Physician Associate

Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

An exciting one year fixed term contract opportunity has arisen for Physician Associate to join EPUT and provide support to the Mental Health Urgent care department which caters to adults over the age of 18, who are experiencing a mental health crisis. The department will offer a therapeutic mental health setting to assess urgent mental health presentations which might otherwise have been seen in the A+E department. The service will offer a comprehensive assessment and onward care planning through a diverse and highly skilled mental health workforce incorporating support workers, peer coaches, social worker, nurses and doctors. The service will work closely with existing urgent mental health care pathways and other appropriate services in the local health and social care system, including voluntary care sector organisations, to provide holistic and person centred care.

Main duties of the job

The service will also be working closely with the Basildon A+E department in being able to offer a limited range of physical health interventions in the department itself and if appropriate for onward referral to relevant specialties in the general hospital. The successful post holder will be expected to work flexibly and co-operatively with other members of the clinical team and will be required to cover for colleagues during periods of absence. The Physician Associate role will complement other roles in the team and strengthen the multi-disciplinary team.

The Physician Associate will be supervised by a designated consultant with regular meetings to support on-going development within the role.

The post holder will be based in a new, purpose built department based at the Basildon Mental Health Unit on the Basildon Hospital site. When the service is fully functional it will cover the councils of Basildon, Brentwood, Thurrock, Chelmsford, Braintree and Maldon.

The Physician Associate will attend regular CPD sessions to support on-going development. They will be set clear objectives and will be assessed against them by the end of the first year.

Job responsibilities

• Practice under the supervision of a Consultant Psychiatrist or under the supervision of a senior clinician as delegated by the consultant, to contribute towards clinical/risk assessments, development of treatment plans and documentation.
• Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings, handovers and other relevant clinical meetings.
• Treat patient and their family members using a high degree of empathy and advanced communication skills.
• Respond in a timely way to requests to assess or review patients physical and / or mental health.
• Record clinical notes about patient contacts and provide advice to staff on further management / investigations / interventions within their competence.
• Review and summarise patient notes for the purposes of contributing to discharge summaries and reports.
• Undertake assessment and assistance to staff in the event of medical emergencies in the department.
• Work collaboratively with the relevant team i.e. Psychiatrists, Junior Doctors, Senior Nurses, Nursing Staff, Support Workers, Occupational Therapists, and Psychologists to ensure good working relationships.
• Liaise with primary care and relevant secondary health care providers relating to a patients care or treatment.
• Liaise with community teams about a patients on-going care and treatment needs Support health promotion activities including those relating to smoking, drugs and alcohol.
• Provide psycho-educational support to patients and carers / families.
• Support proactive screening and interventions with regard to the physical health of patients.
• Liaise with pharmacy regarding issues relating to medication.
• Contribute to the development of physical health competencies in mental health staff in a range of settings.
• Carry out procedures which will include (but not be limited to):
• ECG
• Venepuncture
• IV cannulation
• Interpretation of blood or other investigation results

Person Specification

Qualifications

• PGDip Physician Associate studies or MSc Physician Associate Studies.
• Current MVR registration or GMC registration in line with statutory body regulations.
• Membership of UKAPA
• Passed and completed 1 year post graduate preceptorship

Knowledge, clinical experience and skills

• An awareness of current developments and initiatives in Mental healthcare & familiarity with a range of theoretical and clinical approaches.
• Awareness of equality and valuing diversity principles.
• Development of policy and practice change.
• Clinical work in an autonomous role.
• A good understanding of the challenges associated with Physician Associates and Physician Associate training.
• Understanding and knowledge of the Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act, Information Governance, GDPR, Equality Act and confidentiality issues.
• Experience of working within a Mental Health setting.
• Experience of working with Mental health patients from different cultural background.
• A good understanding of the public sector and NHS policy, in relation to primary, secondary and community care.

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.