We are looking to appoint 4 Physician Associates (PAs) within the Stroke Directorate based at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT), New Cross Hospital.

The Wolverhampton Stroke Service was established in 1995 and has provided a combined Hyperacute and Acute Care for the population of Wolverhampton, Walsall and South Staffordshire since 2018 (600,000 people). The Stroke service is a 39 bedded ward with an integrated TIA clinic directly adjacent to the ward. We see around 1,000 confirmed Stroke admissions each year, provide a 24/7 Stroke thrombolysis service and have a 24/7 Stroke thrombectomy pathway to UHNM Hospital in Stoke-on-Trent.

As a Physician Associate, you will join an established multi-disciplinary team of consultants, doctors, nursing staff and therapists. Successful post holders will be expected to participate in aspects of the care journey for patients admitted to the stroke service and provide high quality care and perform all delegated duties with a high degree of clinical skill and knowledge.

PAs are assigned a clinical supervisor (one of the Stroke physicians) and an educational supervisor who will provide formal support to encourage development within the role, mirroring the existing highly successful central PA programme within the Trust.

Main duties of the job

As well as demonstrating excellent history taking and examination skills, post holders will also establish differential diagnoses, request and interpret investigations, and establish management plans within a defined scope under appropriate supervision as per clinical experience, following guidelines and protocols and work within your own limits.

This post will for the first 12 months be appointed at AfC Band 6 level and will provide supported exposure to the core facets of the Stroke service with a view to consolidating skills and knowledge required in providing care to Stroke patients. Beyond this and subsequent to achieving satisfactory competence (as stipulated by the PA's clinical supervisor) progression to AfC band 7 will follow.

About us

The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS trusts in the West Midlands providing primary, acute and community services and we are incredibly proud of the diversity of both our staff and the communities we serve. We are building a workforce that can help us to fulfil our values, improve quality of care for patients, and solve the health care problems of tomorrow. We're passionate about the value that diversity of thinking and lived experience brings in enabling us to become a learning organisation and leader in delivering compassionate care for our patients.

We are delighted that we have been rated as Good by CQC. We have achieved numerous awards; The Nursing Times Best Diversity and Inclusion Practice and Best UK Employer of the Year for Nursing Staff in 2020.

The Trust is a supportive working environment committed to creating flexible working arrangements that suit your needs and as such will consider all requests from applicants who wish to work flexibly.

Job description
Job responsibilities

Key Responsibilities are listed in the attached job description.

A summary of the post holder duties includes:-

Provide the first point of contact for patients presenting with a variety of problems. Utilise quality history taking, physical examination, problem-solving and make clinical decisions to establish a working diagnosis and management plan including patient discharge and follow up. Refer to and liaise with other specialities, when appropriate.

Order and interpret diagnostic laboratory tests, non-ionising radiological studies or various other therapies. Orders may be verbal or written.

Perform diagnostic/therapeutic procedures, subject to PA training/experience/ competencies (detailed in job description).

Formulate and implement management plans, taking into consideration patients own opinions, comorbidities, current medications, and the implication of polypharmacy on agent choice and prognosis.

Be able to safely discharge patients.

Support outpatient TIA clinic and hyperacute stroke activity in the Emergency Department subject to necessary training and support.

Work collaboratively with the clinical team of consultants, junior doctors, nursing and therapy staff etc, to encourage and ensure good working relationships with the priority of the patient at the forefront

To maintain and work within own competencies under the supervision of a consultant, adhering to the prescribing formulary, local and national guidelines and ensuring national re-certification examination every six years, as required by the Faculty of Physician Associates.

Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Post Graduate Diploma/ MSc in Physician Associate Studies

Desirable

• Pass

Experience
Essential

• Post Graduate Diploma/ MSc in Physician Associate Studies

Desirable

• Completed course

BMJRef: BMJ-76539/225-DIV2-4061214