Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Morecambe

Bay Medical Group is seeking an enthusiastic and motivated clinician to join our established and professionally diverse Advanced Clinical Practice team as a Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner. The successful applicant will be supported to complete an MSc Apprenticeship in Advanced Clinical Practice, combining workplace-based learning with university education, with protected off-the-job learning time throughout.

Your clinical learning will focus primarily on unscheduled care clinics and home visits, supported by regular supervision, structured learning opportunities, and weekly tutorial time with a named mentor. You will join a welcoming team of ACPs from nursing, paramedic, mental health nursing and dietetic backgrounds, working alongside GPs, mental health practitioners, health and wellbeing coaches, pharmacists, nurse team colleagues, social prescribers, care co-ordinators and first contact physiotherapists. All clinical staff benefit from protected education time and an annual CPD allocation. On successful completion of the MSc, the post holder will be offered a permanent position, with an optional preceptorship available to support the transition to qualified ACP practice.

If you are a driven and compassionate clinician ready to take the next step in your career, we would love to hear from you.

Main duties of the job

As a Trainee Advanced Clinical Practitioner, you will develop the skills to autonomously assess, diagnose and manage patients presenting with acute and undifferentiated conditions, primarily through unscheduled care clinics and home visits. You will act as a first point of contact for clinical queries, delivering care across a range of consultation types including in-person, telephone and e-consultations. Working within a supportive and professionally diverse multi-professional team, you will collaborate with colleagues across primary care to ensure safe, high-quality, patient-centred care. You will develop your leadership, research and education capabilities alongside your clinical practice, in line with the four pillars of Advanced Clinical Practice.

Throughout your apprenticeship you will receive protected learning time, regular supervision, and weekly mentor support, building progressively towards autonomous ACP practice and, on completion of your MSc, a permanent position within the team.

About us

Bay Medical Group is a thriving, forward-thinking GP practice serving 54,000 patients across five sites in the Morecambe Bay area, operating as part of Bay Primary Care Network. We are committed to delivering high-quality, innovative primary care to our diverse local population, and proud of our track record in developing talented clinicians at every stage of their career. Our established Advanced Clinical Practice team reflects the breadth of modern primary care, drawing on professionals from nursing, paramedic, mental health nursing and dietetic backgrounds. Our ACPs work within a rich multi-professional environment. At Bay Medical Group, we invest in our people. All clinical staff benefit from protected education time and an annual CPD allocation, and we actively support staff to develop areas of special interest and grow their careers with us. We foster a culture of learning, collaboration and mutual respect, where every team member is valued and supported to thrive. If you are looking for a practice that will invest in your development and offer you a genuinely fulfilling career in primary care, Bay Medical Group could be the right place for you.

Job responsibilities

JOB PURPOSE

The post holder will develop the skills to provide expert, autonomous, and holistic clinical care for patients with undifferentiated and complex needs in a primary care setting. Supported through an MSc Apprenticeship in Advanced Clinical Practice, they will assess, diagnose and treat patients, working within multi-professional teams to improve patient access, clinical continuity, and safety. With experience, the post holder is expected to develop increasing capability in managing long-term conditions and greater clinical complexity.

