Salaried GP in Uckfield

We are a dynamic and forward-thinking GP surgery working across three sites, two of which operate dispensaries serving our local population. General practice can be busy and demanding, so team morale and a positive, supportive, and well-organised working environment are central to what we aim to provide for our salaried GPs and wider team.

We are seeking one or more Salaried GPs who are committed to delivering high-quality patient care, work collaboratively with colleagues, and wish to be part of a well-run practice focused on achieving positive outcomes for our patients. Our practice mission statement is to place patients at the heart of all we do, recognising that every patient matters. We aim to deliver a consistently good service and to foster a workplace where all members of the team feel proud of where they work.

As a practice, we are continuing to expand our clinical and support teams, strengthening our workforce to increase appointment capacity and build greater resilience across the organisation. We are committed to supporting a healthy work-life balance, recognising that while occasional stressful days are unavoidable in general practice, they should not be the accepted norm.

Main duties of the job

• The delivery of highly effective medical care to our patients
• The provision of services commensurate with the GMS contract
• Generic prescribing adhering to local and national guidance
• Effective management of long-term conditions
• On a rotational basis, undertake telephone triage and duty doctor roles
• Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with good practice, policy and guidance
• Working collaboratively, accepting an equal share of the practice workload
• Adhere to best practice recommended through clinical guidelines and the audit process
• Accept delegated responsibility for a specific area (or areas) or the QOF
• Commit to self-learning and instil an ethos of continuing professional development across the practice team
• Support the partners in achieving the strategic aims of the practice, making recommendations to enhance income and reduce expenditure

About us

We are ideally located 40 minutes from the coast and within easy reach of the South Downs and Ashdown Forest, offering a balance between work and quality of life. We care for approximately 15,500 patients across three sites. Our main surgery is based in Buxted, with branch surgeries in Horam and East Hoathly. The practice is supported by three GP partners and six salaried GPs, alongside a large and diverse multidisciplinary team.

To support our GPs and improve patient access, we have a well-established Urgent Care Team, as well as dedicated Mental Health and Social Care Navigation roles, helping to manage a wide range of patient needs and appropriately divert workload away from GPs. We are also supported by a pharmacist and pharmacy technicians, who play a key role in medication reviews, drug monitoring, and medicines optimisation.

We are a training and dispensing practice and a member of the Greater Wealden Primary Care Network, part of the Sussex Integrated Care Board. We work collaboratively within the PCN and wider system to continuously develop our services and support our population.

For salaried GPs, we offer a stable, well-supported working environment with experienced colleagues, opportunities for professional development, and an emphasis on teamwork and sustainable workloads. Overall, we are a team of around 90 staff, committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care while fostering a supportive, inclusive, and forward-looking working environment.

Job responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities:

• The delivery of highly effective medical care to our patient population
• The provision of services commensurate with the GMS contract
• Generic prescribing adhering to local and national guidance
• Effective management of long-term conditions
• Processing of administration in a timely manner, including referrals, repeat prescription requests and other associated administrative tasks
• On a rotational basis, undertake telephone triage and duty doctor roles
• Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with good practice, policy and guidance
• Working collaboratively, accepting an equal share of the practice workload
• Adhere to best practice recommended through clinical guidelines and the audit process
• Contribute to the successful implementation of continuous improvement and quality initiatives within the practice
• Accept delegated responsibility for a specific area (or areas) or the QOF
• Attend and contribute effectively to practice meetings as required
• Contribute effectively to the development and maintenance of the practice including; clinical governance, training, financial management and HR
• Ensure compliance with the appraisal process
• Prepare and complete the revalidation process
• Commit to self-learning and instil an ethos of continuing professional development across the practice team
• Support the training of medical students from all clinical disciplines
• Support the partners in achieving the strategic aims of the practice, making recommendations to enhance income and reduce expenditure
• Review and adhere to practice protocols and policies at all times
• Encourage collaborative working, liaising with all staff regularly, promoting a culture of continuous improvement at all times

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Participate in practice audits as requested by the audit lead
• Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care
• Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events applying a structured approach i.e. root cause analysis (RCA)

Generic Responsibilities:

All staff at Buxted Medical Centre have a duty to conform to the following:

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

A good attitude and positive action towards ED&I creates an environment where all individuals are able to achieve their full potential. Creating such an environment is important for three reasons: it improves operational effectiveness, it is morally the right thing to do, and it is required by law.

Patients and their families have the right to be treated fairly and be routinely involved in decisions about their treatment and care. They can expect to be treated with dignity and respect and will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Patients have a responsibility to treat other patients and our staff with dignity and respect.

Staff have the right to be treated fairly in recruitment and career progression. Staff can expect to work in an environment where diversity is valued and equality of opportunity is promoted. Staff will not be discriminated against on any grounds including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. Staff have a responsibility to ensure that you treat our patients and their colleagues with dignity and respect.

Safety, Health, Environment and Fire (SHEF)

This practice is committed to supporting and promoting opportunities for staff to maintain their health, well-being and safety. You have a duty to take reasonable care of health and safety at work for you, your team and others, and to cooperate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. All personnel are to comply with the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, Environmental Protection Act 1990, Environment Act 1995, Fire Precautions (workplace) Regulations 1999 and other statutory legislation.

Confidentiality

This practice is committed to maintaining an outstanding confidential service. Patients entrust and permit us to collect and retain sensitive information relating to their health and other matters, pertaining to their care. They do so in confidence and have a right to expect all staff will respect their privacy and maintain confidentiality at all times. It is essential that if the legal requirements are to be met and the trust of our patients is to be retained that all staff protect patient information and provide a confidential service.

Quality & Continuous Improvement (CI)

To preserve and improve the quality of our output, all personnel are required to think not only of what they do, but how they achieve it. By continually re-examining our processes, we will be able to develop and improve the overall effectiveness of the way we work. The responsibility for this rests with everyone working within the practice to look for opportunities to improve quality and share good practice.

This practice continually strives to improve work processes which deliver health care with improved results across all areas of our service provision. We promote a culture of continuous improvement, where everyone counts and staff are permitted to make suggestions and contributions to improve our service delivery and enhance patient care.

Induction Training

On arrival at the practice all personnel are to complete a practice induction programme; this is managed by the Practice Manager.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Qualified GP
• MRCGP Vocational Training Certificate or equivalent
• JCPTGP General Practitioner (Certificate of Completion of Training CCT)
• Full GMC Registration
• National Performers List registration
• Appropriate defence indemnity (MPS/MDU)
• Eligibility to practice in the UK independently

Personal Qualities

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and cooperative
• Motivated, forward thinker
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to work under pressure / in stressful situations
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort

Other Requirements

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• Project lead as required with CQC, CCG and QOF

Experience

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of continued professional development
• Experience of QOF and clinical audit
• General understanding of the GMS contract
• Experience of medicines management
• Experience of CCG initiatives

Clinical Knowledge and Skills

• Outstanding level of clinical knowledge and skills commensurate with that of an experienced GP
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
• Effective time management (Planning & Organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Problem solving & analytical skills
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
• Experience with audit and able to lead audit programmes
• Experience with clinical risk management

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.