General Practitioner (ARRS) Role

Job responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

In accordance with the practice rota, as agreed, the post-holder will make themselves available to undertake a variety of duties including surgery consultations, telephone consultations and queries, visiting patients at home, checking and signing/authorising repeat prescriptions and dealing with queries, paperwork, and correspondence in a timely fashion.

Making professional, autonomous decisions in relation to presenting problems, whether self-referred or referred from other health care workers within the organisation. Assessing the health care needs of patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed problems.

Screening patients for disease risk factors and early signs of illness.

In consultation with patients and in line with current practice disease management protocols, developing care plans for health.

Providing counselling and health education.

Admitting or discharging patients to and from the caseload and referring to other care providers as appropriate.

Recording clear and contemporaneous consultation notes to agreed standards.

Collecting data for audit purposes.

Compiling and issuing computer-generated acute and repeat prescriptions.

Prescribing in accordance with the practice prescribing formulary (or generically) whenever this is clinically appropriate.

The post-holder will be required to visit patients during surgery time in an emergency if clinically indicated.

The post-holder will undertake a fair share of On Call sessions per week as allocated on the practice rota.

The post-holder will undertake fair share of home visiting sessions per week as allocated.

The post-holder will undertake PCN Clinical work and support projects on e.g. Frailty.

The post-holder will undertake work supporting local Care Homes.

The post-holder will support work towards achieving QOF, ECF and PCN DES targets.

The post-holder will be required to support our Enhanced Access rota.

Training/Meetings

Attending training and events organised by the practice or other agencies, where appropriate.

Participate positively and actively in clinical and practice meetings.

The PCN and Practices have a strong ethos around training and development of others, therefore the successful candidate will be willing and able to support medical students, and other training roles.

The post holder will be assigned a Clinical Supervisor to support them in their role.

Patient Management

Create opportunities to address patients care needs in the most expedient way, taking into account that continuity of care and access to services are often in direct conflict.

Encourage patients to be aware of the service pressures within primary care and to manage their expectations of what we can realistically deliver in a manner that is fair and proportionate for all care priorities.

Make improved use of the telephone and other technologies. Encourage patients to rely on face to-face consultation only where there is a clinical need to do so.

Communicate and reassure patients of the need to offer alternative care options where appropriate and safe to do so.

To immediately highlight any concerns you may have in respect of safety or quality of patient care to the Clinical Director/Practice Partners/PCN Manager.

Manage self/Professional Development:

Develop and maintain an up to date personal development plan and professional portfolio for purposes of annual individual performance review, appraisal, and revalidation.

Ability to develop own knowledge and clinical practice, meeting objectives and any changes in service.

Manage own time, workload, and resources effectively.

To provide education and training to other staff and Registrars as appropriate.

A commitment to life-long learning and audit to ensure evidence-based best practice.

Awareness of and compliance with all relevant practice policies/guidelines, e.g. prescribing, confidentiality, data protection, health and safety.

Manage and use Information

Makes accurate record keeping in EMIS and makes effective use of the clinical system by ensuring the consistent and accurate entering of data and use of Snomed Codes.

Facilitates the use of up-to-date information technology in order to collate accurate and timely information as and when required by the practice.

Works within the Caldicott and Data Protection principles.

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk.

General

This job description reflects the current situation. It is subject to review and updating in the light of changing service needs. Details may be changed in consultation with the role holder and/or reviewed at their appraisal.

Job descriptions are not designed to be all-inclusive although they will, as far as practicable, be a reasonably accurate and understandable specification of duties. The nature of our organisation demands a flexible approach in order to provide efficient and modern services to our patients, and you may be required to carry out additional or other duties as may be reasonably required.

Generic Responsibilities:

All staff at this organisation have a duty of conform to the following responsibilities.

Quality

To ensure that work is carried out within the clearly defined protocols, policies, and procedures.

Recognises scope of job role and does not act beyond this boundary.

Provide accurate information in a timely manner to patients and their carers/relatives.

Quality and Continuous Improvement

To preserve and improve the quality of our output, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do, but of how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the PCN to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice and to discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient care.

At this organisation, we continually strive to improve work processes that deliver healthcare with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement where everyone counts and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.

Staff should interpret national strategies and policies into local implementation strategies that are aligned to the values and culture of general practice.

All staff are to contribute to investigations whilst participating in serious incident investigations.

Personal/Professional Development

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by Harpenden Health PCN as part of this employment, such training to include:

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development.

Attend any associated training courses relevant to the role.

Undertake training for any qualifications as required by the role.

Take responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrate skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

To share best practice with colleagues across the PCN.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers, and colleagues to include:

Act in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with PCN and Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation.

Respect the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers, and colleagues.

Behave in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities, and rights.

Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued and equality of opportunity is promoted.

Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Staff have a responsibility to ensure that they treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.

Confidentiality see job spec for full details.

Safety, Health, Environment & Fire (SHEF) see job spec for full details.

Collaborative Working see job spec for full details.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a primary care environment.
• Experience of continued professional development.
• Newly Qualified General Practitioner (with under 2 years from qualification).
• Not previously been substantively employed at a GP Practice.
• General understanding of the primary care contract.

Desirable

• Experience of ICB initiatives.

Skills and Personal Qualities

Essential

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral).
• Strong IT skills.
• Clear, polite telephone manner.
• Competent in the use of MS Office and Outlook.
• EMIS user skills.
• Effective time management (planning and organising).
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Problem solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure.
• Experience with clinical risk management.
• Personal Qualities
• Polite and confident, flexible, and cooperative.
• Motivated, forward thinker.
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately. and effectively, interpreting data as required.
• High levels of integrity and loyalty.
• Sensitive and empathetic.
• Ability to work under pressure/in stressful situations.
• Effective communicator.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Effectively utilise resources.
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort.

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified GP Essential Desirable MRCGP.
• Vocational Training Certificate or equivalent JCPTGP.
• General Practitioner (Certificate of Completion of Training CCT).
• Full GMC registration.
• National Performers List registration (England).
• Appropriate defence indemnity (MPS/MDU).
• Eligibility to practice in the UK independently.

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).