Surgical Care Practitioner, Band 7 in Cheltenham

This is a permanent post for 19 hours per week. We are seeking an experienced and motivated Surgical Care Practitioner to join the gynaecology oncology surgical team. This is an exciting opportunity to support complex gynaecological surgical procedures, including robotic surgery, delivering high-quality perioperative and intraoperative care. The role is characterised by a high degree of clinical expertise, autonomous decision making, professional accountability and leadership across the surgical patient pathway.

Additional working pattern details: 9.5 hours per shift.

Main duties of the job:

• Assist the gynaecology oncology surgical teams in the operating theatres with robotic, laparoscopic and open surgery.
• Direct responsibility for assessment, examination, investigation and diagnosis of patients within their area of work under direct or indirect supervision of a Consultant Mentor/supervisor.
• Under supervision work towards safe and timely discharge and/or transfer of care of patients from or between hospitals and services and healthcare professionals, ensuring barriers to discharge/transfer are identified and acted upon appropriately.
• Liaise with medical, theatre, ward and clerical staff on relevant issues to support service provision.
• Maintain contemporaneous and accurate treatment records, submitting relevant statistics, reports and activity data as requested.
• Adhere to the NMC Code of Professional conduct or HCPC or working within and accepting responsibility for maintaining agreed levels of competence.
• Ensure continuity of a high standard of evidence-based care, assessing health, health-related and nursing needs of patients, their families and other carers.
• Manage own workload within clinical area and competence of the post.
• Have responsibility for the correct administration and custody of medicines according to Trust policy.
• Liaise with pre-assessment to get patients ready for surgery/liaise with operations team to organise pre-operative investigations.
• Communicate face to face and via telephone clinics for post-operative follow up patients.

About us:

We take pride in placing people at the centre of everything we do, working together as a united team. Driven by a shared ambition to continually grow, develop, and learn, we recognise and value every contribution. By combining our experience and skills, we not only support our vibrant, diverse communities, but also support one another. With a team of over 9,000 employees, we are proud to be the largest employer in Gloucestershire and rank among the top 10 largest Trusts in the South West region. By joining our Trust, you will benefit from an excellent package that includes exclusive benefits, flexible working opportunities and the chance to gain valuable experience in one or both of our innovative hospitals. As well as generous annual leave allowance, you will have access to the excellent NHS pension scheme, competitive bank rates, discounts at local shops and restaurants, access to two on-site nurseries, discounted public transport, reward and recognition and a range of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

The surgical team will predominantly be located in Cheltenham General Hospital; however, sometimes working will be required from Gloucester Royal Hospital.

Job responsibilities:

• Undertake and complete a Master levels programme of education in Surgical Care Practice.
• Provide pre, peri, post-operative and post-discharge support and information to patients and carers to provide continuity of care.
• Educate patients and their families on all aspects of appropriate aftercare e.g. wound care, pain control and mobilisation.
• Use professional judgement to act as an advocate for patients to ensure a patient-focused approach to the delivery of care.
• Support and enable patients and carers to make informed decisions relating to their treatment and management.
• Escalate any concerns via the nursing/professional structures as required.
• Utilise advanced knowledge and skills relating to the specialty to provide specialist advice to other members of the multidisciplinary team on the basis of patient assessment.
• Recognise long-term complications of abdominal surgery.
• Facilitate women's decision-making.
• Use highly developed communication skills to effectively communicate with colleagues, patients and their relatives/carers, making reports and liaising as required with medical staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team both verbally and in writing.
• Participate in the delivery of Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) according to agreed policies and procedures.
• Work under clinical supervision as part of the Multidisciplinary Team facilitating the care of patients with acute surgical wounds where required.
• Ensure compliance with the Trust's Equality and Diversity Policy, supporting the delivery of the Trust's Race Equality Scheme and the Trust's duty to positively promote race equality and equality of opportunity for disabled people ensuring services are responsive to the needs of equality groups.
• Be fully aware of Trust Safeguarding policies and procedures.
• Maintain high standards of infection control, as per hospital policy.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Maintain an awareness of professional and ethical issues to ensure care is delivered in a professional timely and courteous manner by all members of the team, respecting the different spiritual and cultural backgrounds of colleagues, patients and relatives.
• Develop own professional leadership within the SCP role.
• Contribute to a defined area of Advanced Clinical practice within the designated area of practice, promoting interdisciplinary team and collaborative working practices.
• Act as a clinical role model demonstrating high standards of clinical practice and provide support or advice to other staff when necessary.
• Monitor standards and maintain high quality care.
• Report any clinical incidents via the Trust electronic reporting system and elevate issues promptly and appropriately.
• Participate in the delivery of educational programmes for all grades of nursing, medical and allied health professional staff.
• Take responsibility for ensuring completion of any statutory or mandatory training as required for their role.
• Adapt clinical knowledge and skills to different clinical settings.
• Recognise the limits of own professional practice and competence, undertake further training and academic qualifications as required to maintain own specialist knowledge.
• Anticipate potential problems with planned surgical approach.
• Participate and assist in research, clinical audit and quality improvement projects of the department in order to promote clinical excellence.
• Utilise research findings in the delivery of advanced clinical patient care, developing new ways of working.
• Be aware of research/trials being undertaken within the specialist field of practice.
• Participate in audit projects as required by the specialty, involving collating, analysing and reporting on results of the audit process.
• Assist in the testing and evaluation of new equipment within the clinical area.
• Ensure the results of audit and research conducted by the team are disseminated at local, regional and national level.
• Support the maintenance of directorate KPIs NHSLA compliance, CQC compliance and local and national clinical governance initiatives in close collaboration with the directorate senior nursing, medical and management and in collaboration with clinical governance teams.
• Maintain improvements in patient safety by supporting implementation of patient safety initiatives, prompt and appropriate response to complaints resolution and escalation where appropriate.
• Participate in the development of policies, protocols and guidelines.
• Actively participate in multidisciplinary team working, build rapport and collaborative working practices with multidisciplinary team.
• Liaise with inter-hospital departments and personnel across organisational and professional groups.
• Maintain current awareness of all developments in emergency surgery and the implications this may have on all aspects of patients care, resulting in the development and updating of ongoing education programmes for all staff.
• Attend and participate in National study days and conferences as required.
• Ensure mandatory training is completed and maintained.
• Participate in gynaecology oncology elective theatre sessions which would need physical effort and pace.
• Demonstrate the ability to manage change in a challenging environment.
• Ensure as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of staff, patients and visitors, in accordance with the trusts Health and Safety policies.
• Work across both Gloucester and Cheltenham sites depending on service need.

Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience:

• Current registration with NMC or Health and Care Professions Council.
• Masters level qualification in Surgical Care Practice.
• Experience as a Surgical Care Practitioner.
• Advanced general/laparoscopic surgical skills.
• Understand the principles and management of major haemorrhage and emergency hysterectomy procedures, complications and risks.
• Knowledge of pelvic anatomy-the bladder, ureters, bowel and genital tract and be able to recognise damage to these structures.
• Flexible and adaptable.
• Aware of how to safely manage unexpected findings.
• Recognises scope of own practice/own limitations and when to seek help.
• Surgical Care Practice in Gynaecology MSc level.
• Experience of working in a gynaecology operating theatre and/or robotic surgery.
• Experience in audit.

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.

Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year (pa, pro rata if part-time).