Advanced Clinical Practitioner

Job responsibilities

The post holder will be an experienced general practice pharmacist and qualified advanced practitioner, who acts within their professional boundaries, supporting and working alongside the Primary Care Network (PCN) Clinical Pharmacy team to develop, manage and mentor them.

The post holder will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and provide clinical pharmacy and advanced practitioner appointment slots for the network, proactively and competently managing acute and long-term conditions, prescribing/referring where appropriate to do so.

As a Pharmacist Advanced Practitioner, the post holder is a caring, compassionate, and committed experienced pharmacist who, acting within their professional boundaries, will demonstrate critical thinking and provide care for the presenting patient from initial history taking, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and evaluation of care. They will demonstrate safe, competent clinical decision-making and expert care, including assessment and diagnostic skills, for patients within the member practices of the network.

The post holder will also participate as part of the pharmacy team with areas of chronic disease management, medicines optimisation, quality improvement, the quality and outcomes framework, Investment Impact Funds (IIF) and other enhanced services.

The post holder will provide support to practice staff with regards to prescription and medication queries, ensuring integration with community and hospital pharmacy to help utilise skill mix, improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare, and help manage GP workload.

Job summary

• Act as an autonomous practitioner working independently and in conjunction with other health care professionals to assess, diagnose and treat the conditions of patients attending within primary care initiating direct referrals as appropriate.
• Provide expert professional advice to patients, carers, and colleagues to ensure the maintenance of clinical excellence.
• To develop new and innovative concepts, models, methods, and practices to deliver new and improved primary care services to meet the needs of the PCN population.

Key responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities:

The ACP works autonomously and is accountable for own professional actions.

• Undertakes Clinical Pharmacy Practice at an advanced level using expert knowledge and clinical skills to deliver holistic care to people accessing the PCN.
• Assesses diagnoses and treats patients attending primary health care services with a range of acute, non-acute and chronic medical conditions.
• Elicit a patient history appropriate to the clinical situation, which will include, presenting complaint, history of the present illness, past medical history, social history, family history, medications, allergies, review of systems, risk factors and appropriate targeted history.
• Perform a physical examination tailored to the needs of the patients and the demands of the clinical situation.
• Assesses diagnoses and treats patients in surgery or own home who require acute medical attention and refer to appropriate agency.
• Communicate highly complex information to patients, carers and families during the consent process prior to commencement of treatment plans and invasive procedures including explaining treatment options.
• Refers patients as appropriate to other members of the multi-disciplinary team, secondary care and to other statutory and voluntary organisations.
• Interprets a range of diagnostic tests and routine clinical procedures.
• Makes critical judgements of the highest order to satisfy expectations and demands of the job.
• Works within professional guidelines and codes of conduct.
• Works with all relevant practice policies and procedural guidelines e.g., infection control, chaperoning, risk management etc.
• Extended and supplementary prescriber.
• Management/treatment plans and makes referrals as appropriate.
• Contribute to practice targets both local and national within the disease management agenda e.g. QOF/Prescribing Incentive Scheme.
• Audits outcomes of care against standards and initiate changes as necessary.
• To actively implement safeguarding protocols for children and vulnerable adults and to know who to refer to and how to escalate concerns about radicalisation.

The ACP will:

• Critically appraise the impact that a range of social, economic, and environmental factors can have on health outcomes for individuals, and where applicable their family and carers.
• Effectively employ the Public Health England All Our Health framework in own and wider community of practice.
• Initiate effective multi-disciplinary team activity as a lead member and understand the importance of effective team dynamics. This may include service delivery, research such as audit and quality improvement.
• Advocate for and promote person-centred working.
• Ensure safety netting advice is appropriate and the person understands when to seek urgent or routine review.
• Understand the complexities of working with people who have multiple health conditions physical, mental and psychosocial.
• Simultaneously manage acute and chronic problems, including people with multiple morbidities and those who are frail.
• Safely prescribe and/or administer therapeutic medications, relevant and appropriate to scope of practice, including an applied understanding of pharmacology which considers physiological and/or pathophysiological changes and allergies.
• Actively engage in peer review to inform own and others practice, formulating and implementing strategies to act on learning and make improvements.

Communication

Communicate effectively with other team members.

Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising their needs for alternative methods of communication.

Enthusiastic about health promotion and lifestyle change.

Personal and people development

Take responsibility for own developmental learning and performance, including participating in supervision.

Take responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal development.

Work with management on any new training requirements.

To recognise and understand the roles and responsibilities of individuals working in the primary health care team.

Experience of motivational interviewing.

