Paramedic Practitioner

**Paramedic Practitioner Role**

**Practice Profile**

Binscombe Medical Centre is a semi-rural GMS practice with 11,400 patients, and is part of the East Waverley PCN.

Our existing clinical team consists of 7 GP Partners and a Nurse Partner, 4 Salaried GPs, Physician Associate and a team of 3 practice nurses & 3 HCAs. The clinical team is supported by the Practice Manager and Assistant Practice Manager who oversee an experienced team of administrators and receptionists. We also employ a practice Care Coordinator and GP Assistant as part of the ARRS scheme, as well as a PCN-funded Pharmacist and Pharmacy Technician.

**Job Summary**
- to work within our practice community, as an autonomous, accountable paramedic practitioner providing holistic care whilst assessing, diagnosing and providing treatment to patients
- to use competent and up to date clinical skills
- to assess, diagnose, treat, refer or direct to other services; our patients who attend surgery or request domicile visits relating to unscheduled minor conditions, injuries or acute illness
- to promote self-care and educate service users to allow them to be empowered to make informed choices about treatment

**Main Duties**

We are looking to employ a paramedic to work autonomously using their enhanced clinical assessment and treatment skills, to provide first point of contact for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems relating to minor injury or illness such as abdominal pain, chest pain and headaches. They will be required to make best use of their capability to make sound judgements in the absence of full information and to manage varying degrees of risk when there is complex, competing or ambiguous information or uncertainty.

**Responsibilities**:
**Support Patients**

Assess and triage patients, including same day triage, and as appropriate provide definitive treatment or make necessary referrals to other members of the practice team.

Advise patients on general healthcare and promote self-management where appropriate, including signposting patients to other community or voluntary services.

Be able to:

- perform specialist health checks and reviews
- perform and interpret ECGs; alongside other results as appropriate
- perform investigatory procedures as required
- undertake the collection of pathological specimens including intravenous blood samples, swabs, and other samples within their scope of practice and within line of local and national guidance.
- perform investigatory procedures needed by patients and those requested by GPs

Support the delivery of ‘anticipatory care plans’ and lead certain community services (e.g. monitoring blood pressure and diabetes risk of elderly patients living in sheltered housing).

Provide an alternative model to urgent and same day GP home visit for clinical audits. The post holder would be responsible for their own transport (with appropriate insurance for business use) but would be paid mileage expenses.

Clinically examine and assess patient needs from a physiological and psychological perspective, and plan clinical care accordingly.

Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiation of effective emergency care.

Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, integrating both drug
- and non-drug-based treatment methods into a management plan.

Communicate effectively with patients, and where appropriate family members and their carers, where applicable, complex and sensitive information regarding their physical health needs, results, findings, and treatment choices.

**Support Medicines Optimisation**

Prescribe, issue and review medications as appropriate following policy, patient group directives, NICE (national) and local clinical guidelines and local care pathways. This will be done in accordance with evidence-based practice and national and practice protocols, and within scope of practice.

Provide information and advice on prescribed or over-the-counter medication on medication regimens, side-effects and interactions

Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments.

**Support PCN Development & Integrated Care**

Communicate at all levels ensuring that an effective, person-centred service is delivered.

Communicate proactively and effectively with all colleagues across the multi-disciplinary team, attending and contributing to meetings as required.

Support the PCN in developing its paramedic capability, providing advice and guidance on the most effective employment of paramedics across the PCN.

**Quality Requirements**

Enhance own performance through continuous professional development, keep up to date with current evidence-based practice, and impart own knowledge and skills to PCN colleagues to meet the needs of the service.

Be verified against the paramedic primary care roadmap.

Recognise and work within own compete