Job responsibilities
KEY
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
Communication
with patients outside of a clinic appointment (with supervision from
Consultants & Genetic Counsellors at pre & post clinic meetings)
Support triaging done by senior
colleagues
Contact patients and families prior
to clinic to explain why they have been referred to Clinical Genetics and the
potential benefits of the appointment, explain what happens at a genetics
clinic appointment, address any misconceptions about the
referral/appointment, obtain family history, developmental and obstetric
history (as appropriate), and assess expectations and language needs to
enhance attendance and uptake of genetics services.
Reaffirming information provided in
clinic during post-clinic contact, identifying and recording questions or
concerns, relaying these to the appropriate clinician to be addressed.
Co-ordinating and supporting
proactive cascade screening in families, under supervision of the Genetic
Counsellor team.
Devise, organise and deliver
community events, with the aim of enhancing awareness of and facilitating
access to genetics services for the target population
Making decisions about obtaining
appropriate medical and genetic records, results and investigations, cancer
confirmations (and delegating the collection of these to members of the
patient pathway team)
Facilitating safeguarding (e.g. to
confirm parental responsibility for a looked-after child)
Responsibility for responding to
referrals that do not require clinical contact e.g. those that do not meet
referral criteria
Obtaining and/or checking
appropriate permission/consent have been given as required for clinic
Monitoring outstanding
records/samples/screening/investigations and actioning appropriately (and
delegating administration to patient pathway team)
Elicit and accurately document
patients concerns and expectations.
Identify and respond to emerging
issues for the patient and family and report concerns to appropriate member
of the clinical team.
Communicate with patients who are
bereaved in a supportive way and signpost onto other appropriate services
when appropriate, following discussion with a member of the genetic
counselling team.
Manage conflict when patients
demands are incompatible with professional responsibilities and resources.
Organising and obtaining familial
blood or saliva samples to help confirm diagnosis in proband
Writing/supporting the creation of
patient leaflets, signposting to existing resources
Facilitating patient support events
Communication
with colleagues (with supervision as above)
Administrative support to the
genetic counsellors and consultants
MDT coordination, collating agenda
items, taking meeting minutes
Liaise with and be a named point of
contact for other health professionals (including midwives, GPs, Health
Visitors and others) regarding provision and promotion of culturally
sensitive services.
Work with colleagues in other
identified areas of high need as part of the National Strategy.
Attend national meetings in
relation to culturally sensitive services
Liaise with laboratory colleagues
as required.
Liaise regionally, nationally and
internationally with other laboratories, departments, e.g: histology,
surgery, screening, midwifery, psychiatry, cardiology, cancer registry to
obtain and provide information.
Discuss cases with ethical
complexity with colleagues where appropriate.
Organising patient days,
educational events for Genetic Counsellors
Education coordination
(administrative)
Patient
Care (Working under supervision of clinical team)
Obtain patient records, any results
and other information as requested.
Assist in the running and
organisation of general and specialist genetics clinics across the region.
Ensure that the views of patients
or those speaking on their behalf are heard and that complaints, both formal
and informal, are received courteously and responded to promptly according to
Trust guidelines.
Ensure equity of access to
information and risk assessment by identifying extra support for patients
whose English may not be their first language or who have a disability and
may require additional support e.g. use of interpreters, involvement of
learning disability nurse specialist.
May be required to undertake
venepuncture, height / weight / blood pressure measurements after receiving
appropriate training.
Obtain record of patient
choice/consent (not having the full consent conversation, but recording that
it has been taken)
Assisting in specialist clinics as
required, e.g. Inherited Cardiac Conditions, Prenatal Genetics,
Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis, General Paediatric and Adult Genetics
clinics and specialist cancer clinics.
Attending clinic with the doctor or
specialist genetic counsellor as required, and as appropriate to: take
blood/saliva samples, assist with clinical examinations, take blood pressure
and ECGs,, act as a chaperone.
Advocate for families to help them
access appropriate services, particularly where language barriers exist
Liaise with families who have been
referred to the Clinical Genetics Service but do not attend their
appointment, especially where there may be language, cultural or social
barriers
Planning
& Organisation
The
post holder will provide support for specialty clinics, and with supervision
from consultants & genetic counsellors will be responsible for:
Assisting in the preparation of
selected referrals prior to clinic.
Taking full pedigree information.
Obtaining paediatric development
information using a proforma.
Obtaining all relevant clinical and
laboratory information, including consent forms and medical records of
relatives as needed.
Co-ordinating MDT clinics under
supervision of senior colleagues, collating agenda items, taking meeting
minutes.
Monitoring outstanding
records/samples/screening and actioning appropriately.
Facilitating patient access in more
complex scenarios and auditing/improving systems to improve patient access.
Providing administrative support
for Clinical Geneticists and Genetic Counsellors.
Responsible for appropriate and
specific departmental tasks e.g. fire warden, health and safety officer,
first aider.
Ensuring clinic rooms are fully
stocked, clean and presentable, adhering to LTHT Infection Control Policy.
Participating in checking
departmental emergency resuscitation equipment and replacing expired / used
resuscitation equipment.
Assisting in monitoring and
auditing of infection control within the department and participating in
other departmental audits.
Working under supervision of
clinical team & recognise limits of role and escalate queries
appropriately.
Policy
& Service Development
Propose changes to working
practices within the department.
With guidance design protocols and
policies to enhance the smooth running of genetics clinics.
Information
Resources
Ensure that all clinical documents
are up-to-date, accurate, legible and appropriately filed.
Use word processing skills to
accurately send patient standard and non-standard letters and other
communications as appropriate.
Accurately record data on patient
information systems and use in-house databases.
Create and maintain databases or
spreadsheets using computerised systems. These may include recall of complex
cancer genetic screening requirements, Whole Genome Sequencing results
tracking, and Prenatal referral/testing tracking.
Staff
Supervision & Training
Provide advice and demonstrate
workplace activities to new and less experienced members of staff.
Support the role of the Family
History Assessors where appropriate
Support the education of healthcare
and other professionals about culturally competent services, the role of the
Clinical Genetics Service and how to refer to the service
Research
& Development
Assist in surveys or audits of own
and departmental clinical practice to maintain clinical governance and audit
profile of the department.
May be required to assist in
patient data collection for the purpose of genetic related departmental
research / audit.
Professional
Take personal responsibility for
continuing professional self-development and keep up to date with changes in
the practice of medical genetics.
Attend appropriate meetings and
seminars.
Demonstrate a commitment to
lifelong learning and self-development objectively reviewing own performance
and development needs within the Trust and AGNC competency frameworks and
where relevant NMC requirements.
Take opportunities to represent or
contribute to the development of the speciality/profession at local,
regional, and national level.
Recognising limits of role and
escalating queries appropriately
Uphold the confidentiality of the
individuals who have used the Genetics Service, acknowledging the specific sensitivity
of the information and issues involved e.g. termination of pregnancy,
non-paternity.
Recognise own limitations: assess
the need for onward referral and refer for advice to members of the genetic
counselling / medical team where concerns are raised and negotiate the right
advice for patient e.g. if psychotherapeutic counselling is appropriate.
Continually
evaluate own practice and performance with genetic counselling team
Maintain an effective working
environment in which the service delivered is continually reviewed.
Contribute to the creation of a
climate of co-operation and flexible team working.
Contribute to the effective
management of change in response to clinical or organisational demands.
Adhere to the NMC code of conduct
and renew annual membership and maintain registration.
Ensure own personal development
includes required number of CPD hours in order to maintain NMC registration.
