Physician Associate in Stroke Medicine

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

This is a new post, for a band 7 Physician Associate to join the Stroke Medicine department at Leeds General Infirmary. The successful applicant will work alongside 2 substantive Physician Associates, who are already established in the department, and rotational Physician Associates.

The Physician Associate will be expected to work alongside other members of a large multi-disciplinary team in treating patients within stroke and neuro-rehabilitation. The post-holders will not be involved in the assessment of children.

The Physician Associate will provide expert assistance to the multidisciplinary teams in the provision of a high quality service to patients. The post holders will work under the direction of a supervising Consultant and mentor, working collaboratively with other members of the clinical team within the Trusts policies and clinical guidelines. Successful appointees will perform delegated duties with a high degree of clinical skill and knowledge, working within clinical environment of the Stroke Medicine. The work pattern will involve evening work in addition to normal daytime hours. It is desirable but not essential that the Physician Associate has prior experience in one or more of the following areas- Stroke Medicine, Care of the Elderly, Neurology or Neuro-rehabilitation. The post-holders will undergo training, supervision, and accreditation in activities relevant to the department.

3. JOB DIMENSIONS

The Physician Associate is expected to work alongside the departments doctors, and the wider multi- disciplinary team members.

They will be trained in clinical skills to undertake care of patients as appropriate to the clinical environment and specialty. They will be expected to liaise with other professionals and specialities as required and complete necessary documentation relating to their patients.

PAs will be clinically supervised by a designated Consultant for each post. There will also be an individual mentor to oversee professional development, supported by an annual appraisal and a professional portfolio.

It is expected that the Physician Associate will become involved in all activities of a department or CSU, including clinical governance, quality improvement projects, research and teaching. Physician Associates will also represent the departments at local and external meetings as appropriate.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

The post-holder must have completed the following to work as a Physician associate in the Trust.

Please note: These conditions are not a requirement to be selected for interview but are absolute requirements to be able to start work

Bachelor Degree prior to taking Physicians Associates Programme.

Successfully completed a PG Diploma/Masters qualification in Physician Associate Studies from an accredited UK training programme;

Passed the UK RCP National Certification Examination for Physician Associates (PANCE)

Be registered on the UK Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR) to be able to work in the Trust.

Membership of the Faculty of Physician Associates

Knowledge/ Skills:

Ability to adhere to regulations as well as working flexibly to meet the needs of the Trust and our patients

Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives, other staff and agencies

Ability to contribute to effective patient flow through the Trust

Ability to exercise sound judgements when faced with conflicting pressures

Ability to maintain confidentiality

Ability to organise and prioritise workload effectively

Ability to respond to questions in a tactful and professional manner

Ability to work cohesively within the multi-disciplinary team, including the desire to motivate and lead

An inquiring and critical approach to work and performance

Commitment to CME and professional development.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Experience of conducting clinical audit and quality improvement projects

Knowledge of medical diagnoses, procedures and terminology

Personal Attributes

Ability to work out of hours.

Ability to work autonomously and within a team.

Able to remain calm and polite under pressure.

Confidence to exchange patient management with other members of the MDT and achieve agreement or co-operation.

Desire to work for and with patients to enhance their care

Energy and enthusiasm and the ability to work under pressure

Flexible, positive, problem-solving approach to clinical work

Good interpersonal skills with effective oral and written communication skills.

Holistic and caring attitude towards patient care

Strong Professional commitment to providing high quality compassionate care.

6. THE LEEDS WAY VALUES

Our values are part of what make us different from other trusts, so we see this as a strength, as well as a responsibility. They have been developed by our staff and set out what they see as important to how we work. Our five values are:

Patient-centred

Collaborative

Fair

Accountable

Empowered

All our actions and endeavours will be guided and evaluated through these values

Additionally the following are core values which relate specifically to this post:

Commitment to maintaining a clean and safe environment

Commitment to own development by achieving high standards in theoretical and practical domains within the clinical setting.

