We are looking for a Physician Associate to join our primary care team, working across several practices. The work will include a mix of telephone, eConsults and seeing acutely ill patients, both in the practice and in their own home, as part of a multi-disciplinary primary care team, working within our long-term condition clinics providing annual reviews and providing ongoing care to patients. The aim is to progressively build skill, confidence and experience in a safe and supported way to enable you to grow in confidence as an independent clinician delivering care to our patient population.

Supervision

Mentorship and supervision will be provided by designated senior medical personnel. The level and type of supervision will be dependent on the post holders skills and knowledge, and determined by the organisations clinical governance arrangements. You will follow recommended annual appraisals and continuing professional development set out by the Faculty of Physician Associates (FPA). You will have a named clinical supervisor and a GP in each practice to provide debriefing.
Main duties of the job

As a PA you will be acting within your professional boundaries, providing care for patients from initial history taking, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of their care under the supervision of a GP. You will demonstrate safe, clinical decision-making and expert care for patients within the general practice, in consultation with a GP.
About us

A Primary Care Network (PCN) consists of a grouping of GP Practices within a coherent geographical area. The Practices work together with a range of local providers, including community services, social care and the voluntary sector, to offer more personalised, co-ordinated health and social care to their local populations.

NHS England has significant ambitions for PCNs, with the expectation that they will be a key vehicle for delivering many of the commitments in the long-term plan and providing a wider range of services to patients.

Central North Leeds PCN consists of 7 GP Practices: Alwoodley Medical Centre, Meanwood Health Centre, North Leeds Medical Practice, Oakwood Surgery, Rutland Lodge Medical Centre, Shadwell Medical Centre and Street Lane Medical Practice.

There is a patient population of approximately 78,000 across those 7 Practices. We aim to provide high quality services adhering to principles of best practice, promoting equal opportunities and working positively with diversity.

Job description
Job responsibilities

CLINICAL: (under appropriate Supervision)

Provide first point of contact for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems, utilising history taking, physical examination, problem-solving and clinical decision-making skills to establish a working diagnosis and management plan working in partnership with patients.

Undertake as agreed surgery based consultations for emergency or routine problems including management of long term conditions. In addition, undertake telephone consultations / home visits and participate in duty rotas

Instigate necessary invasive and non-invasive diagnostic tests or investigations and interpret findings/reports within the scope of a PAs practice. Discuss the result and implications of laboratory investigations with patients

Utilise clinical guidelines and promote evidence-based practice

Offer a holistic service to patients and their families, developing where appropriate an on-going plan of care/support with an emphasis on prevention and self-care

Refer patients directly to other services or agencies using appropriate referral pathways

Ensure safe handover of care within and outside the practice as appropriate

Work directly with members of the practice primary health care team and support integrated patient centred care through appropriate working with wider primary care / social care networks

Identify community health needs and participate in the development of patient/family-centred strategies to address them

Contribute to the practice quality targets to consistently achieve high standards of safe, evidence-based, cost-effective patient care and service delivery

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT:

Participate in continuing professional development opportunities to keep up-to-date with evidence-based knowledge and competence in all aspects of the role to meet clinical governance guidelines for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and a Personal Development Plan (PDP) utilising a reflective approach to practice. This requires 50 hours of CPD every year: a minimum of 25 hours must be in accredited direct learning programmes

Undertake a variety of research and analysis tasks associated with the improvement of clinical care, medical diagnosis and treatment where appropriate using the following means.