MAINDUTIES

• Deliver a high standard of care using advanced clinical skills and in-depth theoretical knowledge.
• Provide the first point of contact for clinical queries from the Patient Advisors on the Unscheduled Care Team, providing specialist advice and support.
• Deliver care through various consultation types, including in person clinic appointments, telephone consultations, home visits and e-consultations.
• Practise in compliance with respective code of professional conduct and within own scope of practice, being responsible and accountable for decisions and actions.
• Clinically examine, assess, diagnose, plan implement and evaluate treatment/interventions and care for patients, using expertise and decision-making skills to inform clinical reasoning approaches when dealing with differentiated and undifferentiated individual presentations and complex situations; using information from multiple sources to make appropriate, evidence-based judgements and/or diagnoses.
• Diagnose and manage both acute and chronic conditions, initiating, evaluating and modifying a range of interventions which may include prescribing and reviewing medicines for therapeutic effectiveness (appropriate to patient need and in accordance with evidence based practice and national protocols within scope of practice), therapies, lifestyle advice and care into a management plan.
• Work in partnership with individuals, families and carers, using a range of assessment methods as appropriate (e.g. of history-taking; holistic assessment; identifying risk factors; mental health assessments; requesting, undertaking and/or interpreting diagnostic tests; and conducting health needs assessments).
• Offer a holistic service to patients and their families, supporting people in making decisions, planning care or seeking to make positive changes, with an emphasis on health promotion and self-care.
• Where the post holder is an independent prescriber: to prescribe safe, effective and appropriate medication in line with current guidance and legislation.
• Work with patients in order to support compliance with and adherence to prescribed treatments, providing information and advice on prescribed or over the counter medication on medication regimens, side effects and interactions.
• Support and manage health needs of women presenting for family planning or sexual health consultation.
• Assess, identify and refer patients presenting with mental health needs in accordance with the NSF for Mental Health.
• Collaborate with other members of the Primary Health Care Team, accepting referrals and referring to them.
• Refer patients directly to other services and agencies as appropriate.
• Exercise professional judgement to manage risk appropriately, especially where there may be complex and unpredictable events and supporting teams to do likewise to ensure safety of individuals, families and carers.
• Act as a clinical role model/advocate for developing and delivering care that is responsive to changing requirements, informed by an understanding of local population health needs, agencies and networks.
• Deliver care according to NSF, NICE guidelines and evidence-based care.
• To record accurate data in the patient records to an agreed standard.

Leadership and management

• Pro-actively initiate and develop effective relationships, fostering clarity of roles within teams, to encourage productive working.
• Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a manner that maintains and promotes quality.
• Role model the values of the Practice, demonstrating a person-centred approach to service delivery and development.
• Evaluate own practice, and participate in multi-disciplinary service and team evaluation, demonstrating the impact of advanced clinical practice on service function and effectiveness, and quality (i.e. outcomes of care, experience and safety).
• Actively engage in peer review to inform own and others practice, formulating and implementing strategies to act on learning and make improvements.
• Help the practice operate cost-effectively.
• Actively seek feedback and involvement from individuals, families, carers, communities and to help improve services.
• Critically apply advanced clinical expertise to enhance quality, reduce unwarranted variation and promote the sharing and adoption of best practice.
• Demonstrate team leadership, resilience and determination, managing situations that are unfamiliar, complex or unpredictable and seeking to build confidence in others.
• Continually develop practice in response to changing population health need, engaging in horizon scanning for future developments (e.g. impacts of genomics, new treatments and changing social challenges).
• Attend and contribute to the UC planning meetings.
• Demonstrate receptiveness to challenge and preparedness to constructively challenge others, escalating concerns that affect individuals, families, carers, communities and colleagues safety and well-being when necessary.

Education, teaching, and mentoring

• Maintain a clinical portfolio that evidences advanced health assessment skills and competencies.
• Assess and address own learning needs, growing a personal development plan that reflects the breadth of ongoing professional development across the four pillars of advanced clinical practice.
• Engage in self-directed learning, critically reflecting to maximise clinical skills and knowledge, as well as own potential to lead and develop both care and services.
• Participate in regular performance review with clinical supervisor and take part in the annual appraisal review where personal learning requirements will be identified and in accordance with Practice requirements.
• Undertake further specialist training as required by service needs and the changing requirements of service provision.
• Advocate for and contribute to a culture of organisational learning to inspire future and existing staff.
• Promote a learning environment for patients, clinicians and other members of the Practice.
• Share learning and best practice, contributing to the learning experience of medical and clinical staff in practice such as medical students, nurse students, GP Registrars etc.
• Provide supervision and coaching/mentoring to others in the practice to help development of the practice team.
• Take part in the in-house education events, delivering sessions where appropriate.

