Job responsibilities
The full Job Description is attached for further information. JOB
SUMMARY
Key Responsibilities
The
GP Assistant will be trained to:
Sort
and prioritise clinical post, directing some to other healthcare professional
Extract
information from clinical letters for coding and notes.
Handle
routine clinical post directly (e.g., DNA letters, 2WW).
Arrange
appointments, referrals, and follow-ups.
Prepare
patients for attendance to the GP appointment, taking brief histories and basic
readings.
Perform
urine tests, take blood pressure, ECGs, and phlebotomy.
Complete
basic forms for the GPs approval and signature.
Explain
treatment procedures and arrange follow-ups.
Assist
the GP in liaising with outside agencies.
Support
the GP with immunisations and wound care.
Carry
out tasks set by the PCN Leadership Team and the wider PCN multi-disciplinary
team to meet the Network Contract DES requirements.
To
support the PCN with wider stakeholder engagement by representation at local
resident events
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.
Collaborative working relationships
Works within the primary care team, contributing to leadership of service evaluation and research to promote quality improvement activity.
Collaborates with multi-disciplinary PCN team
Uses healthcare technologies to optimise service delivery, patients access, and continuity of care
Management
Demonstrates understanding of the implications of national priorities for the team and/or service.
Uses resources effectively to manage patient treatment in line with local guidance and makes recommendations for changes where improvements can be made.
Follows professional and organisational policies
Education, learning and development
It is the responsibility of the employee to comply with all organisational and statutory requirements (eg. health and safety, infection control, equality and diversity, confidentiality, safeguarding adults and children, information governance).
Engages in annual appraisal, developing objectives to inform a Personal Development Plan, which may include 360-degree appraisal and use of patient feedback.
Participate in teaching and training of medical, nursing, and all other practice staff.
Supports the practice staff and responds to requests for advice and assistance.
Complete all mandatory and statutory training required by the role.
Take responsibility for personal development, learning and performance and maintain education through attendance on any courses and/or study days necessary to ensure that professional development requirements are met.
Undertaking additional training where necessary to provide enhanced services and participate in training programmes implemented by the PCN/practices as part of this employment.
Understands and demonstrates the characteristics of a role model to members in the team and/or service.
Demonstrates an understanding of current educational policies relevant to working areas of practice and keeps up to date with relevant clinical practice.
Quality
Under supervision and support of GPs in the practice, the post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practices, and will:
Participating in clinical governance activity and contribute to the improvement in quality of health outcomes through audit, risk management and Quality Improvement
Alerts other team members to concerns about risk, quality, and safety
Participates in investigation of incidents and events as required
Identifies, applies, and disseminates research findings relating to own practice
Collects data for audit purposes and uses clinical audit to monitor quality in the service
Contributes 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
Works effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
Effectively manages own time, workload, and resources
Meets timescales/deadlines for audits and written returns to ensure that the Practice meets quality standards and receives the designated funding.
Confidentiality
In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder will 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 Company as a business organisation. All information is to be regarded as strictly confidential.
Maintains confidentiality of any information concerning patients in accordance with current policy on information governance.
Demonstrates respect for privacy and confidentiality in all interactions with patients and the public.
Data Protection
This post has a requirement for confidentiality. If you are required to obtain, process and/or use information held electronically you should do 'it in a fair and lawful way. You should hold data only for the specific registered purpose and not use or disclose it in any way incompatible with such a purpose. Data must only be disclosed to authorised people or organisations as instructed. Breaches of confidence in relation to data will result in disciplinary action which may involve dismissal.
You must not at any time use the personal data held by the organisation for any purpose other than practice business and this must not be disclosed to a third party. If you are in any doubt regarding your responsibilities under the Data Protection Act 2018 you must contact your line manager or appropriate senior lead at the time.
Safeguarding adults and children
The postholder has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of vulnerable adults and children.
When adults or children and/or their carers use primary care services, it is essential that all adult and child protection concerns are both recognised and acted on appropriately.
The postholder has a responsibility to ensure they are familiar with and follow local policies in relation to safeguarding vulnerable adults and that they follow the local child protection procedures and any supplementary guidance.
The postholder has a responsibility to support appropriate investigations either internally or externally.
To ensure the postholder is equipped to carry out their duties effectively, they must also attend vulnerable adult and child protection training and updates at the competency level appropriate to the work they do and in accordance with the local vulnerable adult and child protection training guidance.
Health & Safety
Assists in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the PCN Health & Safety Policy, to include:
Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
Adhere to the guidance within the Lone Workers policy, when making home visits
Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
Reporting potential risks identified
Complies with policies for infection control and hand hygiene to reduce the spread of healthcare-associated infections. For clinical staff with direct patient contact, this will include compliance with clinical procedures and protocols, including uniform and dress code, the use of personal protective equipment policy, safe procedures for using aseptic techniques, and safe disposal of sharps
All staff are required to attend mandatory training in Infection Control and be compliant with all measures known to be effective in reducing healthcare-associated infections
Equality and Diversity
Supports the equality, diversity, and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, that includes:
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
Respects the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
Flexibility
This job description is not intended to be exhaustive. The post-holder will be expected to adopt a flexible attitude towards the duties outlined which may be subject to amendment at any time in consultation with the post-holder and in line with the needs of the organisation
The post holder may be required to fulfil other duties, as agreed with the practice manager /line manager to meet the needs of the organisation. This will involve travel to other sites within the organisation
Security
It is the responsibility of all employees to work within the security policies and procedures of the practices they work at to protect the patients, staff, and visitors. This duty applies to the specific work area of the individual and the practice in general. You are expected to wear ID and to sign in and out of practices you are working at
Working Conditions
The post holder will be based at St Georges Health and Wellbeing Hub but may need to work at any of the five PCN practices depending on the needs of the patients and PCN.
This job description may be reviewed in the light of changing organisational and service needs. Any changes will be fully discussed with the post holder. The post holder may also be required to carry out other work appropriate to the grade of the post.
