Paramedic - Saxonbrook Medical Centre

Post holder will be employed by Saxonbrook Medical Centre.

Reports to: GP Partners

Proposed salary: approx. £37,000 - £48,000 per annum dependent on experience (pro rata)

Hours of work: 37.5 hours per week

Base: Saxonbrook Medical Centre, Maidenbower Square, Maidenbower, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 7QH. We also operate from other sites within Crawley.

About Saxonbrook Medical

Saxonbrook Medical is a 20,000 patient population practice serving our community over two sites. The team is comprised of Doctors, Physician Associates, Paramedics, Pharmacists, Nurses and Healthcare Assistants all supported by a strong administrative team.  We work together as a team to provide the best care possible to our community. We are a teaching Practice who welcome a number of trainees into the Practice including Doctors, Student Physician Associates and Student Nurses and also support the progress and development of our employees.

We work within a local Primary Care Network, working collaboratively with Social Prescribers, Pharmacists and First Contact Practitioners.

We offer the NHS Pension Scheme. Clinical staff receive 25 days annual leave + bank holidays pro rata. There is also a provision for study leave.

We also have a fantastic employee assistance programme available which can support with a whole array of things, as well as a wellness app. 

Job summary

Saxonbrook Medical Surgery are looking for a Paramedic to join their clinical team to focus on supporting patients in the community and housebound patients.

You will work closely with clinicians from the practice and will play a vital role in increasing capacity for all appointments.

As a Paramedic you will be providing a range of services such as assessment, diagnosis, treatment, telephone triage, clinical decision-making and referring patients appropriately under supervision. You will report to a GP/Partner who will provide support and mentorship. 

Primary duties and areas of responsibility

• To provide assessment, diagnosis and treatment at first point of contact by attending to patients according to patients’ needs either in the Practice or patient’s homes under supervision.
• Work with practice team under supervision to ensure the process for referral of urgent on the day patients is smooth and appropriate patients are referred making full use of the practitioner’s skills.
• To accurately triage and prioritise patients, including in emergency situations under supervision, demonstrating the use of a variety of techniques to elicit the history of an event/illness, including past medical and drug history.
• To evaluate clinical information from examination and history taking and initiate appropriate treatment and/or referral
• To undertake and interpret diagnostics and take appropriate action to manage patient care, whilst distinguishing between abnormal and normal findings in order to relate them to a possible diagnosis. 
• To use broad clinical guidelines (NICE etc) relating them to individual cases, providing assistance and feedback to the organisation and others on how these should be interpreted. 
• To signpost appropriately to other services in the identified healthcare pathway.
• To refer patients to appropriate care settings, within locally agreed healthcare pathways.
• To advise and support members of the public on healthy lifestyles, health promotion and disease prevention.
• To maintain accurate and systematic documentation of patient interactions and clinical care provided, including adverse events.   
• Support delivery of ‘anticipatory care plans’ and lead certain services (e.g. monitoring blood pressure and diabetes risk of housebound elderly patients).
• Support delivery of ‘anticipatory care plans’ and lead certain services (e.g. monitoring blood pressure and diabetes risk of housebound elderly patients).
• Ensure via use of clinical systems, attendance at meetings and other means that are a core part of the practice MDT supporting patients and work with the wider MDT including staff from SCFT, SPFT, Local Authority and Voluntary Sector organisations.
• Ensure high quality, clear communication with patients and carers including within challenging situations.
• To proactively support audit of own caseload and that of colleagues to ensure the quality of the service is maintained and continuously improved. To seek out feedback from other members of the MDT and patients to support this.
• To undertake all necessary training and be familiar with all policies to ensure compliance with expected procedures and ways of working.
• To ensure practice is within good clinical governance and based on sound up-to-date clinical evidence. Where appropriate, to identify and assess any risks associated with patient care or to oneself and communicate these risks to the appropriate clinical manager.

Person Specification

Professional Registration

Essential

• Registered Paramedic (HCPC)

Qualifications

Essential

• Evidence of continued professional development
• Has completed 2-year ‘consolidation of learning’ period as a newly qualified paramedic; and, has a further 3-year experience as a band 6 (or equivalent) paramedic
• Working at Level 7 capability in paramedic areas or practice (or aiming to achieve within 6 months of starting)
• ALS/APLS provider
• Completed mentorship programme

Desirable

• ENP/ ECP Minor Injuries and Minor Illness  course Level 6 
• Attended X-ray/IRMER course
• Teaching and assessing qualification
• Relevant MSc or BSc 

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Ability to manage and prioritise workload
• Proven ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
• Previous experience of non-medical prescribing and using PGDs
• Experience as an autonomous practitioner within a minor injury/illness centre or mobile service
• Experience of the ECP/Advanced Practitioner role within Primary or Secondary Care
• Current knowledge of government targets and initiatives and N.I.C.E. guidelines and their impact on clinical practice

Desirable

• Able to record/interpret ECG
• Experience of performing a social assessment
• Experience as a practitioner in an A&E Department or similar emergency care centre
• Experience of clinical audit
• Experience of research projects
• Leadership skills
• Understanding of the N.M.C/H.P.C Code of Professional Conduct
• Knowledge of child protection issues
• Understanding of clinical governance and its significance and impact upon practice
• Good communication skills
• Basic IT skills in word processing and e-mail
• Experience in using I.T based patient documentation systems
• Sound organisational skills
• Able to professionally and appropriately challenge differing opinions as a patient advocate
• Record keeping skills
• Experience of triage/initial assessment
• Able to act as shift leader as required
• Able to work autonomously, using own clinical judgment to form a diagnosis
• Skills for managing minor injuries
• Dispensing skills as per protocols and patient group directives
• Skills of multi system assessment
• Knowledge of medical model of documentation
• Able to give appropriate telephone advice
• Understanding of health education/promotion
• Able to give relevant discharge advice
• Experience of following referral pathways
• Evidence of experience / competency in the form of a professional portfolio 

Qualities and Attributes

Essential

• Able to work cooperatively with the multi-disciplinary team
• Able and willing to develop professionally
• Able to use own initiative
• Able to act as a role model
• Able to communicate professionally and efficiently

Desirable

• Able to motivate other team members
• Able to promote a learning environment

Other

Essential

• Able to deal with violence, aggression and extreme situations
• Vaccine and immunity status in accordance with UK Department of Health Guidelines
• Able to deal with sensitive issues e.g. sudden death/bereavement, child abuse, domestic violence
• Able to adjust and respond in rapidly changing environments
• Able to undertake home visits
• Hold a current driving licence with business insurance
• Enhanced DBS disclosure

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.