Detailed job description
and main responsibilities
Acute Frailty Service
There is an established Acute Frailty Service which comprises a Multidisciplinary Team based in ED, CDU and Ealing Acute Care Unit giving rapid and responsive Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment to older patients with frailty at the front door. This service creates individualised plans for patients with the aim to avoid admission if possible or reduce the length of stay if admission is required. There is opportunity to be involved with the Acute Frailty Service which involves leading the Frailty MDT (currently 2 Frailty Practitioners, one frailty nurse, one frailty OT, a frailty pharmacist and an SHO) to assess appropriate patients presenting ED and CDU and EACU.
OPRAC
The Older Persons Rapid Assessment Clinic (OPRAC) is a well-established service providing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in an outpatient setting. We have a mix of virtual and face to face appointments.
OPRAC is now combined with Ealing Acute Care Unit so that older patients with frailty, who have historically been excluded from ambulatory pathways can have access to same day emergency care (SDEC) – avoiding unnecessary and potentially harmful admissions. There is an opportunity for the post holder to create a rapid access clinic of their own interest e.g. heart failure clinic.
Sub-speciality interests
Development of any special interests is encouraged and will be actively supported – e.g. Continence, Falls, Movement Disorders, Surgical liaison including Orthogeriatrics, and Community including potential involvement in the Ealing Frailty Virtual Ward. Time within the job plan to explore and develop services related to these can be negotiated.
On call commitments
General medical on call commitment is approximately two days per month and 8 weekend days per year. A typical medical take is 30-40 patients per 24 hours. This attracts a 1% on call supplement and time off in lieu during the week. The consultant is on call from home overnight.
Administrative support
The appointee will be given appropriate shared office accommodation with the provision of personal computer equipment (with PAS, email and internet access), telephone and secretarial support.
Medical staff of LNWH Department of Medicine for Older People at Ealing Hospital
Consultants (name, specialist interest(s), WTE)
1. Dr Kate Senger (Acute frailty, community geriatrics, palliative care)
2. Dr Darshi Palliyage (orthogeriatrics)
3. Dr Szabi Bertok (movement disorders)
4. Dr Trishpal Dhaliwal (medical education)
5. Dr Annie Pervaiz (acute frailty, 0.4WTE)
6. Dr Anna Down (GP with special interest in acute frailty, 0.6WTE)
SAS, trust and junior doctors (grade, WTE)
7. SAS doctor 0.5 WTE
8. Trust doctors 6.0 WTE
9. Doctors in training posts (F1 to registrar) 12.0 WTE
Duties of the post
10. To provide in-patient care for patients on the Medicine for Older People wards at Ealing hospital.
11. To work in the frailty unit, focusing on comprehensive geriatric assessment for older people presenting to the Emergency Department with frailty syndromes not requiring admission.
12. To contribute to outpatient care in clinics. These include movement disorder and general rapid access clinics for people with frailty syndromes.
13. GIM on call as detailed above.
14. To work with the rest of the clinical and managerial team to support clinical governance, including contribution to morbidity and mortality meetings, quality improvements projects and clinical audit.
15. To take an active part in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, training and supervision.
16. To contribute to service development where relevant.
17. The job will include liaising with and teaching nursing staff, health care assistants, therapists and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
Person specification
Qualifications
Essential criteria
18. MRCP
19. Experience in the management of older people
Desirable criteria
20. MD, PhD or equivalent
Knowledge & Expertise
Essential criteria
21. Clinical training and experience equivalent to that required for gaining (UK) CCST in General Medicine and Geriatric Medicine
22. Ability to take full and independent responsibility for the care of patients.
23. IT skills and computer literacy
Desirable criteria
24. NHS experience within the last 3 years
Registration
Essential criteria
25. Entry on Specialist Register in Geriatric Medicine and General Medicine via CCT (within 6 montsh of interview), CESR or European Community Rights
Teaching
Essential criteria
26. Experience of teaching and training undergraduates, postgraduates and junior medical staff
Desirable criteria
27. MD or PhD
28. Evidence of ongoing interest and achievement in research
Management & Audit
Essential criteria
29. Understanding the principles of clinical governance and its implications
30. Leadership skills
31. Knowledge of finance/budgets
32. Ability to organise and prioritise workload effectively
33. Ability to plan strategically and to exercise sound judgements when faced with conflicting pressures
34. Ability to motivate and develop the MDT, balancing departmental and personal objectives
Desirable criteria
35. Evidence of service audit or change management
Language
Essential criteria
36. able to speak and write English to the appropriate stanadard necessary to fulfil the job requirements
Personal Skills
Essential criteria
37. Energy and enthusiasm and the ability to work under pressure
38. Ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, patients, relatives, GPs, nurses and other staff and agencies