Job overview
Are you an experienced Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) ready to revolutionise patient care? Lancashire Teaching Hospitals has a cutting-edge Virtual Ward service, and we’re looking for passionate clinicians to lead the way.
This is more than a job — it’s a chance to be part of a transformative model that brings hospital-level care into patients’ homes. As an ACP, you’ll play a pivotal role in delivering proactive, high-quality care that keeps people safe, supported, and out of hospital.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you’ll be a vital link between hospital and home, independently managing patients with a range of undifferentiated presentations. You’ll provide clinical care in patients homes and remotely via the Virtual Ward, helping patients avoid unnecessary admissions and recover in the comfort of their own homes. The role will include:
1. Conducting regular assessments using a variety of clinical tools
2. Developing and leading personalised care plans in collaboration with hospital and community teams
3. Carrying out independent reviews of patients receiving virtual care (including home visits and remote (virtual) reviews)
4. Working collaboratively as part of the integrated multidisciplinary virtual ward team and participating in regular MDT patient review
5. Supporting safe discharge and continuity of care across settings
Working for our organisation
We have 10,000 fantastic people working hard to deliver quality services to our patients. Whatever your role, you help look after 370,000 people in our local area & give specialist care to 1.5 million people across Lancashire & Cumbria.
Working with us gives you the knowledge and sense of pride that every activity you do genuinely does make a difference to support our patients & staff, ensuring we keep thriving & delivering outstanding healthcare right across our local towns.
You’ll have access to varied development opportunities, to learn and expand new skills, meet fab people & do things you’ve never have done. You’ll learn about working in a hospital, interacting with people from all different roles to build skills & enhance your career path.
You’ll make an impact, be challenged to think differently, be bold, innovate and to continuously improve both self and service. Everything we do centres around patient care and enhancing the Virtual Ward experience which means your role is pivotal and something really to be proud of.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The main responsibilities of this role include but are not limited to the following:
To deliver and participate in the clinical care of patients
Provide a level of advanced and comprehensive assessment, based on a specialist body of knowledge.
Direct responsibility for the management of patients within the Virtual Ward case load and for the supervision of junior members of the multidisciplinary team
To appropriately assess, examine, investigate, diagnose and treat patients, resulting in the safe management and appropriate referral or discharge of patients with undifferentiated and undiagnosed presentations.
Order and interpret investigations, laboratory tests, x-rays and act on results as appropriate.
Initiate drug therapy/medication within the parameters of agreed clinical guidelines and in accordance with present legislation supply and prescribing of medicines.
To contribute to the development and improvement of systems and processes that facilitate patient flow.
Maintain own clinical development by keeping abreast of new treatments and technologies
To improve the quality of the patient experience by identifying and meeting the individual clinical needs of patients.
To rigorously review all aspects of the patient care plans and identify and address issues that may result in a sub-standard service.
Contribute to the review and development of integrated care pathways and clinical guidelines to ensure a standardised approach.
Under supervision practice with confidence and competence within your professional guidelines and code of conduct (NMC/HCPC/GPhC)
To ensure that accurate documentation and records of patient care are kept.
To assist in the development of assessment systems, processes and tools within the clinical setting and adjacent clinical/assessment areas.
Ability to adapt specialist clinical knowledge and skills to different clinical settings and influence service delivery and patient care.
Actively implement effective systems and processes for infection control management and relevant audit within their clinical area.
Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.
Communicate patients conditions verbally and in writing to other members of the health care team and contribute to the decision-making processes in patient management. Act as an advocate for patients and colleagues.
Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance e.g., patient liaison service, and provide information in an appropriate, and approved, format to all patients.
Be able to anticipate barriers to effective communication and take action to improve communication.
Person specification
Qualifications and Education
Essential criteria
6. Professional clinical qualification
7. Current professional Body registration
8. Minimum 5 years post registration
9. MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice or Digital Badge/NHSE ACP credentialling or demonstrable experience working at an Advanced Practice level
10. Independent/Supplementary Non-medical Prescribing
11. Evidence of continuing professional development.
Desirable criteria
12. Teaching Qualification (7307/Certificate in Education/equivalent) or willing to undertake.
13. Leadership/Management qualification or willingness to undertake.
14. Advanced Life Support qualification or willing to work towards
Knowledge and Experience
Essential criteria
15. Knowledge of more than one area of clinical practice – i.e general/acute medicine, respiratory, gastro or community experience.
16. Highly motivated and experienced practitioner with minimum of 2 years’ experience in managing acute and chronic health issues
17. Broad & advanced knowledge of clinical pathophysiology.
18. Has the knowledge to support safe clinical decision making in relation to discharge.
19. Proven leadership experience including delivering to targets and service improvement.
20. Leadership of teams or change initiatives.
21. Demonstrates current knowledge of professional and NHS issues and the implication for clinical environment.
22. Enthusiasm and drive to improve practice through education and training.
23. Committed to continuing professional development of self and others.
24. Experience of clinical research.
25. Evidence of leading on clinical audit and translation to service development.
Skills and Abilities
Essential criteria
26. Advanced clinical assessment and diagnostic skills based on interpretation of imaging and pathology results.
27. Ability to work autonomously.
28. Ability to manage conflicting pressures to maintain streamline service delivery.
29. Excellent presentation skills.
30. Excellent communication skills, written and oral including highly effective interpersonal skills.
31. Able to effectively communicate highly complex, sensitive or contentious information.
32. Well-developed facilitation and influencing skills, effective negotiation and conflict management skills.
33. Able to present information to a wide audience using a variety of methods to suit audience type.
34. Good IT skills including Word, Excel and PowerPoint as well as ability to learn Trust specific IT systems.
Desirable criteria
35. Competent to verify death.