Advanced Nurse Practitioner

We are looking for an Advanced Nurse Practitioner to join us at Spilsby Surgery.

Our ANP will be an important part of the clinical team, seeing a broad range of patients and using their advanced clinical skills to assess, diagnose, treat and prescribe independently.

We are looking for someone who is confident in their clinical practice, enjoys the variety that comes with working in general practice and wants to be part of the wider surgery team.

This is an opportunity to join Spilsby at a time when we are investing in the future of the practice. We want our new ANP to have a genuine say in how we move forward and the opportunity to influence and develop the areas of care that matter to them.

Main duties of the job

As an ANP at Spilsby Surgery, you will see patients with a wide range of acute and ongoing health needs, assessing, diagnosing and managing their care independently within your scope of practice.

You will be able to prescribe independently and arrange investigations, treatment, referrals or follow‑up as appropriate, working across the clinical team to make sure patients receive the right care for their needs.

Although you will manage your own clinical workload, you will have the wider clinical team around you. We have dedicated clinical discussion time each day and regular multidisciplinary meetings, giving clinicians the opportunity to discuss patients, seek another opinion and share their knowledge and experience.

The role offers plenty of clinical variety and the chance to use your advanced practice skills across the breadth of general practice.

About us

Spilsby Surgery is a rural dispensing practice caring for around 7,250 patients across Spilsby and the surrounding communities.

Our team includes GPs, advanced practitioners, nursing staff, dispensary, care navigation and administrative colleagues, with everyone playing their part in the day‑to‑day running of the practice.

Working in a rural practice brings plenty of variety. We care for patients of all ages and backgrounds, as well as supporting local care homes and patients who are housebound. Being a dispensing practice also means our clinical and dispensary teams work closely together to support patients with their ongoing care.

Spilsby is a positive and supportive place to work, where clinical and non‑clinical staff work together to provide the best possible service for our patients. Everyone has a voice in how we deliver and shape patient care, and we encourage people to share their ideas, experience and perspective as we continue to develop the practice.

The role includes NHS Pension Scheme membership and support for continuing professional development.

Job responsibilities

About the role

The Advanced Nurse Practitioner will work as a senior member of the clinical team, providing care to patients presenting with a broad range of acute and ongoing health needs.

Working within their professional competence, the postholder will independently assess patients, formulate differential diagnoses and management plans, prescribe medication and arrange appropriate investigations, treatment, referral and follow‑up.

The ANP will work closely with GPs and other members of the multidisciplinary team, using their professional judgement to manage patients independently and recognising when further clinical input or escalation is required.

Clinical responsibilities

The postholder will:

• Undertake face‑to‑face and telephone consultations with patients.
• Take comprehensive clinical histories and undertake appropriate physical examinations.
• Assess, diagnose and manage a range of acute illness, minor illness and ongoing health conditions within their scope of competence.
• Develop and implement appropriate treatment and management plans.
• Request and interpret investigations where appropriate to their role and competence.
• Prescribe medication independently, safely and in accordance with current guidance and local prescribing arrangements.
• Review medication and support safe and effective medicines management.
• Provide appropriate advice, health education and safety‑netting to patients and carers.
• Refer patients to GPs, secondary care, community services and other healthcare professionals where appropriate.
• Recognise clinical deterioration, red flags and presentations requiring urgent intervention or escalation.
• Review and act upon relevant test results, clinical correspondence and other information relating to patients under their care.
• Undertake home visits where clinically appropriate.
• Maintain clear, accurate and contemporaneous clinical records.
• Work with the wider team to coordinate care and ensure appropriate follow‑up.

Clinical decision‑making and professional practice

The ANP will practise autonomously while remaining accountable for their own professional decisions and actions.

The postholder will:

• Work within the limits of their competence and professional scope of practice.
• Apply clinical reasoning and evidence‑based practice when making decisions about patient care.
• Recognise uncertainty and seek advice or additional clinical input when appropriate.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• Work in accordance with NMC professional standards, current clinical guidance and practice policies.
• Maintain confidentiality and comply with information governance and data protection requirements.

Prescribing and medicines management

As an Independent Prescriber, the postholder will prescribe safely and appropriately within their competence.

This will include:

• Following current national and local prescribing guidance.
• Considering interactions, contraindications and individual patient factors when prescribing.
• Reviewing medication where appropriate and identifying potential medicines‑related concerns.
• Working closely with GPs, dispensary and other members of the team to support safe medicines management.
• Recognising when prescribing decisions require further clinical or specialist advice.

Working with the wider team

The ANP will work closely with GPs, nursing colleagues and the wider practice team to support coordinated patient care.

The postholder will participate in relevant clinical discussions and multidisciplinary meetings and contribute their own clinical knowledge and experience to shared decision‑making.

They will communicate effectively with colleagues within the practice and with external health and care professionals involved in a patient’s care.

Quality, safety and governance

The postholder will contribute to the clinical governance and quality improvement work of the practice, including:

• Participating in clinical audit and quality improvement activity.
• Contributing to significant event reviews and shared learning.
• Supporting learning arising from complaints and patient safety concerns where relevant to their clinical work.
• Identifying and raising clinical risks or concerns promptly.
• Following practice safeguarding procedures and fulfilling the safeguarding responsibilities appropriate to the role.
• Following infection prevention and control procedures.
• Contributing to the development and review of clinical processes where appropriate.

Professional development

The postholder will be responsible for maintaining current NMC registration and Independent Prescriber status and for meeting the professional requirements associated with both.

They will maintain and develop the knowledge and competencies required for advanced clinical practice through continuing professional development, mandatory training and reflective learning.

The practice will support appropriate professional development, and the postholder will be encouraged to develop clinical interests that complement both their own professional goals and the needs of our patient population.

Contributing to the practice

As a senior clinician, the ANP will have the opportunity to contribute to the wider development of clinical services at Spilsby Surgery.

We welcome the experience and perspective our clinicians bring and want our ANP to be involved in discussions about how we improve patient care, develop services and make the best use of the skills within our clinical team.

General

This job description outlines the main responsibilities of the post and may develop over time in discussion with the postholder to reflect changes within the practice and wider primary care.

We are looking for an ANP who will bring their own strengths to Spilsby, build strong working relationships across the team and become an established part of the practice. In return, there is scope to develop professionally, pursue clinical interests and have a genuine influence on the care and services we provide.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse with current NMC registration
• Advanced Clinical Practice qualification or equivalent
• Urgent and Minor Illness (URMA) training or equivalent

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.