Physician Associate

**Job Description and Person Specification**

**Job Title**: PCN Physician Associate

**Salary**:£40,047 - £48,000 per annum

**Reporting to**:PCN & Partnership Manager

**Accountable to**: Clinical Director

**Hours**: 37.5 hours per week (lesser hours negotiable)

**Contract**: Fixed Term Contract - 2 years

North Bedford PCN is a unitary Primary Care Network serving a population of circa. 40,000 patients across six sites of The De Parys Group in the Bedford area. Our teams work together to delivery high quality primary care services, at scale, for our registered patients. We are passionate about the NHS and the essential role that primary care plays in the wider healthcare system.

We currently have a Senior Clinical Pharmacist, three Clinical Pharmacists, two Pharmacy Technicians, a Paramedic, two Nurse Associates, a Student Nurse Associate, a Care Coordinator, three Social Prescribers, two First Contact Physiotherapists and a Network Manager. We are also recruiting for further roles to support the future of the network.

The Physician Associate will be required to work autonomously in the practice, providing a range of services such as assessment, diagnosis, treatment, telephone triage, clinical decision-making and referring patients appropriately, as well as supporting the management team in the reviewing of clinical policy and procedure when required. You will be working in Practice but as part of a wider PCN healthcare professional team.

The Physician Associate will work collaboratively with the healthcare team to meet the needs of the patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures. The Physician Associate will provide a holistic and clinical service, with support from GPs as required, implementing agreed management plans and following approved protocols as appropriate. The Physician Associate will be expected on a typical day to carry out home visits, Care Home Ward Rounds and consult with patients who present via booked appointments. The Physician Associate will also review and act appropriately on blood results and referrals/correspondence regarding their patients.

**Job Purpose**

The Physician Associate will work within their competencies to:

- Provide first point of contact care for patients presenting with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems by utilising history-taking, physical examinations and clinical decision-making skills to establish a working diagnosis and management plan in partnership with the patient (and their carers where applicable)
- Work autonomously with the aligned care homes to ensure continuity of care, enhanced patient safety through delivery of better clinical outcomes and a reduction in wasted / overprescribed medicines
- Assist with weekly care home rounds and work proactively with the care homes to improve the residents health and medication and spot early warning signs that might otherwise have led to a deterioration in their health and prevent unnecessary ambulance call outs or hospital admissions
- Support the management of patient’s conditions through offering specialised clinics following appropriate training including (but not limited to) family planning, baby checks, COPD, asthma, diabetes, and anticoagulation;
- Provide health/disease promotion and prevention advice, alongside analysing and actioning diagnostic test results
- Develop integrated patient-centred care through appropriate wording with the wider primary care multi-disciplinary team and social care networks
- Utilise clinical guidelines and promote evidence-based practice and partake in clinical audits, significant event reviews and other research and analysis tasks
- Participate in duty rotas; undertaking face-to-face, telephone, and online consultations for emergency or routine problems as determined by the PCN, including management of patients with long-term conditions
- Undertake home visits when required
- Develop and agree a personal development plan (PDP) utilising a reflective approach to practice, operating under appropriate clinical supervision.
- This job description is not exhaustive and may be adjusted periodically after review and consultation. You will also be expected to carry out any reasonable duties which may be requested from time-to-time._

**Physician Associate Person Specification**

**Qualifications**

**Essential**

**Desirable**

Completed a post-graduate Physician Associate Course (either PG Diploma or MSc)

Maintained professional registration with Faculty of Physician Associates and/or the GMC following implementation of statutory regulation, working within the latest code of professional conduct (CIPD)

Passed the UK PA National Re-Certification Exam, which needs to be retaken every six years

MSc Degree in Physician Associate Studies or Physician Assistant Studies

**Experience**

**Essential**

**Desirable**

Minor illness management or acute care management

Experience in examination of adults and children

Experience in management of patients wi