Clinical & Care Professional Lead for Antimicrobial Stewardship

Job responsibilities

The post holder will work with the AMS/R operational lead and other Medicines Optimisation and Long-Term Condition Care and Clinical Professional Leads (CCPLs), Community Pharmacy Neighbourhood Leads (CPNLs) and ICB commissioning leads across South East London to support general practice, community pharmacy and other relevant services across primary care, interface AMS challenges, championing and implementing NAP and prescribing initiatives to reduce infections and transmission and ensuring that effective coordinated actions are in place across the system.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Role specific objectives in providing leadership for AMS are broadly split into 3 key objective areas to deliver across 2 years:

1. Strategic Commissioning in AMS

Dedicated support for AMS leadership as part of the strategic commissioning function in planning, purchasing, evaluation, integration and transformation of services.

Secure a greater focus on prevention, personalised care and health inequalities in AMS, informed by clear intelligence and insights in relation to population and service provision, aligned to the NHS 10 Year Plan.

Develop actionable plans and co-design of services which support antimicrobial stewardship in services such as PCN access hubs and primary care providers including pharmacy, optometry and dentistry, also point-of-care testing in urgent and acute respiratory infection hubs and community pharmacy.

Support public health and IPC leads and providers in the co-design of targeted interventions to reduce unwarranted variation and inequalities, for example using the CORE20PLUS5 framework.

Organisation of patient engagement events to strengthen cross-sector collaboration and patient participation.

Be a member of the South East London Forum for Antimicrobial Stewardship (SELFAS) and relevant subgroups.

2. SEL Providers reducing variation and quality improvement cross sector

Provide visible leadership for AMS within high priority PCNs and practices identified through prescribing data.

Lead provider delivery change, management, and champion the implementation of evidence-based prescribing and good practice in primary care.

Deliver data-driven peer reviews using the TARGET Antibiotic Audit Tool.

Ensure consistent implementation of NICE and local antimicrobial prescribing guidelines.

Promote shared decision-making consultations with patients, supported by decision aids and self-care strategies.

Embed stewardship and IPC expertise across, community interfaces including local projects across care settings, focusing on culturally appropriate communication, self-care promotion.

3. Digital enhancement aligning to the NHS England Digital vision for antimicrobial stewardship

Maximise the use of any existing tools within EMIS that supports appropriate AMS related prescribing, including where feasible to improve interoperability between digital systems for the seamless transfer of key information between care providers, including laboratory results, antimicrobial therapy, allergies (including de-labelling) and treatment plans.

Reduce Alerts and alert fatigue with a review of AMS related OptimiseRx messages and adapting/retiring/adding messages relevant to SEL ICB and AMS strategy.

Production of an AMS technical manual, hosted on EOLAS. As per programme aims, production of an AMS technical manual for EMIS, giving details on ways to use the system to optimise AMS, including instruction on indication-linked prescribing, use of shorter durations, reduction in use of broader-spectrum agents, and decision support on appropriate diagnostics.

The main duties and responsibilities described above are not exhaustive and the post holder can expect to take on other responsibilities or specific tasks as required. Further, over time it is likely the remit and requirements of the role will evolve, and the post holder will be expected to adjust their working approach and style to accommodate these. It is expected that this job description would be reviewed regularly, by agreement, initially at 6 monthly intervals by the line manager.

Communication, Relationships and Leadership

Building a strong clinical leadership is key to the success of our ambitions at place and system. Postholders will be expected to engage in and support clinical networks, both within and across portfolios with aims of sharing ideas, learning and challenges as well as developing relationships. They will also engage and collaborate with SEL colleagues, partners, stakeholders and external agencies as needed. They will be expected to have excellent communication skills with the ability to communicate complex issues clearly to colleagues and stakeholders.

Health Inequalities and Population Health Management

All postholders will understand the challenges and priorities for addressing health inequalities in SEL, both within their portfolios as well as more broadly, and ensure that consideration of these is central to everything we do. The principles of population health management should be understood and applied to individual portfolios, drawing on support from the system as required.

Financial and Physical Resource

Postholders will be expected to support the ICSs ambitions of ensuring value for money in the delivery of health and care in SEL

Policy and Service Development

All postholders will understand the challenges and priorities for addressing health inequalities in SEL, both within their portfolios as well as more broadly, and ensure that consideration of these is central to everything we do. The principles of population health management should be understood and applied to individual portfolios, drawing on support from the system as required.

