Fixed term GP Maternity Cover in Watlington

The long-established Rycote Partnership of Thame is seeking a GP for a fixed term maternity cover post at Watlington surgery. We will consider applicants keen to work 5 sessions or more, to start as soon as possible. The Rycote Partnership is committed to delivering the best possible care and ensuring that patients' physical, psychological, and social needs are met. Our care is defined by the values that all staff share and is summed up in the term "Excellent Care by Working Together".

Nestled at the foot of the Chiltern Hills, there is beautiful countryside on the doorstep, and excellent road links via the M40. Watlington is a historic market town, renowned for its thriving independent high street, and is a great place to live and work. This is a two-site practice of approximately 8000 patients. The post is based at one site covering a patient list, to promote continuity.

The Rycote Partnership has a long history of teaching and training, and we offer mentorship to salaried colleagues, with additional support for newly qualified GPs. Watlington and Chalgrove are training-approved sites, and we would encourage GP trainers and aspiring trainers to apply if they would potentially be interested in a subsequent permanent position.

Applications should be submitted with a CV and covering letter to melanie.strachan@nhs.net.

Main duties of the job:

• Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, exercising professional autonomy and clinical judgement in delivering high quality evidence-based care.
• Taking a pro rata share of routine and urgent clinical work, duty doctor, on-call and enhanced access commitments.

Benefits include:

• Protected administrative time and a commitment to move towards longer consultation times.
• Training practice, with opportunities for GP trainers.
• Daily protected coffee time & regular social events to guard against silo working.
• Competitive remuneration - £11,500 minimum per session with consideration given to experience and generous enhancements for pro rata share of enhanced access.
• Pro rata commitment to duty sessions made manageable by a shared approach.
• Regular mentorship sessions including additional support for newly qualified GPs to build confidence and help embed them in the practice.
• Protected time for learning and regular business, clinical governance, clinical effectiveness and primary health care team meetings.
• Opportunity to be involved in specific care areas, including weekly cover of on-site residential/nursing home.
• Future career development opportunities if this led to a permanent position, including GP training, care home medicine, PCN involvement, development of specialist interests, partnership.

About us:

We are a Partnership of 5 clinical partners and a managing partner, taking on the delivery of high quality care to the people of Watlington and Chalgrove at the Chiltern and Brook surgeries. We have a supportive and non-hierarchical approach, with partners taking a full share of clinical work. We are committed to patient-centred care. We offer a mix of telephone, face-to-face and online consultations bringing together the best of the old and new.

There is an established MDT, with GPs, nurses, healthcare assistants, paramedics, pharmacists and a social care support team, offering a holistic approach to looking after our patients. The clinical team is assisted by excellent reception and administrative teams.

Watlington and District Residential and Nursing Home is based at the Watlington site and is rated outstanding by CQC. There is opportunity for involvement in the weekly ward round for those with an interest.

There are strong secondary care services with OUH, RBH, community hospitals in Wallingford, Henley on Thames and Abingdon. There is close working with a community palliative care team and district nurses based at the Watlington premises. The Chiltern and Brook Surgery is rated good by CQC and the PCN achieves very high patient satisfaction scores of over 90%.

Job responsibilities:

• To work as an autonomous general practitioner integrated with the primary health care team.
• To possess and demonstrate the full range of knowledge, skills and professional behaviours expected of a GP.
• To exercise professional autonomy and clinical judgement in delivering high quality evidence-based care.
• To participate fully in the work of the GP team, including routine and urgent clinical work, duty doctor, on-call and extended hours rotas.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and friendly environment in which to work and one where all staff are encouraged to contribute to the development of the practice. The team is mutually supportive and non-hierarchical. All GPs are invited to attend practice business meetings, to share in the decision-making process and implementation of subsequent initiatives.

