Advanced Clinical Practitioner (Urgent Care) in Chichester

The Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at St Richard’s Hospital is looking for an experienced and dynamic Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) to join our Urgent & Emergency Care team. As a senior autonomous clinician, you will provide expert assessment, diagnosis and management for patients presenting with undifferentiated urgent care needs. Working primarily within the UTC, you will play a key role in supporting timely clinical decision‑making, safe discharge, and effective escalation where required. You will work closely with colleagues in the Emergency Department (ED) and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) to deliver safe streaming, improve patient flow and ensure seamless care across the urgent and emergency care pathway. This is an exciting opportunity to shape and strengthen the UTC service while practising across all four pillars of Advanced Clinical Practice: clinical care, leadership, education and research. We welcome applications from qualified ACPs from nursing, paramedic or physiotherapy backgrounds with proven experience in urgent or emergency care.

Main duties of the job:

• Provide autonomous advanced clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and discharge for patients presenting with urgent illness or injury in the UTC.
• Manage a defined caseload and ensure timely, patient‑centred care aligned with national and local pathways.
• Request, interpret and act on investigations including blood tests, ECGs, urinalysis and plain‑film imaging.
• Identify and elevate patients requiring review or transfer to ED, SDEC or specialty teams.
• Contribute to integrated patient flow across UTC, ED and SDEC through senior decision‑making in streaming, escalation and pathway navigation.
• Prescribe independently (where qualified) and provide clear safety‑netting and discharge advice.
• Maintain accurate electronic clinical records.
• Act as a senior clinical leader within the UTC, supporting junior staff, UCPs and trainee ACPs.
• Participate in clinical governance, audit, incident review and quality‑improvement work.
• Contribute to teaching, supervision and staff development.
• Maintain a professional portfolio demonstrating capability across all four pillars of advanced practice.
• Support development of urgent care pathways and help deliver safe, effective and evidence‑based care.

Working for our organisation:

At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always deliver Excellent Care Everywhere, as shown in our Outstanding for Caring CQC rating. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of staff networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 3) and a Veteran Aware Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities:

The Advanced Clinical Practitioner (Urgent Care) is a senior autonomous clinician working primarily within the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at St Richard’s Hospital. The post holder will provide expert clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment and discharge for patients presenting with undifferentiated urgent care needs, including urgent illness and minor injury presentations. The role supports safe decision‑making, timely escalation and effective patient flow across the UTC, Emergency Department (ED) and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC).

Clinical Responsibilities:

• Undertake advanced clinical assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment and safe discharge of patients streamed to the UTC.
• Request, interpret and act upon investigations including blood tests, ECGs, urinalysis and plain‑film imaging, in line with IR(ME)R and Trust policies.
• Provide senior clinical decision‑making support for complex or borderline UTC presentations, escalating to ED or SDEC where appropriate.
• Recognise and respond to clinical deterioration, ensuring timely escalation to medical or specialty teams.
• Maintain accurate contemporaneous electronic records and ensure compliance with clinical governance, medicines management, safeguarding and infection‑prevention standards.

Leadership and Service Development:

• Act as a senior clinical role model within the UTC, supporting high‑quality care and effective team working.
• Contribute to service improvement, pathway redesign and quality‑assurance activity across urgent care.
• Participate in incident review, audit, governance meetings and service evaluation.
• Identify and elevate service risks and support safe operational delivery within the UTC.

Education and Professional Development:

• Support the development of junior clinicians, Urgent Care Practitioners (UCPs), students and trainee ACPs.
• Contribute to teaching, supervision, coaching and clinical skills development within the team.
• Maintain a professional portfolio demonstrating continued development across the four pillars of advanced practice (clinical, leadership, education and research).
• Participate in appraisal, CPD and clinical supervision in line with Trust and national ACP standards.

Research, Audit and Quality Improvement:

• Engage in audit, evaluation and quality‑improvement projects relevant to urgent care pathways.
• Support the implementation of local and national UEC standards and evidence‑based practice.
• Contribute to the development and evaluation of new roles, pathways or models of care within the UTC and wider UEC division.

Interface Across Urgent & Emergency Care:

• Work collaboratively with ED and SDEC colleagues to support safe streaming, escalation, de‑escalation and patient flow across the urgent and emergency care pathway.
• Participate in integrated pathway development and ensure consistent standards of care across UTC, ED and SDEC services.
• Provide senior clinical advice to support same‑day decision‑making, including ambulatory care and admission avoidance pathways.

This role is eligible for visa sponsorship under the UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker route. Sponsorship can only be provided where applicants meet the specific requirements set by UKVI, including the relevant skill and salary thresholds, and any role-specific criteria.