Health, safety and security

• Use the personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines.
• Identify the risks involved in work activities and undertake them in a way that manages the risks.

Other responsibilities

• Participate in annual appraisal which will include staff multi source feedback (MSF) and patient survey.
• Supporting the practice staff and responding to requests for advice and assistance from the practice reception, secretarial and nursing staff.
• Attend prescribing, palliative care, virtual ward round, clinical and practice meetings.
• Provide additional enhanced services to the practices that meet the needs of the practices patient population and maximise the income streams to the practice.
• Undertake additional training where necessary to provide these enhanced services
• Awareness of and compliance with all relevant practice policies/guidelines, e.g., prescribing, confidentiality, data protection, health, and safety, annual QOF/IIF Assessment of the network.
• Meet timescales/deadlines for audits and written returns to ensure that the Practice meets quality standards and receives the designated funding (e.g., Quarterly Enhanced Services returns, annual QOF/IIF audit etc.).

Service improvement

• Be aware of and assist in current clinical audit.
• Work with colleagues in the team on the development of current and new services and other initiatives.
• Deal with requests from patients and clinical staff for health information leaflets.

Quality

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk in the care of patients.
• Ensure own actions are consistent with clinical governance systems.
• Practice in accordance with agreed standards of care.
• Enable patients to access appropriate professionals in the team.
• Ensure stock items under your control are ordered and available in the treatment and consulting rooms.
• Know the practice's policies, especially the whistle-blowing policy, available in the practice staff handbook.
• Be able to manage your own time effectively.

Information processes

• Record information and activities undertaken with patients and carers in an accurate and timely fashion using manual or computer systems as appropriate.
• Maintain confidentiality or information relating to patients, relatives, staff and the practice.
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous electronic patient records on SystmOne.
• Take the necessary precautions when transmitting information.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Attend annual updates and mandatory training as required.
• Highlight any gaps in knowledge/training needs to their line manager to allow them the opportunity to offer support to fulfil the duties of this post.

Act in a manner that safeguards children and/or vulnerable adults as applicable to the role.

• Work in line with organisational policies and procedural guidelines.

This JD is not intended to be an exhaustive list of activities but rather an outline of the main areas of responsibility. The role is likely to evolve to meet the changing needs of the service.

Qualifications

Essential

• Active HCPC Registration and license to practice
• Masters degree in pharmacy (MPharm) (or equivalent).
• MSc in Advanced Practice or equivalent (i.e., registered on Centre of advancing practice directory).
• Non-Medical Prescribing.
• Clinical supervision training and experience.
• Advanced Skills in managing long term conditions.

Desirable

• Mentorship Qualification.
• Quality Improvement/leadership management training.

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience working as a senior Clinical Pharmacist with a minimum of 4 years experience as a pharmacist, with at least 2 years in general practice.
• Evidence of recent teaching, mentorship, and supervision of staff.
• Advanced skills in listening and information processing, alongside empathetic skills to ascertain, understand and respond to individuals complex needs and concerns.
• Clinically examine and assess patient needs from a physiological and psychological perspective, and plan clinical care accordingly. Assess, diagnosis, plan, implement and evaluate interventions/treatments for patients with complex needs. Proactively identify, diagnose, and manage treatment plans for patients at risk of developing a long-term condition (as appropriate).
• Knowledge of clinical governance, confidentiality, data protection and information governance in primary care.
• Autonomous practitioner.
• A solid understanding and experience of QOF and IIF.
• Knowledge of the local and national health policy and wider health economy.
• Have experience and an awareness of common acute and long-term conditions that are likely to be seen in general practice.
• Recognises priorities when problem-solving and identifies deviations from normal pattern and can refer to seniors or GPs when appropriate.
• Will be a qualified advanced practitioner and will demonstrate critical thinking and be competent to provide care for the presenting patient from initial history taking, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of care.
• Able to follow legal, ethical, professional, and organisational policies/procedures and codes of conduct.

Other

Essential

• Physical assessment and clinical examination skills.
• Ability to manage high pressure situations e.g., clinical crisis.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Able to work well with other people and deal with the challenges of ever changing and demanding situations.
• Good working knowledge of SystmOne.
• Evidence of knowledge of research methodology.
• Knowledge of Audit principles and evidence of participation in and completion of audit projects.
• Shows ability to work and lead others across professions.
• Able to manage own time and prioritise work.
• Willingness to work flexibly to deliver clinically effective and cost-effective healthcare.
• Ability to integrate the care of a patient by many and various other clinical staff.
• PhysicalBe able to carry out the duties of this post.

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).