About this role
Job summary
Clinical Triage and Minor Illness
Church Lane Medical Centre is seeking an experienced Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) / Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) to join our clinical team.
The role is 8am to 2pm four days per week onsite.
The principal focus of this role will be telephone-based clinical triage and assessment of patients requesting same-day care. The post holder will be based on site and work closely with a dedicated administrator to work through the practice assessment list, ensuring that patients receive a safe and appropriate clinical response within the same day.
The successful candidate will work autonomously, using advanced clinical assessment, clinical reasoning and independent prescribing skills to assess undifferentiated presentations, identify clinical risk and urgency, provide appropriate treatment and advice, and determine the most appropriate pathway for each patient.
The role will predominantly involve telephone triage. However, flexibility is essential and the successful candidate will be expected to undertake face-to-face minor illness/acute clinical sessions when required, including the possibility that one of their usual four working days may be allocated to a face-to-face clinic rather than telephone triage.
Ideally the post holder will also be able to provide reasonable clinical cover for colleagues during periods of annual leave, sickness or increased service demand, within their professional scope of practice.
Main duties of the job
Key responsibilities will include:
Undertaking autonomous telephone assessment and clinical triage of patients presenting with acute, urgent and same-day clinical problems. Assessing clinical urgency, recognising red flags and identifying patients requiring urgent or emergency intervention. Providing appropriate clinical advice, treatment, prescribing and safety-netting. Determining whether patients require telephone management, face-to-face assessment, GP review, investigation, referral or another appropriate clinical pathway. Arranging investigations, referrals and follow-up where clinically appropriate. Maintaining accurate and timely clinical records. Working closely with the practice administrator to ensure the daily assessment workload is managed safely and efficiently. Undertaking face-to-face minor illness and acute clinical assessment clinicswhen required. Working collaboratively with GPs, ANPs/ACPs, nurses, pharmacists, administrative staff and the wider multidisciplinary team. Participating in clinical governance, audit, quality improvement and continuing professional development.
About us
Church Lane Medical Centre is a friendly and forward-thinking GP practice in Scunthorpe. We pride ourselves on a positive working environment where colleagues are encouraged to contribute their skills and ideas. We have a strong work ethic and are committed to providing safe, high-quality care for our patients.
We value our staff and recognise the importance of maintaining a supportive workplace where clinicians can work autonomously while having access to colleagues for advice and reassurance. We encourage professional development and make full use of the skills and expertise within our team.
Our practice supports almost 11,000 patients.
Job description Job responsibilities
Clinical triage and assessment
Undertake autonomous telephone assessment and triage of patients presenting with acute, urgent and same-day clinical problems. Work systematically through the daily clinical assessment list in conjunction with the practice administrator. Ensure patients receive an appropriate clinical response within the same day. Obtain a comprehensive clinical history and undertake appropriate remote clinical assessment. Use advanced clinical reasoning to assess undifferentiated presentations and determine clinical priority. Recognise red flags, clinical deterioration and potentially serious or time-critical presentations. Determine the most appropriate pathway for each patient, including: telephone management; face-to-face assessment; GP review; another member of the multidisciplinary team; investigation; referral; urgent or emergency assessment. Provide appropriate treatment, advice and safety-netting. Arrange appropriate investigations, referrals and follow-up. Maintain accurate, contemporaneous and clinically appropriate records.Minor illness and face-to-face assessment
Undertake face-to-face assessment and management of patients presenting with minor illness and acute clinical problems when required. Assess, diagnose and manage undifferentiated presentations within the practitioner's scope of competence. Undertake appropriate clinical examination. Develop evidence-based management plans. Prescribe safely within independent prescribing authority and scope of practice. Recognise patients requiring GP review, specialist assessment or urgent/emergency intervention. Provide appropriate follow-up and safety-netting.Independent prescribing
Act as an autonomous non-medical prescriber within professional competence. Prescribe safely and effectively in accordance with legislation, national guidance, local formularies and practice policies. Consider contraindications, drug interactions and adverse effects. Review treatment and medication effectiveness where clinically appropriate.Working with the practice administrator
Work closely with the allocated administrator to manage the daily clinical assessment workload. Provide clear clinical direction regarding the appropriate handling and allocation of patient requests. Ensure effective communication between administrative and clinical staff. Identify and escalate urgent cases, clinical risk and capacity concerns appropriately. Contribute to the ongoing development of efficient and safe clinical triage processes.Team working and flexibility
Work collaboratively with GPs, ANPs/ACPs, nurses, pharmacists, healthcare assistants, administrative staff and the wider multidisciplinary team. Provide reasonable cover for colleagues during annual leave, sickness and periods of increased demand. Be flexible regarding the balance between telephone triage and face-to-face clinical work. Participate in relevant clinical and practice meetings. Contribute to the development of safe and effective same-day care pathways.Clinical governance and professional responsibilities
Practise within professional, regulatory and legal requirements. Work autonomously while recognising the limits of individual competence and seeking appropriate clinical support when required. Maintain professional registration and prescribing status. Participate in clinical supervision, appraisal, reflection and continuing professional development. Participate in audit, significant event reviews, quality improvement and service development. Maintain appropriate clinical governance and information governance standards. Recognise and appropriately manage safeguarding concerns. Maintain patient confidentiality at all times. Adhere to practice policies and procedures.
Person Specification
Experience Essential
Significant experience in clinical triage and clinical assessment essential. Significant experience assessing patients with undifferentiated acute presentations. Experience of autonomous clinical decision-making. Experience of telephone/remote clinical assessment. Experience of recognising clinical risk and red flags. Experience of autonomous prescribing. Experience working within primary care, urgent care or a comparable clinical environment. Experience managing acute and minor illness presentations. Current non-medical prescribing qualification and prescribing authority essential.
Desirable
Previous experience working in general practice. Formal minor illness qualification/training. Experience using clinical triage/online consultation systems. Experience of clinical audit and quality improvement. Experience of supervision, mentoring or supporting other clinicians.
Qualifications Essential
Current professional registration with the NMC or HCPC, as appropriate to the applicant's professional background. Advanced Clinical Practice / Advanced Clinical Practitioner qualification at an appropriate level essential. For applicants from a paramedic background, an appropriate Advanced Clinical Practice/Advanced Clinical Practitioner qualification is essential; paramedic registration alone is not sufficient for this role.
Desirable
MSc Advanced Clinical Practice 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.
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details Employer name Church Lane Medical Centre
Address 1 Orchid Rise
Scunthorpe
DN15 7AN
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://www.churchlanemcscunthorpe.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)