Clinical Care:

• Provide appropriate care in the assessment and management of patients with a full range of healthcare problems including acute illnesses and chronic disease management.
• Work autonomously but in partnership with the clinical, reception, administration and management teams.
• Assess patients with undifferentiated healthcare problems.
• Take responsibility for assessing and managing patients, prioritising clinical need, determining differential diagnosis and initiating appropriate holistic, evidence-based care in accordance with practice, national and ICB guidelines.
• Become the usual doctor cover to a defined group of patients on a pro rata basis with sessional commitment.
• Consult at times required by the practice and in keeping with other GPs provide both face to face / telephone consultations and home visits when required.
• Record all consultations on a contemporaneous basis.
• Whenever possible adopt a structured approach to record keeping e.g. using appropriate clinical care templates.
• Maintain the clinical record in an optimum form including an up-to-date list of active clinical problems and medication.
• View and respond to laboratory and imaging results for own patients on the day of receipt.
• Respond to prescription requests / complete medicines management tasks on the day of receipt in accordance with local / national guidance.
• Respond in a timely fashion to miscellaneous clinical and administrative functions which are communicated in a variety of ways (e.g. by email and emis tasks).
• Read and action correspondence for own patients and those of absent colleagues via Docman in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Write or dictate appropriate patient referrals promptly and take steps to ensure referrals are not overlooked.
• Include patients in appropriate care protocols where this does not happen automatically (e.g. palliative care, admission avoidance etc.).
• Participate in local and national enhanced services and any other quality initiatives agreed by the practice.
• Share in the duty doctor rota on a pro-rata basis according to sessional commitment.
• Ensure clinical practice is safe and effective and remains within the boundaries of competence.
• Ensure resources are utilised cost effectively and contribute to identifying alternative, more cost-effective resources.
• Participation in the care home round is an additional opportunity.
• GPs supervise other allied health professionals including pharmacists, paramedics, and nursing team members. All GPs assist in their education and supervision as required.

Meetings and Administration:

• All GPs are invited to participate in and contribute to the management agenda at all practice-wide meetings including Business meetings, Clinical effectiveness meetings, Primary health care team meetings, Clinical governance meetings, Protected time for learning educational events, Miscellaneous other clinical, audit or educational meetings.
• Contribute to the further development and ongoing evaluation of clinical and operational policies within the Practice.
• Provide clinical expertise and advice to other members of the practice team as required.

Enhanced Access:

• All GPs are expected to take a pro rata share of Enhanced Access cover with sufficient notice. This is remunerated at 1.75x your normal pay. Thame PCN offers appointments from 07:30 Monday to Friday, until 20:00 Monday to Friday and on Saturday mornings. This commitment is shared between all surgeries in the Thame PCN, which comprises of Watlington and Chalgrove (Chiltern and Brook), Thame (Rycote) and Wheatley (Morland House).

Professional conduct:

• All GPs are required to maintain GMC registration.
• Practice at all times in accordance with the GMC's Good Medical Practice.
• Complete an annual NHS appraisal as part of the current 5 yearly revalidation cycle.
• Maintain membership of a professional indemnity organization commensurate with clinical workload and scope of practice.
• Comply with all Practice and ICB protocols, procedures, guidelines and policies.
• Act as a resource to health care professionals, acting as a professional, visual competent role model at all times.

Changes to Jobs:

All staff are expected to undertake reasonable additional duties and responsibilities in order to meet the evolving service needs of the Practice. Changes should be made in consultation with staff. Variations to job descriptions can be a common occurrence and do not in themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of a post.

Person Specification:

• Ethos: Commitment to our core values; Excellence, Caring & Working Together. Commitment to continuity of care for our patients. Commitment to the core principles and traditions of the NHS. A good team player who is able to support, value and respect other members of the team. Ability to influence others positively, negotiate constructively and resolve conflict successfully. Comfortable working in a constantly changing environment and adaptable and able to respond to new challenges in primary care.
• Qualifications: Full registration with the GMC & holder of MRCGP or equivalent. Performers List license to practice. Evidence of revalidation and engagement in the appraisal process. For those potentially seeking a subsequent permanent post; a teaching/training qualification, specialist interest / qualifications e.g. coil fitting, long-term condition management, joint injections, care home medicine.
• Experience: Commitment to high quality evidence-based clinical care underpinned by sound clinical knowledge & awareness to fully and appropriately investigate problems. A friendly and appropriate manner with good people skills, showing understanding, care and assertiveness where appropriate. Commitment to reflective practice and the continuous improvement of own performance. Evidence of broader skills and experience applicable to the development of services beyond core primary care work streams. Experience of working in a teaching or training capacity.

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.

Depending on experience, minimum £11,500 per session - higher rates for enhanced access.