Frailty Practitioner

Whitstable Medical Practice; Whitstable; On-site; GBP 37,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

Whitstable Medical Practice is recruiting a Frailty Practitioner for the General Practice Older Persons (GPOP) Team. The post holder will be a registered healthcare professional at Band 6 level, providing specialist input for older people living with frailty or at risk of frailty-related decline.

You will work autonomously within your scope with supervision from an Advanced Clinical Practitioner when needed.

Qualifications

• Carry out frailty-focused consultations and structured assessments.
• Identify patients at risk of frailty and decline.
• Coordinate holistic care with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Carry out clinical consultations, within their competence, with older people living with frailty.
• Undertake structured frailty assessments and holistic clinical reviews.
• Identify patients who may be living with, or at risk of, frailty.
• Assess mobility, falls risk, nutrition, cognition, and continence.
• Contribute to personalised care planning and escalation of concerns.
• Coordinate care with wider multidisciplinary teams and liaise with services.

Skills

Frailty assessment

Holistic care

Clinical decision making

Team coordination

Education

Registered healthcare professional

Tools

RESPECT forms

Job description

Whitstable Medical Practice has an exciting opportunity for a Frailty Practitioner to join our General Practice Older Persons (GPOP) Team, who has a passion for frailty and older peoples care. The post holder will be a registered healthcare professional working at Band 6 level, providing specialist clinical input to the assessment and ongoing care of older people living with frailty, or at risk of frailty-related decline. They work autonomously within their professional scope and are accountable for their own clinical decisions and conduct. The role centres on holistic assessment, early identification of frailty, prevention of deterioration, personalised care planning, coordination of multidisciplinary care, and timely escalation of clinical concerns. The post holder works as a member of the GP Older Persons Team and as an integral part of the practice team. As a member of this team the post holder will be expected to work independently, with clinical supervision available from an Advanced Clinical Practitioner to support decision making where needed. The GP Older Persons Team are responsible for the day to day medical support to the residential and nursing homes in Whitstable, provide specialist assessment to older people living at home with frailty.

• Carry out clinical consultations, within their competence, with older people living with frailty.
• Undertake structured frailty assessments and holistic clinical reviews.
• Identify patients who may be living with, or at risk of, frailty.
• Assess common frailty syndromes and their impact on function, independence, and quality of life.
• Identify the clinical, functional, psychological, social, and environmental factors contributing to frailty or decline.
• Assess mobility, falls risk, nutrition, cognition, and continence
• Contribute to personalised care planning based on what matters most to the patient including completing RESPECT forms.
• Recognise signs of acute deterioration and escalated promptly.
• Support proactive management of patients at risk of avoidable hospital admission.
• Coordinate care with the wider multidisciplinary team and liaise with community and secondary care services.
• Support patients and carers to understand their condition, care plan, and available support.
• Provide safety-netting and appropriate follow-up.
• Recognise the limits of their own competence and elevate or seek advice when needed.
• Maintain accurate, up-to-date clinical records.
• Contribute to audit, quality improvement, and service development relating to frailty.
• Recognise a deteriorating patient approaching end of life and provide support to patients, families and care home staff within their scope

Whitstable Medical Practice is a forward-thinking single Primary Care Network (PCN), GP Practice based across three sites in Whitstable, Kent looking after 45,500 patients.

Feel valued, supported and have the opportunity to shape the future. Be apart of the only GP practice named in the NHS 10-year Health Plan for its innovation and care. This is an exciting opportunity to join a progressive and ambitious practice where your ideas, professional development and well-being are genuinely valued. Support from our experienced clinical teams, including:

• Pharmacists to help with medication changes /issues
• Home Visiting Team Paramedics
• Very Helpful Nursing and HCA teams
• Supportive management and administrative teams
• Exceptional secretary support, including referrals.

Our state-of-the-art buildings provide access to a wide range of services and facilities, including:

• In-house phlebotomy
• X-ray
• Ultrasound
• DVT diagnosis and treatment
• Minor Injury Unit
• Dermatology including our award-winning QiC Team of the Year
• Echocardiography
• Ophthalmology
• Gynaecology
• LSI
• Minor surgery
• And many, many more ...

As is typical across the country, we are experiencing an increasing elderly population which is placing additional pressures on the local health economy. There are 10 care and nursing homes in the area all of whom are registered with the practice.