Physician Associate - Rheumatology

Job summary

The Physician Associate posts are positions to support a team of consultants, junior doctors and nursing staff and therapists within each department. The post holder must hold a science-related degree prior to graduating from an established UK Physician Associate Training programme, which follows the Department of Health's Competence Curriculum Framework, has successfully passed the UK National Physician Associate Examination and is registered with the Managed Voluntary Register for Physician Associates. Consideration will be given to appropriately qualified Physician Associates from other countries as well.You will assess and examine patients, manage a specific caseload of patients, present them, initiate and interpret investigations and recommend treatment, whilst exercising a high level of professional judgment and expertise when delivering care. You will be supervised by a designated consultant and work alongside a highly-trained and committed team of doctors and nurses, working collaboratively with other members of the clinical team within the Trust's policies and clinical guidelines.

The post would suit Physician Associates looking to work in a very exciting, very rewarding but demanding environment. Quick thinking, flexible and thorough professionals will find the post to their liking.

The post holder will join a team of 6 consultants, 2 SpRs and clinical specialist nurses, and will be supervised by, and work closely with three of the consultants.

Main duties of the job

• As a Rheumatology PA you will be responsible for the development and provision of a specialist, evidence-based service to adult Rheumatology outpatients and inpatients age 18 or over, registered under the care of the Rheumatology department.
• To deliver a seamless service through the development of enhanced MDT processes and communication.
• To ensure continuity to a high standard, of evidence-based Rheumatology practice, assessing health, health related and other needs of patients, their families and other carers by identifying and initiating appropriate steps for effective care. This can include:
• managing a patient case load
• ordering diagnostic tests
• making and receiving referrals
• admitting and discharging patients for specified conditions and within agreed protocols
• Running clinics including the administration role of booking in patients and clinic letters.

About us

With nearly 9,000 dedicated staff caring for patients around the clock, St George's Hospital is the largest healthcare provider in southwest London.

The main site, St George's Hospital in Tooting - one of the country's principal teaching hospitals - is shared with St George's, University of London, which trains medical students and carries out advanced medical research. St George's Hospital also hosts the St George's, University of London and Kingston University Faculty of Health and Social Care Sciences, which is responsible for training a wide range of healthcare professionals from across the region.

As well as acute hospital services, St Georges Hospital provides a wide variety of specialist care and a full range of community services to patients of all ages following integration with Community Services Wandsworth in 2010.

St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust serves a population of 1.3 million across south west London. A large number of services, such as cardiothoracic medicine and surgery, neurosciences and renal transplantation, also cover significant populations from Surrey and Sussex, totalling around 3.5 million people.

The trust also provides care for patients from a larger catchment area in southeast England, for specialties such as complex pelvic trauma. Other services treat patients from all over the country, such as family HIV care and bone marrow transplantation for non-cancer diseases.