About this role
Job summary
Successful applicants will provide autonomous telephone assessment and clinical management of patients accessing NEMS Integrated Urgent Care Services (IUCS).
Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, the post holder will undertake telephone consultations for patients presenting with undifferentiated urgent healthcare needs, including NHS 111 clinical assessment, EMAS referrals, Emergency Department validation and other agreed urgent care pathways.
The successful candidate will independently assess patients using advanced history-taking, clinical reasoning and decision-making skills, providing evidence-based advice, developing management plans in partnership with patients, facilitating onward referral where appropriate and ensuring robust safety-netting.
Main duties of the job
This is a telephone-based role and does not include routine face-to-face clinical practice.
The post holder will work within the standards of their professional regulator, their agreed scope of practice, NEMS policies and local clinical pathways, recognising patients requiring escalation to GPs, emergency services or other healthcare providers.
The role includes a combination of in-hours and Out of Hours working, including evenings, overnight shifts, weekends and Bank Holidays, in line with service requirements. Successful applicants will be expected to work flexibly across the 24-hour Integrated Urgent Care Service.
Following induction and successful completion of competency assessment, opportunities for agreed remote working may be available, subject to service requirements and achievement of agreed quality, governance and performance standards.
About us
NEMS Community Benefit Services (NEMS) is a not-for-profit social enterprise and a Company Limited by Guarantee. It has been operating in Nottinghamshire for over 25 years, now providing a population of more than 1.2 million with urgent primary health care services. It operates out of 2 registered locations and four bases and deploys a team of more than 370 healthcare professionals, including 150+ sessional GPs, 90+ substantive staff, 30+ agency workers, and 140+ non-healthcare staff.
NEMS provides services to a population of circa 1.2 million under the following service portfolio headings;
Care Co-ordination and non-clinical call handling Clinical Assessment and Care Navigation Support to Primary Care including General Practice Out-of-Hours and Urgent Treatment Centres Outbreak Management
The Board of Directors comprises non-executive Member directors and executive directors and is responsible for overall strategy and governance of the organisation. The Board of Directors is supported by two sub-committees Quality and People Committee and Finance and Performance Committee. An Operational Executive Team, comprising Executive Board Directors, together with other senior leaders, is being established to oversee the smooth running of the day-to-day activities of NEMS.
Job description Job responsibilities
Main Duties
Clinical Practice and Service Delivery
Undertake autonomous telephone assessment of patients presenting with undifferentiated urgent healthcare needs. Assess patients referred through NHS 111, EMAS, Emergency Department validation and other agreed urgent care pathways. Assess clinical urgency using advanced history-taking and clinical reasoning. Develop safe management plans within own scope of practice, supporting shared decision-making wherever appropriate. Provide evidence-based advice, self-care guidance and robust safety-netting. Advise on medicines within own scope of practice and escalate prescribing requirements appropriately. Recognise serious illness, safeguarding concerns, mental health presentations and clinical deterioration. Recognise the limitations of remote assessment and arrange face-to-face review, Emergency Department attendance, ambulance response or other escalation where clinically required. Escalate patients requiring GP input, prescribing or specialist advice where appropriate. Facilitate onward referral to community services, Urgent Community Response, Virtual Wards, General Practice and other healthcare providers. Maintain accurate, contemporaneous clinical records using Adastra and other approved clinical systems. Participate in achieving service quality standards, response times and agreed clinical performance indicators.
Professional Responsibilities
Practise within the standards of their professional regulator (NMC, HCPC or GPhC) and agreed scope of practice. Maintain professional registration, revalidation (where applicable) and continuing professional development. Participate in regular clinical supervision and reflective practice. Promote evidence-based practice and lifelong learning. Maintain patient confidentiality and comply with Information Governance and UK GDPR requirements. Promote public health and preventative healthcare during consultations where appropriate.
Clinical Governance
Maintain safe clinical practice in accordance with NEMS policies, national guidance and professional standards. Participate in clinical audit, incident reporting, complaints and shared learning activities. Contribute to service evaluation and quality improvement activities where appropriate. Participate in mandatory training, clinical supervision and continuing professional development. Maintain awareness of current evidence, clinical guidance and local urgent care pathways. Support the delivery of safe, effective and patient-centred care across the Integrated Urgent Care Service.
Team Working
Work collaboratively with GPs, Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Care Navigators, Operational Teams, EMAS, Community Services and wider Integrated Care System partners. Support colleagues through advice and discussion within own scope of practice, recognising when senior clinical input is required. Participate in teaching, mentorship and support of developing clinicians where appropriate. Contribute positively to service development, innovation and organisational change.
Person Specification
Knowledge Essential
Advanced assessment and management of minor illness. Principles of safe remote consultation and telephone clinical assessment. Recognition of serious illness and clinical deterioration. Adult and child safeguarding. Mental Capacity Act, consent and best-interest decision-making. Information Governance and UK GDPR. Clinical governance and quality improvement. NHS urgent care pathways.
Desirable
National Quality Requirements for Out of Hours Services. CQC standards. NHS contractual Key Performance Indicators.
Qualifications Essential
Current registration with one of the following professional regulatory bodies: oNursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) oHealth and Care Professions Council (HCPC) oGeneral Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) Recognised university-accredited Level 6 or Level 7 Minor Illness qualification (or equivalent), or APACS qualification. Evidence of autonomous history-taking and clinical assessment training. Evidence of ongoing Continuing Professional Development.
Desirable
Independent Prescribing qualification relevant to profession (e.g. V300 or equivalent). Clinical supervision or mentorship qualification. Qualification or experience within a Clinical Assessment Service. ________________________________________
Experience Essential
Minimum three years' post-registration experience. Significant experience independently assessing and managing patients presenting with undifferentiated minor illness. Experience of telephone triage or remote clinical assessment. Experience working within Primary Care, Urgent Care, GP Out of Hours, NHS 111, Community Services, Emergency Care or Clinical Assessment Services. Experience working within agreed clinical pathways and protocols. Experience working within multidisciplinary teams.
Desirable
GP Out of Hours. NHS 111 Clinical Assessment Service. Urgent Treatment Centre. Emergency Department streaming or validation. Ambulance assessment or EMAS pathways. Experience using Adastra, SystmOne or ICE.
Values Essential
Valuing and respecting others, treating everyone as an individual. Being compassionate, kind and non-judgemental. Working collaboratively and supporting colleagues. Taking responsibility and demonstrating professionalism. Being proactive, flexible and willing to learn. Being motivated to make a positive difference to patients, colleagues and the wider organisation.
Knowledge and Skills Essential
Excellent telephone consultation and advanced history-taking skills. Advanced clinical reasoning and decision-making. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Clear, accurate and contemporaneous clinical documentation. Ability to prioritise workload and manage competing clinical priorities. Ability to recognise limitations of practice and seek advice appropriately. Excellent IT skills. Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team. Ability to work flexibly across a 24-hour, 7-day urgent care service, including evenings, nights, weekends and Bank Holidays. Calm, organised and effective under pressure. Commitment to delivering safe, patient-centred care.
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.
Employer details Employer name NEMS Community Benefit Services Ltd
Address Forward House
Station Street
Nottingham
NG2 3AJ
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://nemscbs.net/ (Opens in a new tab)