Research

• Engage in research activity, adhering to good research practice guidance, so that evidence-based strategies are developed and applied to enhance quality, safety, productivity and value for money.
• Monitor the effectiveness of their own clinical practice through quality assurance strategies such as the use of audit and peer review, using the results to underpin own practice and to inform that of others.
• Support and participate in shared learning across the practice and wider organisation.
• Take a critical approach to identify gaps in the evidence base and its application to practice, alerting appropriate individuals and organisations to these and how they might be addressed in a safe and pragmatic way.
• Actively identify potential need for further research to strengthen evidence for best practice.
• Disseminate best practice research findings and quality improvement projects.
• Facilitate collaborative links between clinical practice and research through proactive engagement, networking with academic, clinical and other active researchers, including Practice Research team.

The post holder will:

• Maintain professional registration at all times.
• Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient consultation, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures.
• Be aware of data protection issues particularly within a GP surgery.
• Use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in planning, implementation and monitoring of care, presenting and communicating information.
• Review and process data using accurate Read codes in order to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.
• Assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures.
• Understand and apply legal issues that support the identification of vulnerable and abused children and adults, and be aware of statutory child/vulnerable patients health procedures and local guidance.
• To attend and participate in Significant Event Audits.
• To work within the policies and procedures of the Practice and within statutory requirements.

Person Specification

Experience

• At least 3 years post registration clinical experience in Practice OR proof of equivalent experience in practice relevant to Urgent Care or General Practice.
• Demonstrable commitment to CPD and a desire to actively engage in ongoing learning of self and others.
• Experience of working under pressure and managing varying workloads and changing demands, requiring prioritisation and autonomous decision-making within professional scope.
• Walk in Centre, /A&E/Primary Care experience.
• Recent experience as an autonomous practitioner diagnosing and treating patients.
• Experience in examination of adults and children.
• Involvement in research/audit/service improvement.

Skills and Knowledge

• Demonstrates clinical expertise commensurate with current scope of practice, underpinned by evidence-based theory.
• Effective communicator with strong interpersonal skills, able to deliver complex and highly sensitive information clearly to patients, carers and MDT colleagues.
• Excellent clinical reasoning / clinical decision-making skills appropriate to current registration level, with ability to recognise limits of practice.
• Ability to work as part of a multi-skilled team.
• Able to work autonomously and within professional and legal boundaries, prioritising own workload.
• Able to seek support from peers as necessary recognising that help is required if patients present with conditions outside the sphere of their own clinical knowledge.
• Understanding of clinical governance, patient safety frameworks and duty of candour.
• Evidence of involvement in the development of programmes of care, protocols and clinical audit.
• Evidence of involvement in change management.
• Evidence of recent teaching, mentorship or supervision of staff.

Qualifications

• Registered health professional (NMC/HCPC/GPhC) with a first degree (2:2 class or above) or equivalent in relevant subject (i.e. clinical field, health related, pure science or social science) from an approved institution of higher education.
• Current registration with a relevant professional/statutory body (e.g. NMC/HCPC/GPCGB).
• Able to meet MSc Advanced Practice Apprenticeship entry requirements for partner HEI (University of Lancashire).
• GCSE Maths and English at grade C/Level 4 or above (or equivalent).
• Non-medical Prescriber.
• Other relevant post-registration qualification(s) at level 6 or above.
• Prior completion of relevant leadership, clinical examination, education or quality improvement module(s) at level 6 or above.

Personal

• Willing to embrace change that will enhance the quality of service at the practice.
• Committed to improving the healthcare for people living in an area of high deprivation and clinical and social need.
• Flexibility of working hours and commitment to team working.
• Able to motivate self and others.

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.

£50,037 a year salary shown is full time equivalent based on 37.5 hours.