Job summary
This service is a collaboration between Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust
(SCFT) and the Sussex Federations: Brighton & Hove Federation (B&HF), Alliance for
Better Care (ABC) and South Downs Health & Care (SDHC). The Federations will be
delivering the GP-led aspect of the Virtual Ward at a place-level to match SCFTs
Urgent Community Response service across Sussex. SCFT provides the service in
West Sussex, Brighton and Hove and the High Weald, Lewes and Havens area of East
Sussex.
Hours of Work: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 9am to 1pm
Main duties of the job
As of August 2024, SCFT re-modelled the Virtual Ward delivery and mobilised General
Virtual Wards within Urgent Community Response (UCR), which supports Sussex
patients within its catchment area with a higher level of acuity to be safely managed at
home/chosen place of residence. This could be patients on either an admission
avoidance pathway or early supported discharge pathway, where the alternative would
be NHS bedded care.
The Virtual Ward activity is now prioritising admission avoidance whilst still delivering
early supported discharge for patients from the Acute hospitals. It is delivered 365 days
per year, 8am 8pm. UCR teams within the SCFT footprint provide urgent support to
help prevent unnecessary hospital admissions and ultimately keeping patients safely at
the place they call home. There is a consistent service across Sussex and is made up
of multi-disciplinary teams including General Practitioners, Nurses, Pharmacists,
Therapists and Carers, ensuring they can meet a range of needs quickly offering the
best level of support to patients.
About us
Alliance for Better Care (ABC) is a GP Federation uniting 77 NHS GP member practices across 98 sites within 24 Primary Care Networks in Sussex and Surrey. We support our Primary Care colleagues - and their patients - to transform how healthcare is delivered in their communities.
We work closely with GP Practices, PCNs, Hospitals, Community Organisations, and the Third Sector. These vital partnerships enable us to deliver a truly integrated approach that offers the support andexpertiseneeded to effectively serve our populations.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Virtual Ward GP role is to act as the senior clinical decision maker within the UCR
Team and providing daily clinical leadership. The following duties are the core
responsibilities of the Virtual Ward GP:
- adhering to the timetable of daily scheduled clinical activities
- holding the responsibility for medical decisions made during the contracted
service hours
- appreciating the complexity of patients with multi-morbidity, frailty and
polypharmacy where involving specialists is necessary
- providing care in line with recommended best practice as established through
clinical guidelines
- providing medical advice and supporting decision making to the members of the
wider MDT through all stages of the patient journey.
- supporting and guiding the development of patient management plans, including
- reviewing and prescribing medications, with clinical input from the VW Pharmacy
Team proposing the use of digital monitoring where it may be appropriate
- work with the MDT to support clinical decision-making based on readings from
POC or remote monitoring equipment
- requesting diagnostic investigations and managing test results
- providing virtual consultations or home visiting where clinically required
- keeping accurate and contemporaneous documentation. keeping
- liaising with other health professionals or providers for advice
Please see full Job Description attached for further information.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The Virtual Ward GP role is to act as the senior clinical decision maker within the UCR
Team and providing daily clinical leadership. The following duties are the core
responsibilities of the Virtual Ward GP:
- adhering to the timetable of daily scheduled clinical activities
- holding the responsibility for medical decisions made during the contracted
service hours
- appreciating the complexity of patients with multi-morbidity, frailty and
polypharmacy where involving specialists is necessary
- providing care in line with recommended best practice as established through
clinical guidelines
- providing medical advice and supporting decision making to the members of the
wider MDT through all stages of the patient journey.
- supporting and guiding the development of patient management plans, including
- reviewing and prescribing medications, with clinical input from the VW Pharmacy
Team proposing the use of digital monitoring where it may be appropriate
- work with the MDT to support clinical decision-making based on readings from
POC or remote monitoring equipment
- requesting diagnostic investigations and managing test results
- providing virtual consultations or home visiting where clinically required
- keeping accurate and contemporaneous documentation. keeping
- liaising with other health professionals or providers for advice
Please see full Job Description attached for further information.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a primary care environment
- Experience of continued professional development
- Experience and knowledge of Sussex ICB and referral systems
Desirable
- Experience of working with Urgent Care, A&E and Out of Hours
- Five years post-CCT in general practice
- Previous post CCT experience of working in virtual wards or other acute care settings
- Experience of working effectively in collaboration with other organisations
- Experience of providing supervision/support to an MDT
Clinical Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Outstanding level of clinical knowledge and skills commensurate with that of an experienced GP
- Understands the importance of evidence-based practice and clinical effectiveness
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
- Strong IT skills (competent in the use of Office and Outlook)
- Effective time management (Planning & Organising)
- Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Problem solving & analytical skills
- Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
- Ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
- Experience with clinical risk management
- Understanding of Clinical Governance and quality issues as well as health and social policy
Desirable
- Knowledge of the current issues facing primary care and the wider NHS
- EMIS and SystmOne user and Docman skills
- Experience with audit and able to lead audit programmes
- Ability and success in the implementation of change and/or service development within an organisation
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified GP
- General Practitioner (Certificate of Completion of Training CCT)
- Full GMC Registration
- National Performers List registration
- Appropriate defence indemnity (MPS/MDU)
Desirable
- MRCGP
- Diploma in Geriatric Medicine
- Diploma in Immediate Medical Care
- Diploma in Urgent Medical Care
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Adherence to the GMC Standards/Duties
- Motivated, forward thinker
- Ability to work under pressure
- Commitment to ongoing professional development
- Flexibility of working hours to meet the needs of the service
- Car driver
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a primary care environment
- Experience of continued professional development
- Experience and knowledge of Sussex ICB and referral systems
Desirable
- Experience of working with Urgent Care, A&E and Out of Hours
- Five years post-CCT in general practice
- Previous post CCT experience of working in virtual wards or other acute care settings
- Experience of working effectively in collaboration with other organisations
- Experience of providing supervision/support to an MDT
Clinical Knowledge and Skills
Essential
- Outstanding level of clinical knowledge and skills commensurate with that of an experienced GP
- Understands the importance of evidence-based practice and clinical effectiveness
- Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
- Strong IT skills (competent in the use of Office and Outlook)
- Effective time management (Planning & Organising)
- Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Problem solving & analytical skills
- Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
- Ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
- Experience with clinical risk management
- Understanding of Clinical Governance and quality issues as well as health and social policy
Desirable
- Knowledge of the current issues facing primary care and the wider NHS
- EMIS and SystmOne user and Docman skills
- Experience with audit and able to lead audit programmes
- Ability and success in the implementation of change and/or service development within an organisation
Qualifications
Essential
- Qualified GP
- General Practitioner (Certificate of Completion of Training CCT)
- Full GMC Registration
- National Performers List registration
- Appropriate defence indemnity (MPS/MDU)
Desirable
- MRCGP
- Diploma in Geriatric Medicine
- Diploma in Immediate Medical Care
- Diploma in Urgent Medical Care
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Adherence to the GMC Standards/Duties
- Motivated, forward thinker
- Ability to work under pressure
- Commitment to ongoing professional development
- Flexibility of working hours to meet the needs of the service
- Car driver
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).
Additional information
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).
