We are looking to increase our dynamic and exciting Physician Associates (PAs) faculty which we currently have across the Trust to support a team of consultants, junior doctors, nursing staff and therapists.

If you are due to qualify, newly qualified or an experienced PA we would love to hear from you. We have a number of roles to offer.

The posts will be rotational initially but as your experience increases the post will be fixed and you will develop your specialty skills further. Areas covered include Acute Medicine, General Medicine, Respiratory, Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Elderly and Frailty.

As a PA in any specialty you will become involved in the activities of the department you are working in.

Main duties of the job

Please see Job and Person Specification for further information

The Physician Associate Faculty at CHFT has expanded since 2017, and now has ~ 30 posts across Medicine, Surgery and in the Emergency Department, so as a PA you will have many colleagues in the workforce for mentoring, role modelling and support; as well as a multi-disciplinary team who understand the role which is fully integrated and well established.

Beyond the day to day ward work, PAs at CHFT are now also developing advanced clinical skills, attending clinics, supporting speciality in-reach; are involved in Research and are Associate Principal Investigators, plus other Audit and Quality Improvement Projects; undertaking leadership courses and supporting inter-professional learning.

About us

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust are proud providers of acute hospital services. We value our staff and recognise that they are our greatest asset. The CQC rated us as Good in June 2018. In their report they confirmed that staff were caring and provided compassionate care; patients were treated with dignity and respect and their privacy was respected; patients spoke positively about the care they received.

CHFT is nestled in the heart of the stunning Pennine hills - the area which inspired the works of the Bronte sisters. Were conveniently situated between the vibrant cities of Leeds and Manchester and surrounded by breath-taking scenery, places to visit and things to do.

At present there is an allocated study leave allowance of 5 days with a budget of £500 per year to support continued professional development. All PAs have allocated educational supervisors and an annual appraisal. Education opportunities include local and regional teaching, and completion of Advanced Life Support is actively encouraged.

Some of CHFTs PAs are also honorary lecturers at local Higher Education Institutes (Leeds and Bradford Universities), with others securing PA Ambassador representation and now workforce lead secondments. The PA team is encouraged to pursue professional development, and the workforce trajectory is evolving continually.

Job description
Job responsibilities

The post holders will provide assistance to the medical staff and perform delegated duties with a high degree of clinical skill and knowledge. They will always act within a predetermined level of supervision and within agreed national guidelines. Although there may be times when the supervising doctor is not physically present, they will always be readily available for consultation. With experience, it is expected that the Physician Associates scope of practice will increase. Thus, it is expected that over time the supervisory relationship will mature and although the doctor will remain in overall control of the clinical management of patients, close supervision will diminish. Qualified PAs may develop specialist expertise through practice learning and continuing professional development (CPD) that reflects the speciality of their supervising consultant. Applicants must be on the UKAPA voluntary register.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Postgraduate Diploma/Master in Physician Associate (formally Physician Assistant) from an accredited UK University
• Bachelor Degree in Life Science/Biomedical/Nursing or Allied Health Science
• Member of Faculty of Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR)
• Valid national certification and recertification every six years as stipulated by PAMVR
• For USA trained candidates; Current and valid certification with the National Commission on Certification for Physician Assistants (NCCPA)

Desirable

• Basic or Advanced Life Support

Experience
Desirable

• Experience working as a Physician Associate in hospital or in a a community setting
• Any desirable/ additional specialty specific requirements
• Understanding current issues within the specialty and the future direction of the specialty
• Understanding current issues within the wider NHS
• Shows ability to work with and lead others across professions

Disposition
Essential

• Good communication and empathy skills with patients
• Evidence of willingness to participate in a multi-disciplinary team environment to provide an integrated service
• Ability to work as a member of a team, both through communication and sharing workload
• Ability to manage high pressure situations e.g. clinical crisis
• Ability to prioritise and organise workload and co-ordinate staff
• Ability to integrate the care of a patient by many and various other clinical staff
• Willingness to work flexibly to deliver clinically effective and cost effective healthcare

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.