General Practitioner

Job summary

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The post-holder will manage a caseload and deal with a wide range of health needs in a primary care setting, ensuring the highest standards of care for all registered and temporary patients.

Clinical responsibilities:

In accordance with the practice timetable, as agreed, the post-holder will make themselves available to undertake a variety of duties, including surgery consultations, telephone consultations and queries, visiting patients at home, checking and signing repeat prescriptions and dealing with queries, paperwork and correspondence in a timely fashion

Making professional, autonomous decisions in relation to presenting problems, whether self-referred or referred from other health care workers within the organisation

Assessing the health care needs of patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed problems

Screening patients for disease risk factors and early signs of illness

Developing care plans for health in consultation with patients and in line with current practice disease management protocols

Providing counselling and health education

Admitting or discharging patients to and from the caseload and referring to other care providers as appropriate

Recording clear and contemporaneous consultation notes to agreed standards

Collecting data for audit purposes

Compiling and issuing computer-generated acute and repeat prescriptions (avoiding hand-written prescriptions whenever possible)

Prescribing in accordance with the practice prescribing formulary (or generically) whenever this is clinically appropriate

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

Other responsibilities within the organisation:

Awareness of and compliance with all relevant practice policies/guidelines, prescribing, confidentiality, data protection, health and safety

A commitment to life-long learning and audit to ensure evidence-based best practice

Contributing to evaluation/audit and clinical standard setting within the organisation

Contributing to the development of computer-based patient records

Contributing to the summarising of patient records and read-coding patient data

Attending training and events organised by the practice or other agencies, where appropriate.

Confidentiality:

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

In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential

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 implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines

Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines

Providing advice on the correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements

Correct personal use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and ensuring correct use of PPE by others, advising on appropriate circumstances for use by clinicians, staff and patients.

Management of the full range of infection control procedures in both routine and extraordinary circumstances ( pandemic or individual infectious circumstances)

Hand hygiene standards for self and others

Managing directly all incidents of accidental exposure

Management and advice relating to infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice

Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses/training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate to the responsible person

Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes

Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that proper use is made of hand-cleansing facilities, wipes etc., and that these are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate to the responsible manager

Safe management of sharps use, storage and disposal

Maintenance of own clean working environment

Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management

Actively identifying, reporting, and correcting health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised

Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards/risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with responsible managers

Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)

Correct waste and instrument management, including handling, segregation, and container use

Maintenance of sterile environments

Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Equality and diversity:

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

Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and 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-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal/professional development:

In addition to maintaining continued education through attendance at any courses and/or study days necessary to ensure that professional development requirements for PREP are met, the post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, with such training to include:

Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

Q uality:

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

Alert 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 enhance 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 recognize 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.

Contribution to the implementation of services:

The post-holder will:

Apply practice policies, standards and guidance

Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work

Participate in audit where appropriate.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

Experience of working to achieve standards within the Qualityand Outcome Framework (QOF) Understand the health and social needs of a local practice patient population Excellent verbal and written communication skills to interact with patients and other healthcare professionals. Experience of supporting service change Ability to listen actively to patients in a non-judgemental manner. The ability to deal with criticism and work well under severe pressure. Strong attention to detail. Patience and a calm demeanour in stressful situations. Formulating treatment plans and evaluation of progress Ability to work with integrated care pathways, protocols, and patient specific directives. Understanding of the current issues and challenges facing primary care Ability to develop and deliver evidence based care. Experience of service improvement and quality initiatives. Evidence of contributing to practice development and research in clinical area. Ability to understand the importance of and establish own role in Clinical Governance and risk management. Demonstrates evidence of continuous professional development (CPD)

Desirable

Excellent time management skills. Excellent record keeping skills Experience with clinical IT systems Emis/Vision.

Qualifications

Essential

Fully Qualified GP eligible to work in General Practice in the NHS MBBS or equivalent medical degree National Performers List Registration General Practitioner Register under article 10 of the General and Specialist Medical Practice Order 2003 Not subject to suspension under section 41A of the Medical Act 1983 Clear DBS report Evidence of commitment to ongoing personal & professional development Eligible to independently practice in the United Kingdom

Desirable

Experience working in general practice/primary care environment Have an understanding of the needs of the vulnerable groups of patients that are registered

Skills/Other

Essential

Demonstrates awareness of the importance of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Ability to work flexibly to meet Practice demands Sensitive and shows empathy in difficult situations Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives, nurses, other staff and agencies (verbal, written and electronic formats) Caring attitude to patients Must value and appreciate the worth of others A recognition of the importance of showing respect, dignity and compassion to patients and colleagues Progressive, forward-thinking attitude Commitment to continuing education and professional development

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