Extended Scope Practitioner - Harrow

NHS; London Borough of Harrow; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job description

If you are an experienced Extended Scope Physiotherapist and are looking for a role which allows you to develop and apply advanced clinical reasoning skills and manage a full range of MSK pathologies, you might be exactly who we're looking for!

Healthshare is a clinically led, independent provider of innovative NHS services working across the country.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our experienced MSK team. The post is based in our Harrow service. This is a Physiotherapist led MSK service supported by multidisciplinary consultants.

Main duties of the job

The MSK service includes community orthopedics and physiotherapy. The service consists of professionals with a wide skill mix including Injection Therapy and Ultrasonography.

Your application should demonstrate evidence of advanced/extended skill or work towards achieving these. This may include experience with advanced physiotherapy skills, investigations, making referrals, injection therapy or ultrasonography. We support training for each of these areas.

The right candidate will be expected to deliver a high standard of patient-centred care, possess a friendly and approachable attitude and apply outstanding team-working, communication and organisational skills to your daily practice.

About us

We're an independent healthcare provider, with established roots in muscular-skeletal health and diagnostics, founded by expert NHS clinicians who recognised a way to improve things.

Our approach means that whether it's speed, flexibility, efficiency or quality, every aspect has been carefully considered to surpass expectations. This is why we've been a trusted partner of the NHS for over ten years, and the provider of choice for countless private patients.

We work with integrity. When it comes to collaboratively delivering care, relationships are key. Whether we're interacting with each other, our partners or our patients, we're always open and honest. Every key decision is based on clear process and informed by evidence.

We act with empathy. Everyone who is here, is here because they care about people. We always try and put ourselves in the shoes of whomever we're interacting with and treat people with compassion and consideration.

We inspire with passion. It's hard work, but we absolutely love what we do. There's no room for a half-hearted approach to healthcare, it requires dedication, and that's what everyone here has. A Healthshare employee is enthusiastic, with a verve and panache that inspires others around them.

• 25 days annual leave (plus Bank Holidays) and option to buy/sell
• Private Healthcare (Benenden)
• Company Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance
• Blue Light Card
• Refer a Friend Scheme
• Wagestream
• Reward Gateway
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Smart Tech
• EV Car Scheme

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY:

To manage a case load of patients with varying diagnosis and/or highly complex needs, using evidence based/patient centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate interventions in a defined clinical area.

To work closely with the Consultant physiotherapists in supporting and coordinating clinical education within the service.

To act as a source of expertise in the management of the service and provide an advisory service to patients and other healthcare professionals, GPs and Consultants.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Clinical

To triage, assess, diagnose and manage patients referred to the service from GPs, Consultants and other AHPs and arrange investigations and organise onward referral where appropriate.

To treat and manage patients appropriately within a range of options including referring for diagnostics, referring patients onto a consultant for an expert medical opinion, referring patients to physiotherapy, podiatry, surgical appliances and any other community and secondary care services.

To undertake highly specialised assessment of routine and highly complex patients presenting with spinal, peripheral and chronic pain problems using advanced management and treatment plans utilising a range of specialist treatments.

To interpret and analyse tests and investigations to form accurate diagnosis and prognosis for a wide range of specialist treatments.

To recommend the evidence based/best practice intervention for routine, complex and some highly complex conditions. This may include direct referral to Secondary care consultants or allied health professionals and specialist investigations or the decision that no further treatment is required.

To determine clinical indication and independently request specific diagnostic investigations e.g. X-ray, MRI, US, nerve conduction tests. To follow up on the results with patients and arrange further management as necessary.

To determine and set agreed and realistic outcomes with patients to achieve anticipated outcome of treatment.

To independently triage patients into the service referred by GPs, Consultants and AHPs.

To perform steroid injections as appropriate.

Management

To manage a caseload of patients with varying diagnosis and/or complex needs, using evidence based/patient centred principles to assess, plan, implement and evaluate in a defined area.

To hold responsibility for own caseload working without direct supervision. Supervision taking the form of regular formal training and clinical reasoning sessions, peer review, case conferences. Access to advice and support from Clinical Lead, ESPs, GPwSI and externally by local Consultants Surgeon.

To be professionally accountable and responsible for own work and to maintain a high standard of clinical care for patients in accordance with recognised standards, guidelines or best practice.

To induct and mentor physiotherapists and AHPs and to ensure competencies are completed in a timely fashion.

To work within the CSP and Healthshare guidelines to maintain knowledge of national and local standards and monitor own and colleagues safe and competent practice.

