Urgent Care GP - East Kent Visiting (Bank) in Ashford

To deliver high-quality, mobile urgent care to patients in their own homes across East Kent. The Home Visiting GP will provide face-to-face assessment and treatment for patients who are housebound, end-of-life or clinically triaged for a home visit following an NHS 111 disposition (CAT 3 or 4). Working with IC24 drivers and dispatch teams, the role ensures patients receive timely, safe and effective care within the community.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake home visits for patients allocated through IC24 dispatch systems using CLEO on Toughbook devices.
• Assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe appropriately within scope of practice and IC24 formulary.
• Manage palliative and end-of-life symptoms in line with local guidelines.
• Prioritise visits based on clinical urgency and available resources.
• Liaise with community nursing, pharmacy, paramedic and primary care teams to support continuity of care.
• Document all consultations and handovers accurately and promptly.
• Escalate safety concerns to on-call Service Manager and ICB as per escalation protocol.
• Contribute to training, audit, and continuous improvement initiatives.

About us

We are Integrated Care 24 (IC24), the leading not for profit Social Enterprise providing innovative and patient focused primary care services. IC24 is committed to improving access to health and social care for our patients and reducing the demand on secondary care services. IC24 provides services to over 6 million patients, including GP led out-of-hours services, NHS 111, primary care and secondary care support services.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Consult with patients whose clinical details are passed from the call centre following NHS 111 Pathways assessment, as walk-ins, redirected from A&E, or via the IC24 Co-ordinator.
• Advise patients over the telephone, after referral from NHS 111 or the call centre, who require professional advice, including ambulance and ED triage.
• Represent IC24 in a professional manner when in contact with the general public and other professionals.
• Work as a doctor as required by service demands during a session, or to provide cover as an IC24 Doctor on the rota or in other work settings.
• Be responsible for prioritisation and timeliness of all consultations.
• Work with the management team, together with other colleagues, to maximise effective and efficient delivery of care to patients.
• Promote close teamwork between colleagues and to continually strive to improve the service.
• Be available for meetings and appraisals as required.
• Regularly update personal clinical skills and knowledge.
• Work within the prescribing formulary taking account of the minimum recommended length of prescribed treatment.
• Work within the IC24 clinical governance framework, adhering to policies and contributing to audit processes as required.
• Operate effectively within the framework of the IC24 operational policies, procedures and ethos.
• Maintain all patient confidentiality and adhere to data protection rules as per shift handbook.
• Assist colleagues in the provision of the service to a high professional standard.
• Communicate with appropriate base by mobile phone / radio.
• Ensure that all operational information is distributed to colleagues as necessary.
• Ensure that patient care is of the utmost concern in all actions performed.
• Answer and manage any enquiries as and when necessary.
• Maintain and continuously improve the quality service to our patients.

Flexibility

Hours of work may include evenings, weekend, daytime and overnight sessions, including bank holidays, on a rota, and/or a first and second on call cover at IC24 sites as well as visiting and remote work. Flexibility around base location if the service changes due to unforeseen circumstances arising.

Technical

IC24 puts a considerable emphasis on IT. Computer, mobile phone and keyboard skills of a basic, but accurate nature will need to be mastered at an early stage. Training will be provided.

Quality Standards and Clinical Governance

• Work within the clinical governance structures of IC24 to ensure the highest standards of patient care.
• Complete and maintain all required essential learning in a timely manner.
• In conjunction with regional teams design and implement patient related audits to improve care and safety.
• Be conversant with GMC Code of Professional Conduct and any associated national guidelines and abide by their guidance.
• Maintain CPD and be able to demonstrate self-development.
• Awareness of local and service budgets and revenue.
• Assist the management team in identifying savings and increased revenue within the locality and help to implement appropriate changes.

Planning Service Development and Performance Management

• Undertake face to face assessment and treatment of presenting patients who walk into the service, in accordance with the relevant protocols.
• Lead on Quality and Outcomes (QOF) achievements.
• Refer patients to an alternative care setting or treat and discharge as appropriate.
• Identify areas of work for collaboration and joint working with other organisations to ensure continuity of care.
• Contribute to Primary Care locality meetings and update on best practice.

Organisational Development

Create a culture within IC24 based on shared values, mutual respect and the care and welfare of patients and colleagues. Promote a learning environment, which exploits opportunities to develop innovative approaches to meeting specific needs. Develop own knowledge of local and national guidance in relation to contracts, primary and urgent care including local STPs. Strive to build excellent working relationships with other IC24 colleagues and partners.

Person Specification

• Ability to work under pressure, manage demanding workloads.
• Aware of needs of patients, relatives and carers.
• Adhere to and abide by confidentiality requirements.
• Ability to cope with patients under extreme stress from both social and clinical circumstances.
• Ability to handle change and unexpected urgent requirements.
• Skills in written and spoken English adequate to enable effective communication about medical topics with patients and colleagues.
• Flexible, caring and empathetic.
• Self-motivated.
• Professional approach.
• Presentable appearance.

Qualifications

• Current GMC certificate.
• MRCGP graduate.
• Vocational training cert or cert of equivalence / or pursued VTS training for a period of time.
• Current Hepatitis B immunity certificate.

Experience

• Primary care home visiting.
• Triage.
• Face to face consultation.
• Management.
• Audit.
• Research.
• Practice based commissioning.

Practical Skills

• IT: basic computer literacy (training available).
• Good telephone manner, clear speech.
• Communication and listening skills.
• Ability to work in a multi-professional team.

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.