General Practitioner

Job responsibilities

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinical Responsibilities

In general, the post-holder will be expected to undertake all the normal duties and responsibilities associated with a General Practitioner working within primary care including:

• Making professionally autonomous decisions in relation to presenting problems, whether self-referred or referred internally within the Practice.
• Receives patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed problems and makes assessment of their health care needs.
• Consults with patients in the surgery, at home visits and via telephone as required
• Undertakes triage calls, triage visits, checking and signing of repeat prescriptions and dealing with queries, paperwork and correspondence in a timely fashion as required.
• Proactively screens patients for risk factors and early signs of illness.
• In consultation with patients and in line with current Practice disease management protocols, develops care plans for health.
• Provides health education as necessary.
• Complies with all relevant clinical governance and Practice polices and protocols.
• Assists in the establishment of appropriate systems to manage Long Term Conditions.
• Completes clinically related administrative duties needed for the delivery of the service.
• Records clear and contemporaneous consultation notes to agreed standards.
• Demonstrates commitment to lifelong learning, and audit and continuous development to ensure evidence based best practice.
• Compiles and issues computer-generated acute and repeat prescriptions, prescribing in accordance with the Practice/Sunderland ICG prescribing formulary whenever this is clinically appropriate.
• Networks with other agencies (both statutory and voluntary) and develops appropriate links to further the work of the Practice and Sunderland GP Alliance.
• Meets professional learning and CPD requirements.
• Develops effective relationships with colleagues and the team

Practice Responsibilities

• Contributes to the evaluation/audit and clinical standard setting with colleagues.
• Records data in patient records systems promptly and accurately and to agreed standards.
• Ensures appropriate use of read codes.
• Participates in the auditing of practice activity as required.
• Responsible for health and safety of themselves and others and actively co-operates with Health and Safety Policies and procedures.
• Processes and actions incoming patient and hospital correspondence.
• Attends in-house meetings, significant event audit meetings and other meetings as deemed necessary.
• Ensures that the practice complaints system is adhered to at all times.
• Awareness and compliance with all relevant guidelines e.g. data protection, confidentiality and health and safety.
• Maintain current CPR and anaphylaxis certification and child/adult safeguarding training in line with local policies.

Training & Development

• Fully participates in training and development
• Engages in a programme of ongoing support and feedback to maximise the benefit of the training and development plan.
• Promotes, and participates in, the development and operation of a peer support network with fellow GPs.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality, and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy to include:

• Identifying the risk involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks.
• Using appropriate infection control procedures particularly those relating to needlestick injuries, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards.
• Ensuring that all accidents or dangerous accidents are reported and investigated, and follow up action taken where necessary.
• Maintain training in line with local policies.

Equality and Diversity

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

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with current legislation.
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgemental and respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights.

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:

• Alert the Executive GP or other team members to issues of quality and risk.
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision.
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhanced the teams performance.
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs.
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Communication

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers.
• Recognise peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
• The employer is Sunderland GP Alliance and the post-holder is expected to comply with the Alliances employment policies and procedures.

Qualifications

Essential

• Fully qualified GP with GMC registration (minimum 2 years)
• Evidence of annual appraisal and revalidation (when appropriate)
• General practice (Vocational Training Scheme) trained
• On/eligible to be on a medical performers list
• Enhanced DBS check
• UK driving licence
• Current CPR certificate
• UK work permit (if required)

Desirable

• Evidence of continued professional development
• Other Post Graduate Diplomas
• Experience/interest in research
• Experience/interest in teaching/training

Experience

Essential

• Successfully Completed General Practice Specialist Training
• Appropriate range of previous experience in hospital posts
• Clinical and Information Governance
• Self-audit and reflection
• Organised and efficient in record keeping and completion of paperwork
• Time management being able to prioritise work and work under pressure

Desirable

• Experience of working in EMIS-Web

Other

Essential

• Ability to travel between various locations
• Understands the principles of equality and diversity
• Commitment to primary prevention and health improvement
• Commitment to addressing health inequalities and patient empowerment
• Patient advocate
• Excellent communicator
• Desire to work within the Sunderland area

Motivation and Skills

Essential

• Evidence of self-directed learning
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to articulate the core values of general practice
• Knowledge of current issues affecting general practice
• Counselling and Feedback skills
• Team working and interdisciplinary collaboration;
• Ability to maintain trust and confidence of patients;
• Leadership skills;
• Willingness to share knowledge and collaborate across entire primary health team;
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with multi-disciplinary teams;
• Ability to work flexibly;
• Ability to recognize own limitations and act upon them appropriately;
• Willingness to learn new skills and to problem solve on a daily basis;
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality

Desirable

• Ability to adapt to differing workplaces
• Ability to challenge traditional models of working and to suggest improvements for change in a positive and inclusive manner

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).