Advanced Paramedic Practitioner

Hove Medical Centre; Hove; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

A community healthcare provider in Hove is looking for a skilled Paramedic Practitioner to join their team. The successful candidate will offer high-quality patient care, including assessment and treatment of minor illnesses and injuries. Ideal applicants will have a strong clinical background and experience in patient education. This role provides an opportunity to work within a close-knit practice focused on community health improvement.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of post-registration experience.
• Proven ability to work autonomously.
• Experience in minor injury/illness center.

Responsibilities

• Assess, diagnose, and treat patients at first point of contact.
• Coordinate telephone & email triage for urgent appointments.
• Promote self-care and patient education.

Skills

Clinical examination skills

Triage abilities

Interpersonal skills

Multi-system assessment

Documentation skills

Education

Registered Paramedic (HCPC)

Post graduate diploma or degree in primary care

Minor Illness diploma or course

Chronic Disease management diploma or course

Job description

As a primary careParamedic Practitioner you will help us provide care to some of the most vulnerable groups of patients as part of a supportive, friendly and knowledgeable team. The post holder will be employed by Hove Medical Centre and work from one main site within a close-knit Practice team

Hove Medical Centre is highly supportive with a strong sense of team, continually striving to improve the healthcare and well-being of our registered patients.

The role will provide a specialist Paramedic resource for Health Care Professionals and service users within the Practice. The role will involve working as an autonomous, accountable Paramedic, in the provision of a holistic approach for individuals including assessment, diagnosis and treatment to deliver quality patient services.

The post holder will use advanced clinical skills to provide education to patients and service users, promoting self‑care and empowering them to make informed choices about their treatment.

The post holder will assess, diagnose, treat, refer or signpost patients and or service users who attend the surgery with undifferentiated or undiagnosed conditions relating to minor illness or minor injury. The post holder will coordinate telephone & email triage, taking clinic responsibility for all patients who have requested an urgent appointment including prescribing within limits of the post.

Main duties of the job

• a. To provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment at first point of contact by attending to patients according to patients needs either in the practice sites or patients homes/care homes.
• b. To accurately triage and prioritise patients, including in emergency situations.
• c. To evaluate clinical information from examination and history taking and initiate appropriate definitive treatment.
• d. To undertake and interpret diagnostics and take appropriate action to manage patient care, whilst distinguishing between abnormal and normal findings in order to relate them to a possible diagnosis.
• e. To signpost appropriately to other services in the identified healthcare pathway.
• f. To discharge or treat, as appropriate and within the scope of practice.
• g. To maintain accurate and systematic documentation of patient interactions.
• h. To assist with the daily duty list and on call triage.
• i. To advise and support members of the public on healthy lifestyles, health promotion and disease prevention.
• j. To provide clinical advice to other members of the team where appropriate.
• k. To support the GPs in other duties as required.
• l. To support the delivery of anticipatory care plans.
• m. Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug and non‑drug based treatment methods into a management plan.
• n. Initiate and interpret tests and investigations as appropriate.
• o. Prescribe where able and review medication for therapeutic effectiveness.

About us

We are a friendly family orientated non judgemental practice with an excellent team feel. We have many different types of health professionals including GPs, Nurses, Paramedics, Physios, Pharmacists & Mental health workers.

We are also a training practice with a number of GP registrars & trainee nurses.

We are members of the West Hove PCN serving the community of West Hove.

Job responsibilities

Communication

• a. To liaise and interact with multi‑professional teams across organisational boundaries, including primary care, social services and secondary care providers according to patient needs and appropriate care pathways.
• b. To maintain communication with all healthcare professionals and outside agencies to ensure seamless, patient‑centred service provision.
• c. To ensure effective communication so that the patient receives the appropriate level of care and wherever possible avoid unnecessary hospital admission.
• d. To take an active role in maintaining expert communication with all patients, carers and relatives which meets their individual needs.
• e. To deal with complaints in a calm and courteous manner, ensuring that, wherever possible, complaints are dealt with efficiently and satisfactorily in accordance with local protocols.
• f. To communicate effectively in demanding and challenging situations, where there may also be hostility.
• g. To assist in maintaining accurate data collection.

