Job summary
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust are seeking enthusiastic Physician Assistants to play a key role in the management of patients and to support the effective functioning of community teams and contribute to wider service developments. The post holder will be accountable for ensuring that high quality patient care is delivered at all times. The Physician Assistant will be supervised by a designated consultant with regular meetings to support on-going development within the role. The Physician Assistant will attend regular CPD sessions to support on-going development.
Main duties of the job
o Conduct initial psychiatric assessments, take patient histories and perform physical examinations
o Establish differential diagnosis, making appropriate treatment plans under supervision of Consultant Psychiatrist.
o Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, handovers and other relevant clinical meetings
o Treat patient and their family members using a high degree of empathy and advanced communication skills
o Record clinical notes about patient contacts and provide advice to staff on further management / investigations / interventions
o Work collaboratively with the relevant team
o Liaise with primary care and relevant secondary health care providers relating to a patient's care or treatment
o Liaise with community teams about a patient's on-going care and treatment needs
o Support health promotion activities including those relating to smoking, drugs and alcohol
o Provide psycho-educational support to patients and carers / families
o Support proactive screening and interventions with regard to the physical health of patients.
o Liaise with pharmacy regarding issues relating to medication
o Contribute to the development of physical health competencies in mental health staff in a range of settings.
About us
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT) is an outstanding organisation with ambitions to match. We are one of just five mental health trusts to achieve an overall rating of 'Outstanding' from the Care Quality Commission, and our aim is to be the leading provider of mental health and specialist learning disability services in the country.
Our family of over 4000 members of staff provide health and social care for over 400,000 people with mental ill health, physical ill health and learning disabilities across Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk, delivering these services within the community and several inpatient settings. We also deliver a range of nationally commissioned specialist services including Tier 4 services for children and young people, perinatal services, plus medium and low secure learning disabilities services.
The care we provide makes a fantastic difference to the lives of our service users, their families and carers - everything is underpinned by choice, independence and equality, with our Trust values embedded throughout:
Our Trust values are:
Welcoming. Kind. Positive. Respectful. Professional.
These values are at the core of who we are, everything we do, and how we do it!
Job description
Job responsibilities
Principal Duties
Physician Assistant roles are likely to include, but not be limited to the following:
Practice under the supervision of the Clinical Director.
Conduct initial psychiatric assessments, take patient histories and perform physical examinations
Establish differential diagnosis, making appropriate treatment plans under supervision of Consultant Psychiatrist.
Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, handovers and other relevant clinical meetings
Treat patient and their family members using a high degree of empathy and advanced communication skills
Respond in a timely way to requests to assess or review patients physical and / or mental health
Record clinical notes about patient contacts and provide advice to staff on further management / investigations / interventions
Review and summarise patient notes for the purposes of contributing to discharge summaries and reports.
Undertake assessment and assistance to ward staff in the event of medical emergencies
Work collaboratively with the relevant team i.e. Psychiatrists, Junior Doctors, Senior Nurses, Nursing Staff, Support Workers, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists to ensure good working relationships
Liaise with primary care and relevant secondary health care providers relating to a patients care or treatment
Liaise with community teams about a patients on-going care and treatment needs
Support health promotion activities including those relating to smoking, drugs and alcohol
Provide psycho-educational support to patients and carers / families
Support proactive screening and interventions with regard to the physical health of patients.
Liaise with pharmacy regarding issues relating to medication
Contribute to the development of physical health competencies in mental health staff in a range of settings.
Carry out procedures which will include (but not be limited to):
ECG
Venepuncture
IV cannulation
Interpretation of blood results
Mental state examination
Cognitive assessment
Service Development
The post holder will be willing to participate in research/audit/QI opportunities as they arise
Be responsible for the dissemination of new or updated clinical practices
Support the placements of nursing, medical and physician assistant students on placement
Participate in undergraduate teaching
Support junior doctors on placement
Support the development of skills in the wider team and the organisation
Assist with the development of, and implementation of, local and trust wide policies, procedures, guidance and protocols
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Postgraduate Diploma in Physician Assistant Studies or equivalent
- BA/BSc Degree in relevant subject
- Member of General Medical Council
- Evidence on ongoing CPD
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working as a training Physician Assistant
- Demonstratable experience of organising and prioritising on workload
Desirable
- Experience of working within a Mental Health setting
- An understanding of the current NHS environment, particularly in relations to reforms, legislation and issues
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.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
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
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Address
Colne House, Upton Road, Watford, WD18 0JP
Upton Road
Watford
WD18 0JP
United Kingdom
Employer's website
https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/careers/ (Opens in a new tab)
This listing was aggregated from publicly-available sources. The employer holds an A-rated sponsor licence at the time of this listing, but sponsorship of this specific role is not guaranteed — the employer's offer and UK Visas and Immigration are the final authority. Details may have changed since our last update — verify with the employer via the Apply link.