Commitment to providing high-quality evidence- based care to patients and their carers.

Commitment to the clinical area including valuing the contribution of all team members and encouraging a positive and creative working environment.

Commitment to the development of all staff within the unit.

Commitment to working in a multidisciplinary team

West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT)

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is part of the west Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT), a collaborative of the NHS Hospital trusts from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate working together to provide the best possible care for our patients.

By bringing together the wide range of skills and expertise across West Yorkshire and Harrogate we are working differently, innovating, and driving forward change to deliver the highest quality care. By working for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust this is your opportunity to be a part of that change.

WYAAT is the acute sector arm of the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, one of the largest integrated care systems in the country. The Partnerships ambition is for everyone to have the best possible health and wellbeing, and the work of WYAAT, and each individual trust, supports that ambition.

WORKING IN THE DEPARTMENT

This job is mainly ward based, working in the different neurosciences wards. You will be expected to manage a caseload of patients/bays on a ward, and see patients individually and formulate sensible management plans.

Once the PA has gained sufficient experience within the department they will be expected to perform some out of hours working, including Twilight working.

Opportunities to develop an advance skill set:

a. NG insertion

b. Nasal retaining loop (Bridle) insertion

c. Lumbar puncture

PRINCIPAL DUTIES & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

The PA will be required to work as part of the clinical team, under supervision of a named Consultant, to deliver high quality patient care.

This will include duties and responsibilities in the following areas:

Clinical

Delivery and participation in the clinical care of patients.

Successful applicant will expect to work within a set of defined parameters when working within the specialty.

Provision of a level of advanced and comprehensive health assessment based on a specialist body of knowledge under established parameters.

Appropriate assessment, examination, investigation, diagnosis and treatment of patients, resulting in the safe management and appropriate referral or discharge of patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed presentations within the boundaries of the role as a trainee.

Recognition of patients with changing health status and undertaking appropriate actions.

Communication of highly complex and highly sensitive information with patients and families and within the healthcare team.

Liaison with other hospital services to enable detailed planning for patient management, referral and discharge.

Undertaking advanced clinical skills according to agreed protocols and service need.

Interpretation of laboratory and radiological results and initiate appropriate patient management.

Maintenance of own clinical development by keeping abreast of new treatments and technologies within emergency and unscheduled care.

Improvements on the quality of the patient experience by identifying and meeting the individual clinical needs of patients.

Rigorously review with a supervisor, all aspects of the patients plan of care and identify and address issues that may result in a sub-standard service.

Contribution to the review and development of integrated care pathways and clinical guidelines to ensure a standardised approach to care.

Practice with confidence and competence within professional guidelines, and established parameters.

Ensure accurate documentation and records of patient care.

Assist in the development of patient management systems, processes and tools within the work area and adjacent clinical/assessment areas.

Ability to adapt specialist clinical knowledge and skills to different clinical settings and influence service delivery and patient care.

Implementation of effective systems and processes for infection control management and relevant audit within their clinical area.

Acting in such a way that safeguards the health and wellbeing of children and vulnerable adults at all times, in keeping with LTHT safeguarding policies.

Person Specification

Experience

Desirable

• Experience in stroke medicine
• Evidence of attendance at training or courses relevant to stroke medicine
• Evidence of teaching Physician Associate students or medical students
• Participation in audit, quality improvement or research

Skills and Behaviours

Essential

• Ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to communicate effectively with patients, families, and colleagues.
• Ability to work under pressure

Desirable

• Proficiency in NG tube, nasal retaining loop (bridle) insertion or lumbar puncture

Qualifications

Essential

• Diploma/Masters qualification in Physician Associate Studies from an accredited UK training programme
• Passed the UK RCP National Certification Examination of Physician Associate (PANCE
• Be registered on the UK Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register (PAMVR
• Membership of the Faculty of Physician Associates

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).

Employer details

Employer name

Leeds Teaching Hospitals

Address

Leeds General Infirmary

Great George Street

Leeds

LS1 3EX

Employer's website

https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)