They will work with clinical and operational leads to support service development and improvement, ensuring that any plans are clinically informed and conducive to the delivery of safe, effective, high-quality care. When improving or transforming services patients should be at the centre of the process with application of the principles of co-design and co-production wherever appropriate. Experience of service improvement and redesign is desirable and a willingness to develop capability in improvement methodology is important. Postholders should also be aware of and support local and system planning and strategic priorities and support boroughs and programmes in the delivery of these.

They should encourage and test new ways of working, collaborating and learning from each other to achieve our collective ambition to improve the health and wellbeing of our population. They will seek out and embrace different ideas, perspectives and challenges and be able to adapt and change course by continually learning from others around them. An ability to take an innovative and creative approach to solving problems is essential.

Analytical and Judgement Skills

Postholders should understand the principles of population health management as applied to addressing health inequalities, identifying areas of need and targeting resources. They should have the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources, analyse and present in a clear and concise manner.

Planning and Organisational skill

Postholders will be expected to support the development of and delivery of operational and strategic priorities, including the definition of measurable outcomes against agreed objectives. They should also develop plans for the delivery of the roles responsibilities and deliverable objectives with their line manager.

Research and Development

Postholders will be expected to support innovation and research to identify, develop and promote best practice. In addition to this they will be encouraged to work with system partners to promote research and identify opportunities for academic collaboration.

Autonomy/Freedom to act

Potholders should work on their own initiative and organise their workload, delegating as necessary, working to tight and often changing deadlines. They should make decisions autonomously when required, on difficult issues.

Information management/resources Postholders will support the development and maintenance of local data infrastructure and frameworks as appropriate.

Partnership Working/Leadership/Management

Essential

• Experience of participating effectively in discussions as a member of a multi-disciplinary committee or group
• Experience in a multi-professional collaboration
• Champions the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion both within and outside of the organisation.
• Provides effective, inclusive and compassionate leadership, ensuring all voices are heard and creating and nurturing a culture where staff feel safe to speak up
• Professional and approachable manner.
• Open to ongoing evaluation, feedback and supervision.
• Flexible and adaptable to meet deadlines.
• Takes personal responsibility for actions and their impact.

Experience

Essential

• Understanding of local NHS commissioned services and care pathways and local, social, political, economic and professional influences.
• Experience with AMS work streams within existing portfolio of working, with demonstrable examples
• Understand the challenges of health inequalities and principles of identifying and addressing these
• Engagement of patients and public and the principles of co-production in service design and delivery
• Excellent interpersonal communication (written, oral, presentation and facilitation) networking and negotiating skills

Desirable

• Significant experience of leading, managing, developing, influencing and inspiring staff.
• Bringing together collaborative groups or networks
• Use of improvement methodology in service design and pathway transformation
• Use of evaluation methodology to understand value and impact, including the use of appropriate outcome measures
• Supporting, managing and mentoring direct reports and other staff
• Setting strategic direction in consultation and partnership with stakeholders
• Working and influencing across organisational boundaries

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified care and/or clinical professional i.e., NMC, HCPC, social work register, GMC, etc.
• Postgraduate degree or higher professional qualification
• Evidence of continuing professional development
• Project Management or programme management certification or equivalent experience

Desirable

• Leadership training qualification

Other

Essential

• Stamina, energy and enthusiasm and the ability to work effectively under pressure.
• A collaborative management style, which recognises and values personal contributions and agenda and encourages team working.
• Detailed knowledge of NHS and/or social care operations.
• Ability to travel to attend meetings and attend for work at several locations for the purpose of hybrid working.

Skills and Abilities

Essential

• The ability to work in partnership with lead clinicians, health care professionals and other stakeholders and a partnership approach to working across organisations.
• Excellent communication skills including the ability to present complex information tailored to different audiences
• Able to influence the development of policy and strategy to enhance relevant priorities. Able to identify priorities and dependencies in complex situations

Desirable

• Effectiveness in conflict resolution and management.

Analytical

Essential

• Good analytical skills and the ability to draw qualitative and quantitative data from a wide range of sources and present in a clear concise manner.
• Ability to analyse numerical and written data, assess options and draw appropriate conclusions.
• Sound judgement in the absence of clear guidelines or precedent, seeking advice as necessary from more senior management when appropriate

Desirable

• Understand the principles of population health management as applied to addressing health inequalities

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).