounds of sex, marital status, race, colour, creed, religion, physical disability, mental health, learning difficulty, age or sexual orientation and is not placed at a disadvantage by conditions or requirements that cannot be shown to be justifiable. To this end K&W Healthcare Ltd. has an equal opportunities policy and it is for each employee to contribute to its success.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients and colleagues, which will include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with the company’s procedures and policies and current legislation.
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients and colleagues.
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights.

Health and Safety

Employees must be aware of the responsibilities placed on them under the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974 & subsequent acts and amendments) to ensure that the agreed procedures are carried out to maintain a safe environment for patients, visitors and staff. The post-holder will assist in the promotion and maintenance of their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the company’s Health and Safety Policy, which will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to company’s guidelines.
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages these risks.
• Making effective use of training to update skills and knowledge.
• Using appropriate infection-control procedures; maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and ensure that they are free from hazards.
• Reporting any potential risks identified.

Data Protection and the Access to Health Records

• The post holder will comply with the Data Protection Act (1984) and the Access to Health Records Act ( 1991)

No Smoking Policy

• The company has a strict No Smoking Policy as part of its responsibility for the provision of health. The post-holder will be required to work within the framework of this policy. Smoking is not permitted anywhere in or on the grounds.

Personal and Professional Development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the company, which will include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review. They will take responsibility for maintaining a record of their own personal and professional development.
• Taking responsibility for their own development, learning and performance, demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the company, 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 team’s performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other providers to meet patients’ needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.
• Participate in audit where appropriate.

Flexibility

The company is currently working in a climate of great change within the NHS. It is, therefore, expected that all staff will develop flexible working practices to be able to meet the challenges and opportunities of working within the evolving NHS.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £35,000.00-£40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Free parking
• On-site parking
• Referral programme

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Education:

• Master's (required)

Work authorisation:

• United Kingdom (required)