Zero-Hour Paramedic

Job responsibilities

Job Responsibilities:

Diagnosing and treating patients presenting with minor illness

• Triage and treat acutely unwell patients.

• Triage and treat appropriate patients on home visits.
• Carry out Avoiding Unplanned Admission reviews
• Assist with flu and COVID immunisation programmes.

• Patients with problems needing referral to secondary care should be discussed with the GP supervisor (or GP on call in their absence) before making such referral.

• Ensure clinical practice is safe and effective and remains within boundaries of competence, and to acknowledge limitations. A GP will be available for supervision conversations at all times.

• Advise patients on general health care and minor ailments, with referral to other members of the primary and secondary health care team as necessary

• Works from the surgery and within communities as an autonomous practitioner caring for patients and families.

• Works as an autonomous practitioner, in accordance with the Health Professions Council. Ensure that personal and professional clinical standards are maintained.

• To undertake assessment for patients within the community and those attending the surgery, using diagnostic skills and initiation of investigations where appropriate.

• Prescribe/issue medications as appropriate following policy, patient group directives and local pathways.

• To formally and informally impart knowledge and skills to colleagues promoting peer review and best practice within the work environment.

• To communicate at all levels within the team ensuring an effective service is delivered.

• To maintain accurate, contemporaneous healthcare records appropriate to the consultation.

• Ensure evidenced-based care is delivered at the highest standards ensuring delivery of high quality patient care.

• Works with local policies and procedures.

• Enhance own performance through Continuous Professional Development, imparting own knowledge and behaviours to meet the needs of the service.

• To achieve and demonstrate agreed standards of personal and professional development in order to meet the needs of the service.

• To participate in the audit process, evaluation and implementing plans and practice change in order to meet patient need.

• Contribute positively to the effectiveness and efficiency of the team and work colleagues.

• Undertake QOF work

Pathological specimens and investigatory procedures

• Undertake the collection of pathological specimens including intravenous blood samples, swabs etc. Perform investigatory procedures requested by the GPs

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

Training and personal development

• 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.

• Participate in the education and training of students of all disciplines and the introduction of all members of the practice staff where appropriate

• Maintain continued education by attendance at courses and study days as deemed useful or necessary for professional development, ensuring PREP 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 Learning Plan

Liaison

• As well as the nursing team, there is a need to work closely with reception, office 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 nursing 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 including our Clinical Advisory quality group. The only reason for not attending will be annual, study or sick leave.

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to perform tasks as necessitated by your developing role, in line with the overall objectives of the organisation and PCN agenda.

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 postholder 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 protection of personal and sensitive data

Equality and Diversity:

The postholder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/Professional development:

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

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality:

The postholder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The postholder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services:

The postholder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Paramedic (HCPC)

Desirable

• Postgraduate diploma or degree (Primary Care)

Skills

Essential

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Good IT skills
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Competent in the use of Office including Outlook
• Effective time management (planning & organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Good interpersonal skills
• Problem-solving & analytical skills
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure

Desirable

• Understanding of auditing processes
• Understanding of clinical risk management
• EMIS / SystmOne user skills

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and cooperative
• Motivated, forward thinker
• Problem-solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to work under pressure / in stressful situations
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Effectively utilises resources
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort

Experience

Essential

• Experience in triage
• Experience of dealing with a range of clinical conditions
• Ability to effectively triage, assess and diagnose
• Wound care
• ECGs
• Chaperone procedure
• Requesting pathology tests and processing the results, advising patients accordingly
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Asthma
• Spirometry
• CHD
• Immunisations (routine, childhood and travel)
• Understands the importance of evidence-based practice
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understanding of when to refer to GPs

Desirable

• Experience of working in a Primary Care environment
• Experience of working as a paramedic practitioner
• Knowledge of public health issues in the local area
• Awareness of issues within the wider health arena
• Knowledge of health-promotion strategies
• Understands the requirement for PGDs and associated policy

Other Requirements

Desirable

• Flexibility to work outside core office hours
• Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
• Occupational Health clearance
• HCPC registration

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

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