Urgent Care Practitioner (UCP)

Job responsibilities

Job responsibilities and Accountabilities:

• Assist the Clinical Lead and Medical Director in implementing systems and processes that will ensure excellent standards of care
• Undertake face to face assessment and treatment of patients who attend the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) and Faversham Medical Practice, including home visits.
• Provide assessment, treatment and diagnosis at point of first contact, by attending to patients in a variety of clinical or non-clinical settings according to patients needs including care planning.
• Refer patients to an alternative care setting or treat and discharge as appropriate
• Ensure that professional standards are maintained in the provision of care within the guidance by the Department of Health and the NMC, HCPC or other relevant authority.
• Ensure that the robust system in place for maintaining clinical governance within Faversham Medical Practice (FMP) is adhered to.
• Implement the monitoring plan designed by the Clinical Lead, Medical Director (MD) to evaluate standards of evidence based care and practice. Report results to the Clinical Lead and assist in developing action plans where necessary to improve standards and feed-back the results to the Clinical Lead and MD
• Network with external care providers to ensure continuity of care
• Link with the Clinical Governance Team to ensure clinical policies and procedures are current

Management:

• Provide leadership and support to Receptionist/HCAs
• Assist the Clinical Lead to establish the mandatory training requirements of the HCA roles and identify training resources
• Ensure an efficient and effective service delivery by actively supporting the Clinical Lead and other members of the team
• Ensure records are kept on FMP activities and produce statistical data
• Ensure accurate learning and development records are maintained

Professional and Clinical:

• Provide professional leadership for all Receptionists/HCAs providing a source of advice, consultation and support, to lead and motivate
• Be conversant with the NMC or HCPC Code of Professional Conduct and any associated national guidelines and abide by their guidance
• Support the implementation of any audit findings

Communication and Key Working Relationships:

The post holder must be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills at all times, and build and maintain good working relationships with all stakeholders including the following:

• Clinical Lead
• Medical Director
• Operational Project Leads
• HR Team
• CQC, IG and Safeguarding leads
• Clinical Governance Team
• Business Manager
• Urgent Care Practitioners
• Receptionist/HCAs
• Practice Nursing Team
• Administrative Team
• GPs at FMP
• Multi-disciplinary team within FMP
• Out of hours services
• Other Urgent Treatment Centres, A&Es, Hospitals

Administration and professional responsibilities:

• Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team
• Ensure accurate and legible notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients notes
• Ensure the clinical computer system is kept up to date, with accurate details recorded and amended
• Ensure appropriate items of service claims are made accurately, reporting any problems to the practice administrator
• Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice
• Ensure collection and maintenance of statistical information required for regular and ad hoc reports and audit
• Attend and participate in practice meetings as required
• Restocking and maintenance of clinical areas and consulting rooms

Supplies and equipment:

• Maintenance of equipment and stock relating to patient care

Training, professional and personal development:

The post holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Training requirements will be monitored by yearly appraisal and will be in accordance with practice requirements. Personal development will be encouraged and supported by the practice. It is the individuals responsibility to remain up to date with recent developments.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
• Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the induction of all members of the practice staff where appropriate
• Develop and maintain an in house training programme reporting to the practice manager
• Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development, ensuring revalidation requirements are met
• If it is necessary to expand the role to include additional responsibilities, full training will be given
• Develop and maintain a Personal Development Plan

Liaison:

• As well as the clinical team, there is a need to work closely with reception to ensure the smooth running of the practice, reporting any problems encountered to the relevant person and ensuring everyone is aware of the different roles within the clinical team
• There is also the need to establish and maintain good liaison with other surgeries and agencies, including secondary care

Meetings:

• It will be necessary to attend and contribute to various practice meetings as requested. Attendance at such meetings will be mandatory.

Confidentiality:

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the personal and sensitive data

Health & Safety:

The post holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others health and safety and infection control, as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory/contractual/professional requirements and good practice guidelines
• Responsible for correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements
• Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff
• Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
• Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses/training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand-cleansing facilities, wipes etc. are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate
• Safe management of sharps procedures, including training, use, storage and disposal
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial/corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
• Actively identifying, reporting and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards/risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)
• Routine management of own team/team areas and maintenance of work space standards
• Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
• Decontamination control procedures, management and training and equipment maintenance

Safeguarding:

It is the responsibility of all staff at Faversham Medical Practice to;

• Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
• Ensure their safeguarding adults and safeguarding children training is up to date at the level appropriate to their role.

This job description provides an outline of the main responsibilities associated with the role but is not exhaustive. The range of activities and areas of responsibility will evolve over time. The content of this job description will therefore be subject to regular review and amendment in line with any resulting change in the need to fulfil and meet the organisations needs.

Qualifications

Essential

• NMC/HCPC Registration.
• A demonstrable commitment to professional development.
• Minor injuries qualification.
• Minor illness qualification.

Desirable

• Educated to degree level or working towards.
• Independent prescriber.
• Ability to plaster.
• Red dot qualification.

Knowledge and skills

Essential

• Excellent Communication skills written and verbal.
• Excellent clinical decision-making skills.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills in urgent care setting.
• Ability to clear workload by the end of each shift.

Qualities/Attributes

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate enthusiasm to develop clinical skills
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense.
• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities.
• Ability to work as part of an integrated multi-skilled team.
• Pleasant and articulate.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to work in a changing environment.
• Ability to use own initiative.
• Empathetic and caring approach to patients.
• Suitability for working with children.

IT

Essential

• Good IT skills.

Desirable

• Experience of EMIS clinical system.
• Experience of Microsoft Office software.

Other

Essential

• Able to provide evidence of right to work in the UK.
• Willingness to work weekends and bank holidays.
• Full driving licence.

Desirable

• Flexibility of working hours/ability to help cover shifts.

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).