Autonomous Practitioner

The role of Autonomous Practitioner at North Hampshire Urgent Care (NHUC) is an exciting opportunity for a developing clinician to deliver high-quality, first-contact care within a supportive urgent care environment. You’ll assess, treat and refer patients with minor injuries and illnesses across telephone triage and face‑to‑face consultations, using your postgraduate training in physical assessment and minor illness/injury to manage undifferentiated presentations safely and effectively. Working as part of the Same Day Care team, you’ll apply your growing advanced practice skills while benefiting from onsite or remote clinical support. This role is ideal for clinicians on an ACP developmental pathway who want to build confidence, expand scope of practice and progress toward full advanced practice autonomy.

Main duties of the job

• Deliver high quality, safe, effective patient care.
• Provide competent, compassionate and responsive care.
• Communicate effectively with patients, carers and colleagues.
• Integrate underpinning professional knowledge and skills into the NHUC SDC services, providing first contact patient care.

Job responsibilities

Role Summary: To work as part of the North Hampshire Urgent Care Same Day Care clinical team across the division, subject to local service inductions. The post holder will be a qualified, registered, autonomous practitioner, currently on an Advanced Clinical Practitioner developmental pathway with completed postgraduate modules in physical assessment and minor injuries/illness (or equivalent). The post holder can undertake telephone triage and face‑to‑face consultations, dealing with unplanned and undifferentiated primary and urgent care needs. The post holder will be responsible for the assessment, referral and clinical advice to a diverse range of patients with minor injuries/illness, within their level of competence and increasing scope of practice.

Clinical Care

• Autonomously undertake assessment, examination and organise diagnostics as clinically appropriate of acute and subacute primary and urgent care presentations.
• Undertake holistic assessment of wider care needs as appropriate.
• Make direct referrals to primary, secondary and social services within locally agreed pathways, guidance and protocols.
• Work within scope of practice, escalating to colleagues as required within agreed protocols.
• Ensure that patients receive high quality clinical care, delivered in a timely manner.
• Ensure complete and accurate documentation of each and every patient contact.
• Work as part of multi‑disciplinary and multi‑agency teams in order to ensure patients needs are met.
• Works with either on‑site or remote clinical support in place.

Professional

• Adhere to the appropriate NMC / HCPC / GPC Code of Professional Conduct / Standards and at all times work within the scope of professional practice.
• Ensure that professional practice adheres to organisational policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Maintain a professional manner.
• Maintain confidentiality with regard to information pertaining to patients and staff.
• Ensure that the service interfaces with all other stakeholders in a professional and productive manner, providing an effective service to partner organisations and other service providers.
• Act as a positive role‑model.

Communication

• Communicate effectively with patients and families regarding complex information about their care.
• Provide advice and information to patients, carers and their families where appropriate.
• Communicate effectively and work collaboratively with medical, nursing and allied health professionals to ensure delivery of a co‑ordinated service.
• Ensure accurate documentation record keeping in line with local policies and NMC/HCPC/GPC guidelines.
• Promote and demonstrate effective communication networks within the organisation, with partner organisations and other service providers.

Clinical Governance

• Cooperate with all investigations and audits as required.
• Adhere to North Hampshire Urgent Care’s policies, procedures and guidelines.

Service Improvement

• Contribute to quality improvement within the service through the identification and initiation of changes, which lead to better evidence based practice and improved standards of care.
• Participate in clinical audit identifying areas of best practice and areas for improvement.
• Contribute to the setting and monitoring of standards of care.
• Help develop the services available to the urgent care population to reflect identified needs.

Educational/Personal Development

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of an excellent learning environment.
• Support clinical practice and development of knowledge/skills.
• Adhere to professional registration requirements to maintain professional development, participate in supervision and revalidation in line with NMC/HCPC/GPC guidance.
• Participate in defining own developmental plan to maintain and develop own clinical skills and ensure own professional development.
• Undertake and complete all statutory and mandatory training, in particular for Basic Life Support/Intermediate Life Support, Information Governance, Infection Prevention Control, Safeguarding and conflict resolution.
• To access regular peer support and clinical supervision.
• Contribute to your own personal development and participate in an appraisal and regular performance reviews.
• To support and coach new colleagues.

Other

• Demonstrate commitment to flexible working patterns, to meet the needs of the service and staff.
• Operate NHUC vehicles (local service role specific) if within scope of practice, in a professional manner at all times, being aware the post holder is visibly representing NHUC at all times while in use.

Experience

• At least two years clinical experience.
• Evidence of appropriate CPD activity to maintain up-to-date knowledge.
• Experience of autonomously seeing and treating patients.
• Evidence of working autonomously and as part of a team.
• Proven ability to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of their own clinical practice.
• Experience of working in a primary care, community, triage and/or A&E.

Knowledge, Communications, Interpersonal and Personal Skills

• Ability to assess and manage patient risk effectively and safely, with the knowledge of their own scope of practice, escalating patients as appropriate when personal knowledge/scope of practice exceeded.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communications skills.
• Proficient in using standard office software (e.g., Microsoft Office, email).
• Time management and ability to prioritise workload.
• Flexible in approach to the needs of the service and responsive to change.
• Understands and supports principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace.
• Self‑motivated, able to work independently, organising and prioritising own workload to changing and often tight deadlines.
• Works effectively as part of a team, supports colleagues, and contributes to shared goals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively, manage time effectively, and maintain professionalism.
• Ability to build effective working relationships, demonstrate professionalism, and maintain confidentiality.
• Shows initiative, reliability, and adaptability.
• Understanding of evidence based practice including knowledge of national standards that inform practice (e.g. National Service Frameworks, NICE guidelines etc).
• Understanding of their accountability arising from the NMC / HCPC / GPC standards.
• Good working knowledge of safeguarding both adults and children at least at level 3.
• Experience of using role‑specific systems / platforms including Adastra, EMIS Web, Rotamaster.
• Awareness of policy developments related to the delivery of primary care services including general practice, integrated urgent care, clinical governance, quality and outcomes framework.
• Full Driving Licence (clean).

Qualifications

• Appropriate Professional Registration with NMC / HCPC / GPC.
• Evidence of post‑registration Continued Professional Development (CPD).
• DBS Enhanced Level Check.
• On an Advanced Practitioner Developmental Pathway.
• Completed postgraduate modules in physical assessment and minor injuries/illness (or equivalent).

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.