Quality

• Under supervision and support of GPs in the practice, the post‑holder will strive to maintain quality within the practices, and will:
• a. Participate in clinical governance activity and contribute to the improvement in quality of health outcomes through audit, risk management and Quality Improvement.
• b. Alert other team members to concerns about risk, quality, and safety.
• c. Participate in investigation of incidents and events as required.
• d. Identify, apply, and disseminate research findings relating to own practice.
• e. Collect data for audit purposes and use clinical audit to monitor quality in the service.
• f. 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 performance.
• g. Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
• h. Effectively manage own time, workload, and resources.
• i. Participate in research and utilise the audit cycle as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self and the team, implementing improvements where required.
• j. In partnership with other clinical teams, collaborate on improving the quality of health care responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate.
• k. Support and participate in shared learning across the practice.
• l. Assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures.

Safeguarding Adults and Children

• a. The postholder has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable adults and children.
• b. When adults or children and/or their carers use primary care services, it is essential that all adult and child protection concerns are both recognised and acted on appropriately.
• c. The postholder has a responsibility to ensure they are familiar with and follow local policies in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and that they follow the local child protection procedures and any supplementary guidance.
• d. The postholder has a responsibility to support appropriate investigations either internally or externally.
• e. To ensure the postholder is equipped to carry out their duties effectively, they must also attend vulnerable adult and child protection training and updates at the competency level appropriate to the work they do and in accordance with the local vulnerable adult and child protection training guidance.

Generic Responsibilities

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

A good attitude and positive action towards ED&I creates an environment where all individuals are able to achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons: it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do and it is required by law.

Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.

Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.

Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)

This practice is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, well‑being and safety. You have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for you, your team and others and to co‑operate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. All personnel are to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Environment Act 1995, Fire Precautions (Workplace) Regulations 1999 and other statutory legislation.

Confidentiality

This practice is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality at all times. It is essential that, if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained, all staff protect patient information and provide a confidential service.

Quality and Continuous Improvement (CI)

To preserve and improve the quality of our output, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do, but how they achieve it. By continually re‑examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the practice to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice.

This practice continually strives to improve work processes which deliver healthcare with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.

Induction training

On arrival at the practice all new personnel are to complete a practice induction programme. This is managed by the practice manager.

Learning and development

The effective use of training and development is fundamental to ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude, and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake and complete mandatory training as directed by the training coordinator, as well as participating in the practice training programme.

Staff will also be permitted (subject to approval) to undertake external training courses which will enhance their knowledge and skills, progress their career and ultimately enable them to improve processes and service delivery.

Collaborative working

All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working. Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments. Effective communication is also essential and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.

Service delivery

Staff at West Hove PCN sites must adhere to the information contained within practice policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are adhered to at all times. Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.

Security

Security procedures and protocols are in place to protect both staff and patients.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Paramedic (HCPC)
• Post graduate diploma or degree in primary care
• Minor Illness diploma or course
• Evidence of continued professional development
• BLS/BPLS provider
• Chronic Disease management diploma or course
• Teaching and assessing qualification
• Completed Clinical Leadership programme or similar

Knowledge and Skills

• Able to manage and prioritise own workload
• Proven ability to work autonomously and as part of a team with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Able to triage, clinically examine and assess patient needs from a physiological and psychological perspective.
• Ability to work within scope of practice and know when to refer.
• Skilled in multi-system assessment
• Able to complete accurate documentation for every patient contact.
• Able to give appropriate telephone advice
• Able to give relevant discharge advice
• Able to record and interpret ECG
• Understanding of the HCPC Code of Professional Conduct
• Knowledge of Adult and Child Safeguarding procedures
• Dispensing skills as per protocols and patient group directives.

Experience

• At least five years post registration experience
• Previous experience of using protocols, guidelines and PGDs
• Experience as an autonomous practitioner within a minor injury/illness centre or mobile service, using own clinical judgment to form a diagnosis.
• Experience of the Advanced Practitioner role within Primary or Secondary Care.
• Experience of health promotion/education
• Experience of completing social assessments
• Experience of following referral pathways
• Experience of, and competency in, maintaining a professional portfolio.
• Experience of clinical audit
• Wound care experience
• Experience of requesting pathology tests and processing results, advising patients accordingly.
• Experience of completing social assessments
• Experience of research projects

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.