PCN Paramedic/Emergency Care Practitioner in Devon

The role is based within the PCN Paramedic Team supporting the wider PCN and member practices with the PCN's acute home visiting service and on the day acute care in practices. This includes clinical triage, telephone consultations, home visits and face to face consultations in practices for patients accessing acute/on the day care. The role will incorporate supporting digital initiatives and coordinating the patient journey through primary care with focused work, where needed, around the delivery of the Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) specifications.

The Barnstaple Alliance PCN is a proactive and supportive network of four General Practitioner surgeries: Brannam, Fremington, Litchdon and Queens Medical Centres. Between us we provide care to over 55,000 patients in the Barnstaple area. Whilst retaining our independent surgeries, we are working together on collaborative projects to improve and develop the healthcare services we offer to patients.

Core Responsibilities of the Role

• Management of Patient Health and Illness: Provide a point of contact within the PCN for patients residing at home or within Care Homes or generally with acute care needs who present with undifferentiated, undiagnosed problems, making use of skills in history taking, physical examination, problem-solving and clinical decision-making, to establish a diagnosis and management plan.
• Priority work daily is acute home visits and then when time allows providing on the day acute care support to the PCN practices.
• Work closely with and in partnership with community providers, care home staff and other partner organisations to help improve patient outcomes, ensure better access to healthcare and help manage general practice workload.
• The role has the potential to significantly improve the quality of care and safety for patients.
• Evaluate clinical information from examination and history taking.
• Initiate necessary invasive and non-invasive diagnostic tests or investigations and interpret findings/reports, liaising and sharing information with the MDT.
• Arrange hospital admission for patients where clinically needed.
• Support the Clinical Director and member practices in the delivery of the DES specifications.
• Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately, including initiation of effective emergency care.
• Provide coordination and navigation with the aid of digital tools for patients and their carers across health and care services.
• Provide safe, evidence-based, cost effective, individualised patient care.
• Maintain accurate and contemporaneous records, utilising computer systems where appropriate and consider the Caldecott Principles and GDPR Regulations in relation to all data handling.

Professional Role

• Promote personal development and clinical excellence.
• Work with the MDT and others in developing new roles, responding to changing healthcare needs.
• Facilitate and participate in multi-disciplinary education and clinical supervision.
• Work within the Paramedic Code of Professional Conduct.
• Participate in organisational decision making, interpret variations in outcomes and use data from information systems to improve practice.
• Maintain own professional development in line with professional Regulations.
• Promote evidence-based practice through the use of the latest research-based guidelines and the development of practice-based research.
• Monitor the effectiveness of their clinical practice through the quality assurance strategies as the use of audit and peer review.
• Participate in continuing professional development opportunities to ensure up-to-date evidence-based knowledge and competence in all aspects of the role is maintained.
• Keep up to date with relevant health-related policy and work with the MDT to consider the impact and strategies for implementation.
• Play an active role in the development of PCN development plans and new services.
• Demonstrate team leadership, resilience and determination, managing situations that are unfamiliar, complex or unpredictable and seeking to build confidence in others.

Team Role

• Liaise with all members of the PCN Team, Practices and other agencies local authority, social services, secondary care and voluntary sector in order to assure appropriate care is provided.
• Participate as a key member of the MDT team through the development of collaborative and innovative practice.
• Value all team members.
• Be able to recognise personal limitations and refer to more appropriate colleague(s) when necessary.
• Delegate appropriate tasks to the other team members whilst still maintaining responsibility for this area.
• Support the delivery of health and safety guidance as agreed within the PCN.
• Support the writing of, maintenance and delivery of CQC guidance within the PCN.

Organisational

• Be confident in the use of computer systems, creating searches, completing records, audits, reports and responding to appropriate questions and requests.
• Attend meetings as requested.
• Support effective communication channels between the whole team.
• Work according to Clinical Governance and support the Clinical Governance Agenda.
• Understand the role of Risk Management within the PCN contributing to risk assessment and Significant Event Audit and the importance of Infection Control.
• Actively participate in the delivery of QOF targets and other statutory care requirements as needed.

Mission, Values and Strategic Direction

• Ensure that patient centred care and safety is central to culture, philosophy and organisation of the PCN.
• Develop a culture of ongoing review, taking into account new methods of working.

Effective Communication and Collaboration

• Communicate effectively with other team members.
• Communicate effectively with outside agencies and other stakeholders.
• Recognise people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
• Recognise the significance of collaborative working and ensure they communicate in a way, which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.

UNDERPINNING POLICIES

• Confidentiality: Adhere to the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018. 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 member practice as a business organization and to the Network. 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 member practices or Network may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Network policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.