Clinical Lead for Older Persons Medicine

at  Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust

Key tasks & responsibilites: To take a lead role in the advanced assessment and treatment of patients who may have diverse acute and chronic complex presentations using analytical and investigative skills to determine clinical diagnosis and treatment. To undertake/lead/initiate/plan/implement evidence-based audit and research projects to develop and enhance personal and teams clinical practice within their area. Make recommendations to the Principle Physiotherapist or Head of Physiotherapy for changes to practice for the Medical team. To assist or lead in the implementation of specific changes to practice or contribute to service protocols.
To be professionally and legally responsible and accountable for all aspects of your own work, including the management of patients in your care. To accept clinical responsibility for a designated caseload of patients, and to organise this efficiently and effectively with regard to clinical priorities and use of time. To ensure a high standard of clinical care for the patients under your management and those of more junior staff. To oversee the caseload of more junior staff, ensuring that they are being prioritised and managed effectively.
To ensure that any concerns that cannot be effectively resolved are escalated to the Principle Physiotherapist. To provide spontaneous and planned advice, teaching and instruction to patients, relatives, carers and other professionals, to promote understanding of the aims of physiotherapy and to ensure a consistent approach to patient care. To assess and manage clinical risk within own patient caseload. To be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient treatment records in line with professional and Trust standards of practice.
To represent physiotherapy service and/or individual patients at the multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure the delivery of a coordinated multidisciplinary service, and integrate physiotherapy treatment into the treatment programme. This will include discussion of patient care, patient progress and involvement in discharge planning on a weekly basis supporting the estimated discharge date identification and realisation.. To commit to regularly working pro rata (approximately 1 in 8 weeks) on the emergency on-call rota, undertake the assessment and treatment of acutely ill patients with respiratory problems, who may have a complex presentation and providing advice to medical and nursing staff and other members of the multidisciplinary team regarding patients respiratory and chest functions/condition. To commit to regularly ( approximately 1 Sat or Sun in 6-8 weeks) pro rata providing emergency weekend cover for the Paediatric, Intensive Therapy Unit, MADU and General Wards.
To assess capacity, gain valid informed consent and have the ability to work within a legal framework with patients who lack capacity to consent to treatment. i.e. ITU ventilated and sedated patients and patients with reduced level of consciousness. To represent Physiotherapy internally on Length of Stay, daily site assurance and Patient Pathway work if required.
To use communication skills to address language and cultural diversity issues. To communicate complex patient related information/leaflets/letters/reports effectively, to ensure collaborative working with the Multi Disciplinary Team (MDT) members across health and social care sectors ensuring the delivery of a coordinated multidisciplinary service. To achieve and maintain a competent level of skills using information technology and Trustwide systems To provide day to day performance management for team staff To be an appraisal Manager. To provide reports as required on area of specialty and make recommendations to the Physiotherapy Manager for change in strategic service provision.
To be actively involved in the collection of appropriate data and statistics for the use of the department. To comply with the organisational and departmental policies and procedures and to be involved in the reviewing and updating annually i.e. on call emergency rota guidance. To participate as required in working parties, developing policy changes which will impact on both the areas of specialty and the physiotherapy service.
To be responsible for equipment used in carrying out physiotherapy duties and to adhere to departmental equipment policy, including competence to use equipment and to ensure the safe use of equipment by others through teaching, training and supervision of practice. To be aware of the Health and Safety aspects of your work and implement any policies which may be required to improve the safety of your work area, including the prompt recording and reporting of accidents to senior staff and ensuring that equipment used is safe. To demonstrate a sound understanding of clinical governance and risk management and apply to work situation and ensure others do likewise to ensure that practice is based on best available evidence. To ensure that any incidents within the area of service are reported in a timely way supporting more junior staff with this process.
To demonstrate that learning from incidents is embedded in the ways of working within the service area. To be regularly involved in the recruitment and selection process of staff, short-listing and sitting on interview panels as necessary. To maintain own clinical professional development (CPD) by keeping abreast of any new research and developments and incorporating them as necessary into your clinical practice. To maintain a portfolio which demonstrates personal development and shows evidence of reflective practice, peer review and attendance at external courses.
To contribute to organising and delivering the medical in-service training programme by attendance at, and participating in in-service training. General Such other duties as allocated from time to time, in consultation with the Physiotherapy Manager. The Trust is an equal opportunities employer. The post holder is at all times expected to carry out their duties in accordance with the Trusts equal opportunities policy.
The Trust operates a no smoking policy. Staff are not permitted to smoke on Trust premises. The individual is required to comply with the Data Protection Act and Caldicott Good Practice Principles. Infection prevention is the responsibility of each individual.
Employees are required to strictly adhere to the infection control policy Tpp124 and it appendices, and should actively encourage other staff and visitors to comply Previous Applicants need not apply

Please refer the Job description for details