To undertake and assist in audits of the OPD, Extended Scope clinics and other services as required.

To participate in both professional and clinical supervision this might include supervising senior, less experienced physiotherapists and students. This will involve mentoring more than one member of staff.

Communication

To receive and interpret complex information about patients musculoskeletal health, the impact on their quality of life. To facilitate patients to disclose sensitive information relevant to the presenting problem, this may include exploring work ability, sphincter disturbance and sexual function. Confidentiality is maintained at all times.

To provide complex and sensitive information, in simple terms about diagnosis, prognosis, concerns, treatment options and scientific information to patients, carers and others (within and outside own profession), who may find such ideas difficult to understand due to differences in educational or language background, and who may not want to accept information provided. Information needs to be clearly conveyed without causing offence or distress. This must be done whilst ensuring that patients have full understanding.

To facilitate patients attitudinal change towards their condition and thus engage the patient with treatment choices and empower self-management.

To diffuse potentially hostile and antagonistic situations with patients, staff and relatives, using highly developed negotiation and interpersonal skills.

To communicate with all other healthcare professionals, and professional networks concerning patient care and ensure good working relationships for the effective provision of musculoskeletal management.

To effectively and efficiently escalate information to appropriate senior clinicians where there is clinical concern related to serious pathology. This includes colleagues, GPs, Consultants.

To report complaints to service lead or consultant physiotherapist in line with Healthshare formal complaints procedure.

To ensure effective and appropriate communication and reporting takes place at all times, both within the hospital and to General Practitioners and other community based health team members.

To be responsible for typing/dictating and signing clinical letters/reports to referrers and clinical departments at each stage of the pathway of care.

To develop and maintain effective communication channels with the multidisciplinary team involved in the MSK Triage and Outpatient Physiotherapy Service.

To attend and actively participate in any of the OPD, MSK Triage and team's meetings as required.

Deputising for the Team Leader as required.

To initiate and maintain contacts with local and national clinical interest groups appropriate to the musculoskeletal and spinal fields.

Education

To be responsible for maintaining own competency to practice through undertaking appropriate CPD.

To maintain membership of and participate in Special Interest Groups as appropriate.

To demonstrate a highly skilled knowledge, understanding and ability to apply new research evidence and established theory into clinical practice across specialties of physiotherapy and orthopaedics.

To contribute to the development and improvement of service guidelines and protocols.

To guide and advise less senior members of the team on patient management.

Effort

To provide advice to patients relatives, carers and other AHPs to promote understanding of the aims of the care pathway.

Assess patient understanding of assessment/treatment proposals to gain valid consent and have the capacity to work within the legal framework with patients who lack capacity to connect to treatment.

To demonstrate a sound undertaking of clinical governance and to demonstrate the use of treatment plans with an evidence-based link.

To demonstrate physical ability to carry out physiotherapy assessment and interventions, including highly developed manual physiotherapy techniques and therapeutic handling.

To participate as required in appropriate work related research/evaluation projects.

To assist in the Management of all Complaints, Incidents and Near Misses.

To undertake monthly marketing activities to enhance the referral rate to the service.

To be aware of the boundaries of own extended scope of practice and to manage the associated clinical risk effectively at all times.

To provide comprehensive progress and discharge reports to GPs, consultants and patients.

To contribute to the induction of new staff into their clinical area. To ensure safe practice through checking the standard of new starters documentation, assessment, treatment skills and competences with medical devices.

To contribute to the evaluation of the service through research and audit. To implement appropriate change in clinical practice and service as required and continue the audit cycle to monitor change.

To ensure that all relevant Key Performance Indicators are continually achieved including taking effective action and involving other colleagues where appropriate.

Person Specification

Experience

• Excellent knowledge in the relevant clinical area
• Experience of ordering and interpreting medical investigations such as MRI, X-ray and Blood tests
• Experience of Quality and Audit and how to implement change
• Experience of working in an autonomous role
• Clinical Supervision skills and experience
• Previous experience of triage
• Understanding of strategic and political issues affecting the Independent Sector

Qualifications

• Degree/Diploma in Physiotherapy
• Registered with HCPC & CSP Recognised/ validated
• Orthopaedic musculoskeletal postgraduate training
• Relevant evidence of CPD
• MSc in Physiotherapy
• IRMER qualifications Experience in research
• Have attained some modules at the level of Master Degree or working towards full MSc or similar
• Injection therapy qualification

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.