Community Frailty Practitioner Bristol

We are looking for an experienced Nurse Practitioner with a Non-Medical Prescribing qualification.

Hours: 37.5 per week

Salary dependant on experience

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our expanding Frailty Team. We are growing our service to enhance the care we provide to our local community, and we are looking for a dedicated professional to become part of this forward-thinking team. Our established Frailty Team currently includes two Community Frailty Practitioners and a Care Coordinator.

A Non-Medical Prescribing qualification is essential for this role, and applicants must have successfully completed this qualification. The PCN Frailty Team plays a key role in supporting our practices by conducting weekly ward rounds, monitoring new care home residents, and providing high-quality long-term condition management. In addition, the team delivers a non-urgent housebound service, offering vital support for patients who are unable to attend the surgery but require ongoing management of their long-term conditions. This is a fantastic chance to be part of a dynamic, compassionate team dedicated to improving frailty care across our community.

Main duties of the job:

• Delivering high-quality care to housebound patients and residents within care homes.
• Work autonomously within your professional boundaries, undertaking history taking, clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and evaluation of care for vulnerable patients.
• Lead long-term condition management for elderly, frail, and housebound patients, helping to improve outcomes and quality of life within the community.
• Participate in regular care home ward rounds, working proactively with care home staff and the wider multidisciplinary team to provide coordinated, person-centred care.
• Demonstrate safe clinical decision-making, using advanced assessment and diagnostic skills within general practice.
• Prioritise and triage patient needs effectively, arranging investigations, referrals, and onward care when required.
• Collaborate with GPs, nurses, care homes, and wider healthcare professionals to deliver holistic care.
• Conduct home visits, care home visits, ward rounds, and telephone consultations.

About us:

Severnvale PCN (Primary Care Network) comprises four GP practices in South Gloucestershire delivering services to a population of circa 34,000 patients which includes 10 care homes. We are an enthusiastic, dynamic, and friendly PCN who constantly strive to improve patient pathways and health care outcomes.

Job responsibilities:

• Work as part of a multi-disciplinary team across the PCN to care for our housebound and care home patients, including proactive assessment, diagnosis and treatment of individuals using a holistic approach.
• Undertake care home weekly ward rounds.
• Assess, diagnose, investigate, treat, refer or signpost patients/service users within the community with undifferentiated or undiagnosed conditions relating to minor illness, minor injury or urgent problems.
• Use advanced clinical skills to provide education to service users, promoting self-care and empowering them to make informed choices about their treatment.
• Have access to a vehicle for home visits with mileage expenses remunerated by submission of a monthly mileage form.
• Visit patients who are frail/have co-morbidity in their homes or in a care home.
• Prescribe/issue medications as appropriate following policy, patient group directives and local pathways.
• Consult with patients, take medical histories, perform physical examinations, analyse, diagnose and explain medical problems during consultations and home visits.
• Formulate differential diagnoses and develop and deliver appropriate treatment and management plans.
• Request and interpret results of laboratory investigations when necessary.
• Advanced end of life care planning to include ReSPECT discussions and development of Personalised Care and Support Plans.
• Advise patients on general health care and minor ailments, with referral to other members of the primary and secondary health care team as necessary.
• Support quality improvement and assurance initiatives within the PCN.
• Promote public health and screening programs, including immunisations and cervical screening.
• Integrate population health management approaches to reduce health inequalities.
• Communicate at all levels within the team ensuring an effective service is delivered.
• Ensure evidenced-based care is delivered at the highest standards ensuring delivery of high-quality patient care.

Person Specification:

Experience:

• Essential: Experience of working to protocols or guidelines. Experience in frailty care, chronic disease management, and care planning in community or primary care settings. Ongoing evidence of CPD.
• Desirable: Experience of offering mentorship and supervision to other nursing staff. Experience of developing and implementing training programs. Experience of working in care homes.

Other:

• Essential: Meets DBS reference standards and criminal record checks. Willingness to work flexible hours when required to meet work demands. Access to own transport and ability to travel across the locality to visit people in their own homes. Awareness of data protection (GDPR) and confidentiality issues particularly within a healthcare setting.

Qualifications:

• Essential: Bachelor Degree in Life Science/Biomedical/Nursing or Allied Health Science or equivalent. Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) registration. Able to operate at an advanced level of clinical practice, using Level 7 capabilities as defined by (NHE/I GP DES, ARRS funding) and HEE guidance. Undergraduate attainment at minimum of Framework for Higher Education Qualification (FHEQ) Dip.HE. in a relevant subject. Non-medical prescribing qualification. Full UK driving licence and access to vehicle (for home visits as required).
• Desirable: Minimum 3 years post-registration experience.

Specialist knowledge/skills:

• Essential: IT literate / proficient in the use of the computer. Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills. Good problem solving and decision-making skills. Ability to manage workload effectively. A high standard of clinical skills and experience of using these skills in different situations. Willingness to always work towards the best interest of the patient. Team player / ability to liaise effectively with colleagues and other members of the multi-disciplinary team. Ability to write comprehensive, accurate clinical notes, implement and evaluate care plans.
• Desirable: Understand own scope of practice, the context of continual learning and the need to develop constantly to ensure safe, competent and confident practice. Evidence of success in efficient and effective project and program management.

Personal attributes & abilities:

• Essential: Ability to co-ordinate and prioritise workloads able to multi-task as well as be self-disciplined and highly motivated. High degree of personal credibility, emotional intelligence, patience, and flexibility. Ability to cope with unpredictable situations.
• Desirable: Confident in facilitating and challenging others. Demonstrates a flexible approach to ensure patient care is delivered.

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. Applicants must have current UK professional registration.