Physician Associate Project Lead

NHS; Dartford; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job description

The Project Lead will undertake a programme of work over a one-year period to develop a workforce strategy for the employment and practice standards of PAs. This will involve engaging with a broad range of stakeholders to develop and promote a PA competency framework for PAs working in Mental Health supporting their clinical practice.

The successful candidate should have completed the Physician Associate Postgraduate Diploma/Masters from an accredited UK university.

Main duties of the job

Overview of the Post

Physicians Associates (PAs) are medically trained, generalist healthcare professionals who work alongside doctors and other members of the multidisciplinary team to provide medical care. Although their role is not always clearly defined and there is limited awareness within clinical services, they can play a valuable role supporting the mental health multidisciplinary team in healthcare delivery.

Job responsibilities

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

1. To build a recruitment campaign and aim to introduce PA roles in Oxleas.
2. To engage with the Directorate managers to identify teams that could benefit from having a PA in the skill mix plus consultants who could provide supervision.
3. Develop the skills of the team consultants to carry out their PA supervision role.
4. Work with senior managers and clinicians within the Trust to consider the PA workforce as a solution to workforce shortages and be innovative in ways of encouraging more reluctant colleagues to engage with PA expansion.
5. Work collaboratively with senior managers and clinicians within the Trust to enable change in relation to PA practice.
6. Map and understand the barriers to developing PA roles and work alongside stakeholders to overcome these.
7. Articulate a communication plan to improve understanding of the PA role within the Trust.
8. Develop a recruitment and workforce plan to grow the PA workforce, from training through to career progression.
9. Develop a competency framework for PA practice and support their assessment against this framework as part of a Training Needs Analysis to achieve practice assurance across the PA workforce.
10. Develop a CPD programme for PAs that ensures equal and fair access to development opportunities, in line with the regulatory body requirements, to support the revalidation of PAs.
11. Work in partnership with colleagues to promote and support an environment of learning.
12. Ensure the local practice of PAs supports requirements from national policy and local drivers.
13. Establish a proactive regional Physician Associate community or engage in existing ones to develop mechanisms for sharing best practice and clinical networking.
14. Provide reports and updates to relevant committees and meetings.
15. Responsibility for the project budget and ensuring the outcomes are delivered within the resources available.
16. Design an induction programme for new PA recruits.
17. To establish a project board consisting of the Medical Director, Director of Medical Education, Consultant Psychiatrists, Head of Medical Staffing, Trainee representatives and other interested professional heads.

Person Specification

Training & Qualifications

• Degree in Physician Associate studies or equivalent

Knowledge and Experience

• Clinical experience as a physician associate
• Knowledge of the challenges associated with Physician Associates and their training.
• Understanding of national PA agenda, policies framework and CPD framework requirements
• Experience in developing teaching programmes.
• Experience in reporting writing and delivering presentations.
• Previous experience in workforce development, initiating and implementing change.

Skills

• Ability to understand differing service needs and use diplomacy when collaborating with stakeholders with conflicting interests.
• Negotiation and conflict management skills
• Ability to prioritise own workload and meet deadlines without supervision
• Excellent written and verbal communication, organisation and planning, IT skills

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.