Job summary
Trinity Health Group PCN is has built excellent working relationships with our member practices and colleagues across the PCN. This is an exciting time to join Primary Care and shape the future of patient care at the first points of contact. General Practice Assistants (GPAs) form part of a multi-disciplinary team within primary care, and provide a support role, carrying out administrative tasks, combined in some areas with basic clinical duties, helping to free up clinicians time, contributing to the smooth running of appointments and improving patient experience.
Main duties of the job
General Practice Assistants are a key role in General Practice they are able to support General Practice by;
1. Improving patient access and releasing highly qualified staff to concentrate on treating and managing patients with more complex conditions
2. Improving patient flow within surgery hours, increasing the time efficiency of appointments, and reduction of waiting times;
3. Reduce time spent by GPs on managing correspondence. A GP Assistant must also meet the following criteria,
4. Hold or be prepared to attain a GP Assistant Certificate qualification.
5. Be willing to participate in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
6. Take responsibility for own development, learning and performance anddemonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.
7. Attend all relevant annual training updates.
8. Inform their line manager of any concerns regarding GPA role and any professional development needed.
9. Be aware of own professional boundaries and what to do when you have reached them.
10. Have excellent communication skills, written and verbal.
11. Understand and employ appropriate methods of communication between different groups of people and situations.
12. Support patients with access to ensure that their communication needs are met.
About us
Trinity Health Group is a PCN made up of four practices on the west of the district (Trinity Medical Centre, Maybush Medical Centre, Crofton and Sharlston Medical Practice and Warrengate Medical Centre). Our vision is that all our patients should have the same chance at a happy, healthy life. We believe that a sustainable, resilient Primary Care Service working collaboratively with volunteer and community services and social enterprise organisations supports this vision. Our Mission is to add years to the lives of our patients, whilst adding life to those years.
Conexus Healthcare Limited is the Confederation for general practice in Wakefield, we have four areas of work.
1.Delivery of high-quality public facing Health and Wellbeing services across the Wakefield District:
2.Delivery of Training, Development and Consultancy support across the United Kingdom:
3.Supporting Our Practices and Primary Care Networks (PCNs):
4.Providing a voice and influence for General Practice in the Health and Care System:.
Conexus Healthcare Ltd is a GP confederation. Conexus supply training to primary care on a local and national level, hold the contract for GP Care providing clinical services across the district and host the staffing and finance for a number of PCNs across the district.
Job description
Job responsibilities
As a new role in our PCN the role of the GPA will evolve over time, however we envisage that they GPA may take on all or some of the following duties;
13. Sorting clinical correspondence and prioritising for the GP and other team membersin terms of actions.
14. Ensuring that clinical correspondence is directed to the most appropriate clinician.
15. Extracting information from clinical correspondence for coding and adding to patient notes.
16. Arranging appointments, referrals, tests, and follow-up appointments for patients.
17. Preparing patients prior to their appointment, taking a brief history and basic clinical observations in readiness for the appointment.
18. Dipping urine, taking blood pressure, carrying out ECGs & phlebotomy where necessary.
19. Explaining treatment procedures to patients
20. Explaining and promoting healthy lifestyle choices
21. Liaise with outside agencies.
22. Support with immunisations/wound care.
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practices and PCN, and will;
23. Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk,
24. Work to practice/PCN protocols,
25. Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision,
26. Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance,
27. Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs,
28. Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.
29. Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance.
30. Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work.
31. Participate in audit where appropriate.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
32. Experience of working/volunteering in a healthcare/voluntary sector
33. Experience of working with the general public
Desirable
34. Experience using SystmOne
35. Experience with General Practice as a Healthcare Assistant, Admin or Reception role
36. Experience of dealing with a range of clinical conditions
Disposition
Essential
37. Patient centered and caring
38. Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
39. Flexible and cooperative
40. Able to work accurately under pressure
41. Hard working, reliable, honest, pleasant and approachable
42. Ability to identify risk and assess/manage risk when working with individuals
43. Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
44. Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
45. Commitment to ongoing personal/professional development
46. Polite and confident
47. Flexible and cooperative
48. Ability to follow organisational policies/procedures
49. Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity
50. Ability to maintain confidentiality
Other
Essential
51. Independently mobile and able to travel across the Wakefield District
52. DBS Check
Qualifications
Essential
53. GCSE pass in Maths, English and Science or equivalent
Desirable
54. GP Assistant Certificate qualification/willingness to undertake a GPA training course
55. Care Certificate
Knowledge
Essential
56. Information governance standards
57. Confidentiality
58. Infection prevention and control
59. Safeguarding
60. Equality and diversity
61. Accurate record keeping
62. Ability to work within own scope of practice and understanding when to seek support
63. Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
Desirable
64. Able to effectively support with basic wound care
65. ECGs
66. Chaperone procedure
67. An understanding of the aims of current healthcare policy, including the new GP contract and the new NHS Long Term Plan
68. Ability to record accurate clinical notes
Skills and Aptitude
Essential
69. Highly organised
70. Excellent time management skills
71. Ability to work independently, seeking assurance from the wider clinical team if necessary
72. Excellent communication skills
73. Adaptable and quick to make relationships with new teams
74. Ability to communicate complex and sensitive information effectively with people at all levels, by telephone, email and face to face
75. Demonstrate ability to develop and maintain good working relations across multidisciplinary teams