Mecfs Specialist

**The Role of the Specialist CFS/ME Practitioner**:
**Professional Qualification**: Nurse (RN), Health Care Professional: OT or Physiotherapist

Using the Stockport Primary Care Trust Job Description and local service knowledge the role of a ME/CFS specialist is to deliver a patient centred, biopsychosocial model of management and treatment to support the patient living with ME/CFS.Perform advanced holistic triage and assessment of patients with multi-system symptom presentations, with a complexity of physical, emotional and psychological health
To develop and deliver an individualised treatment programme
Work collaboratively with primary and secondary health care services, third sector services and social prescribing, education and social services, to ensure the delivery of a seamless and high quality service
To be responsible for a caseload and work without direct supervision.
Provide support to MDT and cover for absent colleagues
Promote a holistic, supportive and patient centred service that facilitates an intervention approach to promote change, acceptance and promotes self-management aiming to optimises functional improvement
Undertake all aspects of clinical duties as an autonomous practitioner
Act as an advocate for patients and their families when necessary
Carry-out risk assessment in line with Trust/National Protocol
Anticipate care needs and develop individual patient lifestyle management plans to include pacing and grading activity, equipment prescription or home modification recommendations
Ensure patient care and planned interventions are supported by available evidence base and experiential knowledge and are in accordance with Code of Professional conduct
Keep up to date with professional standards and relevant literature related to ME/CFSWe hold a unique position in the Stockport community as the provider of healthcare and we are one of its largest employers.

We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve. We are therefore seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce to make it truly representative of our local population.

We recognise that flexible working is important. We take requests for flexible working seriously, consider any request we receive and try to work with you, so we can explore if your request may fit with the needs of the service.

**Benefits we offer to you**:
Between 27-33 days of annual leave plus bank holidays
NHS pension scheme membership
Salary sacrifice schemes for lease cars, home electronics and more, to make your salary go further
NHS Staff discounts
Cycle to work scheme
Salary finance - for loans, savings, budget planning and tips on managing debt
Stockport Credit Union
- for local financial advice
- Work with patients, carers and families, and other statutory health related services
- Work autonomously and within a team
- Be flexible in their approach to therapy and management of symptoms
- Have advance communication skills
- To have expert knowledge and understanding of the ME/CFS diagnosis, symptoms, and potential prognosis
- Manage a patient through the entirety of their care episode in relation to ME/CFS, assessment, symptom management, support, and discharge. Referring on to other agencies where support out of their skill set is required, e.g. physiotherapy
- Have a broad skill set which can include advanced skills in delivering advice on PACING, sleep management, relaxation, stress management. The specialist will also have rudimentary knowledge and skills in pain management, CBT or counselling, exercise, diet and healthy living advice
- Manage severe and complex, house bound patients. The Stockport service offers a domiciliary service to patients, this is not a national standard and quite exceptional. This places the specialist in the role of key-worker, requiring collaborative working with social services and other attending care agencies
- Be able to recognise non-ME/CFS symptoms, and know when and where to report these
- Be an advocate for the patient, which may involve supporting with work adjustments, benefit claims, education, through reports or MDT meetings
- Know where to sign-post patients for CFS/ME support, e.g. local or national support groups

The Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and promote safeguarding by implementing the Trust’s policies and procedures, acting promptly on concerns, communicating effectively and sharing information appropriately.

If successful this vacancy will require an enhanced DBS check at a cost of £41.90. This cost will be deducted from your first Trust salary

In addition to this it will be a condition of your employment that you will join the DBS update service and pay the annual subscription fee of £13.