Job description: Practice-based physician associate

This job description is a template. It should be used as a guide and edited according to the specific needs of the practice and the duties required of the post. The role described is equivalent to Band XXX.

Job summary and scope

The physician associate is responsible for providing care to patients on presentation, within the boundaries of the role. This includes but is not limited to taking a clinical history, performing physical examinations, making diagnoses, providing treatment, and assessing and evaluating care.

In carrying out the role, the physician associate might be required to carry out home visits, liaise with patients presenting to the practice, follow up on test results and respond appropriately to correspondence, and deliver clinical care and services in line with the requirements of the role.

The physician associate will work collaboratively with the practice team, performing tasks as required by the GP supervisor within the practice’s policy and procedures and to a defined set of competencies. He/she will support the delivery of practice-level policy and procedures.

Key responsibilities – clinical

Caring for patients

• Contribute to and assist in delivering treatment and preventative healthcare services as directed and agreed by the GP supervisor, including (but not limited to):
  • Delivering patient consultations and clinical care using established clinical guidelines, and within competencies and capabilities
  • Assessing and referring patients to GPs, medical specialists and other health professionals as appropriate
  • Questioning patients, taking medical histories, performing physical examinations, diagnosing and explaining conditions to patients, carers and family members
  • Identifying and explaining appropriate diagnostic tests and treatment
  • Ordering tests and investigations as required, and interpreting results
• Advise and educate patients in preventative healthcare and self-management
• Conduct phone consultations with patients as required
• Take responsibility for appropriately handling – and escalating where appropriate – patient complaints

Practice-related duties

• Take responsibility for keeping and maintaining accurate, contemporaneous records of all aspects of patient care
• Contribute to the practice’s wider clinical development by developing and working towards a special interest
• Support clinical colleagues in implementing appropriate protocol to manage long-term conditions, ensuring compliance with National Service Framework guidelines
• Support colleagues by taking responsibility for workload, and play a key role in the clinical duty rota, including making domiciliary and care home visits when appropriate
• Support learning and development of other staff by giving directions and sharing knowledge with nursing and junior clinical staff
• Liaise with colleagues in primary and secondary care to seek advice about or refer patients, plan and coordinate activities, or exchange information in order to improve the quality of patient care
• Liaise with community healthcare teams, consultants and other healthcare providers, insurance companies and other stakeholders to refer and consult on specific cases
• Perform other clinical duties as required, within the scope of the physician associate competencies and training

Key responsibilities – non-clinical

Administration

• Manage, as required, correspondence and written information regarding insurance, housing, social care and other issues relating to the physical and social welfare of patients
• Collaborate with colleagues to deliver the objectives of the GMS/APMS/PMS contract, including the terms of the QOF and other services
• Attend regular multi-disciplinary meetings organised by the practice in order to discuss the health and social needs of particular patients

Practice-related duties

• Undertake research and analysis associated with the improvement of clinical care, medical diagnosis and treatment where appropriate, including (but not limited to):
  • Auditing clinical practice
• • Reviewing relevant literature
  • Researching unusual symptoms and treatment options through consultation with GPs, partners, other clinical staff and specialists
• Provide expertise, advice, guidance and supervision of trainee clinical staff
• Reflect on own practice with the goal of identifying learning and development needs, and keep appropriate up-to-date records
• Maintain a safe working environment in accordance with health and safety protocol, including (but not limited to):
  • Keeping clinical and non-clinical working areas tidy and free of hazards, minimising the risk to everyone in the practice
  • Adhering to policies relating to infection control, cold chain, spillages, decontamination, handling of specimens, handling sharps and clinical waste, etc
  • Maintaining up-to-date knowledge on health and safety protocol
  • Attending mandatory training when required
• Perform other non-clinical duties as required, within the scope of the physician associate’s competencies and training

Personal and professional development

• Comply with the Royal College of Physicians’ Faculty of Physician Associates’ professional standards
• Take and pass the national re-certification exam every six years, in accordance with the requirements of the Physician Associate Managed Voluntary Register, and as recommended by the National Examination Sub Committee of the UKUBPAE (UK Universities Board of Physician Associate Education), and subsequently as required by the statutory regulating body when in place
• Undertake 50 hours of continuing medical education every year, of which at least 25 hours must be in accredited direct learning programmes
• Act as a mentor and positive role model to students and more junior members of staff, sharing information and good practice
• Prioritise own workload and collaborate effectively with others to prioritise team and practice workload
• Undertake continuing education and training as required, in line with clinical governance guidelines and to ensure competencies for delivering all responsibilities, including attending and contributing to in-house training, and including (but not limited to):
  • Maintaining personal development and CPD plans and records of learning, clinical supervision and feedback on performance
• Keep up to date with current evidence-based approaches to patient care and service delivery, in line with NICE and the National Service Framework
• Undertake regular mandatory training, such as relating to emergency life support, manual lifting and handling, safeguarding vulnerable patients, child protection, etc

Other important aspects of the role

Maintaining confidentiality

The physician associate will, as an integral part of and in the course of carrying out his/her role, have access to confidential and sometimes sensitive information relating to patients, carers and family members, as well as similar information about colleagues. The physician associate might also have access to confidential commercial information about the practice and its business.

All such information in whatever format and howsoever made available must be treated with the strictest confidence. All such information held both within and outside of the practice will be shared only as necessary, and in accordance with practice’s confidentiality/data-sharing policies, and in line with data protection legislation and the Freedom of Information Act.

Equality and diversity

The physician associate will comply with the practice’s own equality and diversity policy, and legislation relating to equality and diversity, including (but not limited to):

• Recognising the rights of patients, carers, family members and colleagues, and respecting their needs, beliefs, privacy and dignity
• Not discriminating against patients, carers, family members or colleagues on the grounds of any of the protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 (or its amendments or later legislation)
• Supporting people who need help understanding and exercising their rights
• Acting as a role model in relation to promoting equality, diversity and non-discriminatory practices
• Identifying discriminatory practices and patterns of discrimination, taking appropriate action to tackle it, and instead promoting equality
• Complying with, promoting and evaluating chaperoning policies
• Recognising and promoting the right of patients to choose their care provider, and to participate in or refuse care

Key relationships and contacts

Looking to fill a vacancy at your practice? Contact the Pulse Practice Jobs team on 0207 214 0570 or email [email protected]