• Audit of clinical practice
• Significant event review / root cause analysis
• Review of relevant literature
• Research unusual symptoms and treatment options through consultation with general practitioners, physicians and other specialists

Promote and support a learning culture within the practice and assist in clinical instruction, mentoring and supervision of medical, nursing or physician associate students and other learners that may periodically be attached to the practice

Contribute to regular multi-disciplinary and or practice educational meetings

Participate in multi-disciplinary protocol and patient group directions (PGDs) development as appropriate

Work closely with other clinical staff and administrative managers in the setting up and/or improving of practice systems for monitoring/measuring performance against Clinical Governance and Quality Indicator targets

For a newly qualified PA we are linking with the West Yorkshire Primary Care Workforce & Training Hub:

Training Offer (newly qualified) (please note that this is dependant on the course being available at the time of recruitment, and we also have an excellent support structure within our PCN)

We are looking to provide a 2-year development programme for newly qualified Physician Associates to help make the transition from training/qualification into safe and effective clinicians capable of independent practice. This will include the following:

• Long appointment times initially gradually reducing these over the period as confidence and skills develop
• Named GP support in each clinic
• Named GP mentor with regular tutorials
• Opportunity to run Long Term Condition clinics with suitable training
• 4 days per week clinical work
• 1 day per week study/tutorial/peer group learning/practice PLT (protected learning time) session, and PCN based project work
• Regular Peer group learning sessions
• Support to complete independent prescriber status once legislation allows this

ADMINISTRATION:

Fully document all aspects of patient care and complete all required paperwork for legal and administrative purposes in accordance with relevant standards

Work in accordance with internal administrative systems relating to but not limited to the management of clinical data

Send and receive written information on behalf of the practice relating to the physical and social welfare of patients

Work closely with other clinical staff and administrative managers in the setting up and/or improving of practice systems for monitoring/measuring performance against Clinical Governance and Quality Indicator targets and work to deliver the NHS contract pertinent to the practice including the terms of the Quality and Outcomes Framework and locally enhanced services

Ensure that all practice policies are fully implemented

Support, contribute to and participate in external inspections

PROFESSIONAL:

Take the UK PA National Re-Certification Exam every six years - required for Physician Associates AND maintain your professional registration working within the latest Code of Professional Conduct (CIPD)

Undertake statutory and mandatory training as required by the practice

Demonstrate clinical leadership

Pro-actively promote the role of the PA within the practice and externally to key stakeholders and agencies

Respect patient confidentiality at all times and not divulge patient information unless sanctioned by the requirements of the role

HEALTH AND SAFETY:

Comply at all times with the practice health and safety policies by following agreed safe working procedures and reporting incidents using the organisations Incident Reporting System (IRS)

Comply with the Data Protection Act (1984) and the Access to Health Records Act (1990)

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY:

Co-operate with all policies and procedures designed to support equality of employment. Co-workers, patients and visitors must be treated equally irrespective of gender, ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion etc.

COMMUNICATION AND WORKING RELATIONSHIPS:

Establish and maintain effective communication pathways with all practice staff and visiting clinical team members such as district nurses, modern matrons, health visitors etc.

Person Specification
Analytical skills
Essential

• Critical appraisal skills
• Experience of applying evidence to clinical practice

Desirable

• Knowledge of Audit principles and evidence of participation in audit / Quality Improvement projects
• Evidence of knowledge of research methodology

Qualifications
Essential

• Postgraduate Diploma/ Master in Physician Associate 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 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
• Equal Opportunity training in the last three years

Experience
Essential

• Experience of general practice and/or secondary care
• Demonstrable patient assessment skills
• Demonstrates an in depth knowledge of related medical conditions, treatments and pharmacology
• Experience of supporting doctors in clinical decision making
• Ability to work autonomously within the scope of supervised practice
• Detailed knowledge of maintaining confidentiality and implementing data protection legislation requirements including information governance
• Ability to organise and prioritise workload effectively
• Ability to exercise sound judgement when faced with conflicting pressures
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• IT literate

Desirable

• Experience of using clinical systems e.g. SystmOne or EMIS
• Experience and enthusiasm for clinical teaching of multi-disciplinary students and qualified staff when appropriate

Communication
Essential

• Good communication and empathy skills with patients
• Evidence of willingness to participate in a multi-disciplinary team environment to provide and integrated service for patients
• 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
• Willingness to work flexibly to deliver clinically effective and cost effective healthcare

Personal attributes & abilities
Essential

• Evidence of continual learning and development
• Any attachments will be accessible after you click to apply.
  
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