Advanced Clinical Practitioner

NHS Jobs; Knottingley; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A Advanced Clinical Practitioner at Ash Grove Medical Centre and Eggborough Surgery will work autonomously to assess, diagnose and manage a wide range of patients, including adults and children, with acute and complex conditions.

The role includes home visits and care home visits, and requires effective decision-making and safe escalation when needed.

Qualifications

• Advanced clinical assessment and diagnostic skills.
• Ability to manage acutely ill, chronic and complex cases within scope of practice.
• Competence in home visits and care home visits when required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct autonomous face-to-face consultations for acute, minor illness and complex conditions.
• Take comprehensive histories, perform examinations and formulate differential diagnoses.
• Initiate investigations, interpret results and arrange appropriate referrals.

Skills

Autonomous practice

Clinical assessment

Paediatric care

Home visits

Independent practice

Job description

Job Description Advanced Clinical Practitioner Job Summary

The Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) will work as an autonomous clinician within Ash Grove Medical Centre and Eggborough Surgery, providing high-quality, patient-centred care across the practice population. The post holder will be responsible for assessing, diagnosing and managing patients presenting with a wide range of acute, minor illness, chronic and complex conditions. The role will include face‑to‑face consultations in the practice, home visits and care home visits where required, clinical assessment and management, requesting and interpreting investigations, including pathology, and appropriate onward referral. The ACP will work with both adult and paediatric patients, where appropriately qualified and experienced, and will work within their professional scope of practice and level of competence. The successful candidate will demonstrate advanced clinical assessment and diagnostic skills, sound clinical decision‑making, effective risk management and the ability to work independently while recognising when GP or wider multidisciplinary input is required.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct autonomous face‑to‑face clinical consultations with patients presenting with acute, minor illness, chronic and complex conditions.
• Undertake comprehensive clinical histories and physical examinations and formulate appropriate differential diagnoses.
• Assess, diagnose and manage patients safely and effectively within the ACP's scope of practice.
• See adult patients and children where appropriately qualified and competent, recognising and responding appropriately to the different clinical needs of paediatric patients.
• Undertake home visits and care home visits as required, including assessment and management of patients who are unable to attend the practice.
• Assess acutely unwell and deteriorating patients and initiate appropriate management and escalation.
• Request appropriate investigations, including pathology and other diagnostic investigations, and independently review, interpret and act upon results within scope of practice.
• Ensure appropriate follow‑up and safety‑netting of investigations and abnormal results.
• Initiate, prescribe and review medication safely and appropriately within prescribing authority, scope of practice and current national and local guidelines.
• Provide appropriate education and advice regarding medication, adherence, side effects, interactions and lifestyle modification.
• Develop, implement and review individualised treatment and management plans.
• Manage patients with acute presentations, long‑term conditions, complex needs and urgent health concerns, including appropriate mental health presentations.
• Recognise safeguarding concerns and follow appropriate safeguarding procedures and referral pathways for children and adults.
• Make appropriate referrals to GPs, secondary care, community services and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Initiate and coordinate emergency care where clinically indicated.
• Provide appropriate health promotion, preventative healthcare, screening and self‑management advice.
• Provide evidence‑based advice regarding immunisations, contraception and disease prevention where appropriate to the role and scope of practice.
• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous and legally compliant clinical records using the practice's clinical systems.
• Communicate effectively with patients, carers, practice staff, community services, secondary care and other healthcare professionals.
• Work collaboratively with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare assistants, administrative staff and the wider multidisciplinary team.
• Recognise personal limitations and seek advice or escalat justificalemly where a presentation falls outside the post holder's competence or scope of practice.
• Contribute to clinical supervision, mentoring and support of other staff, students and colleagues where appropriate.
• Attend and actively contribute to clinical, multidisciplinary team and governance meetings.
• Participate in clinical audit, significant event reviews, quality improvement and service development.
• Contribute to the development and review of clinical protocols, pathways and practice procedures.
• Support the practice in achieving appropriate QOF and other contractual or quality targets.
• Contribute to the practice's clinical governance, patient safety and CQC requirements.
• Maintain professional registration, undertake required CPD and participate in annual appraisal and clinical supervision.
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of current evidence, NICE guidance, national standards and local policies.
• Comply with infection prevention and control, health and safety, confidentiality, information governance and safeguarding requirements.
• Carry out other reasonable clinical duties requested by the GP Partners or Practice Manager, consistent with the responsibilities and level of the role.

Clinical Investigations and Pathology

A key element of the role will be the appropriate use and management of clinical investigations. The ACP will:

• Request appropriate pathology and other investigations based on clinical assessment.
• Review and interpret pathology results within the post holder's competence.
• Identify abnormal or clinically significant results requiring action.
• Initiate appropriate management, follow‑up or referral.
• Ensure patients are appropriately informed of significant results and that appropriate safety‑netting is provided.
• Maintain responsibility for ensuring investigations requested are appropriately followed up in accordance with practice procedures.

Home Visits

The ACP will undertake home visits and care home visits as required by the practice. This will include:

• Assessing patients in their home or care home environment.
• Undertaking appropriate clinical examination and assessment.
• Diagnosing and managing patients within scope of practice.
• Reviewing medication and treatment plans where appropriate.
• Requesting investigations and arranging appropriate follow‑up.
• Recognising deterioration and arranging urgent or emergency escalation where required.
• Liaising with GPs, community teams, district nurses, palliative care services and other relevant professionals.
• Maintaining accurate clinical records following each visit.

Paediatric Care

Where the post holder is appropriately qualified and experienced to assess children, they may be required to undertake paediatric consultations. This will include:

• Assessing children presenting with acute and minor illness.
• Recognising red flags and signs of serious illness.
• Applying appropriate safeguarding procedures.
• Working within the individual's paediatric competence and escalating to a GP or appropriate service when required.
• Providing appropriate advice and safety‑netting to parents and carers.

The post holder will not be expected to undertake paediatric consultations outside their qualification, competence or agreed scope of practice.

Additional Responsibilities

Participate in rota arrangements and provide appropriate cover for colleagues during periods of annual leave or sickness, where required. Provide clinical support to the wider practice team, including responding to appropriate clinical queries. Support prescription‑related queries within clinical competence and scope of practice. Maintain a professional and appropriate standard of appearance and behaviour. Maintain patient confidentiality and ensure all patient‑identifiable information is handled securely. Comply with practice policies, procedures and statutory requirements. Participate in mandatory training and maintain all required professional competencies. Contribute to clinical audits, research and service improvement initiatives. Act as a clinical lead or develop a specialist area of interest where appropriate and agreed with the practice. Support the practice in maintaining high standards of patient safety, clinical governance and regulatory compliance. Undertake any other reasonable duties appropriate to the role and level of responsibility.