Job overview

As demand rises with increasing health needs and advances in clinical care, we are responding to the challenges whilst continuing to deliver the highest quality of care.  We are developing the services that we currently provide to reduce hospital admissions and to facilitate earlier discharge from hospital through the use of technology, ensuring patients have the safest best care that is delivered in their home environment via the Croydon Virtual Ward.

The Virtual Ward service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

·       The GP will assist in triage process, and conduct assessments (virtual and physical) where appropriate and formulate management plans to guide initial management, including delegation of elements of care to appropriate members of the wider multi-disciplinary team and other associated community services.

·     The Rapid Response service is comprised of a local virtual ward as well as an urgent crisis response which aims to see and treat acutely unwell patients within 2 hours of referral. You will be facilitating both a step up as well as a step down service in order to avoid hospital attendance and admission. This will include the use of IV antibiotics, SC diuretics and oxygen in the community. The GP will be responsible for providing clinical leadership to the whole Rapid Response Team including it’s doctors and Nurses. The post holder will be required to work Monday and Friday and participate in a 1 in 8 weekend cover.

Main duties of the job

The Rapid Response service is comprised of a local virtual ward as well as an urgent crisis response which aims to see and treat acutely unwell patients within 2 hours of referral. You will be facilitating both a step up as well as a step down service in order to avoid hospital attendance and admission. This will include the use of IV antibiotics, SC diuretics and oxygen in the community

The Virtual Ward service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Carry out daily board rounds of patients. May also include morning MDT for our remotely monitored patients. “The remainder of the working day will be telephone and face to face consultation as well as partaking in operation and governance meetings. You will also help in the development of local pathways.”

·         Weekend working will generally be remote, including doing the bard round and conducting telephone reviews. At times it may be necessary to attend face to face in cases of emergencies or operational pressures.

Working for our organisation

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust provide hospital and community services from a number of community and specialist clinics throughout Croydon. The Trust was formed on 1st August 2010 through the integration of Croydon Community Health Services and Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust. Around 4,100 staff provide services for a population of over 360,000 people who are relatively young with a high level of ethnic diversity. 

Our main hospital site, Croydon University Hospital is one of the busiest in London. We’re also leading the way in providing more healthcare outside hospitals at clinics, specialist centres and in people’s homes. Our experienced district nursing teams, Allied Health Professionals and community matrons look after people of all ages across Croydon and our Children’s Hospital at Home cares for children with long-term conditions without them having to come to hospital. 

Across the NHS everyone is working hard to meet growing demand and we’re no exception. But with the right people on board, we are rising to this challenge, putting our people in the driving seat, encouraging innovation and transforming our services to give local people the quality of care they deserve. Croydon Health Services puts a great deal of importance on education and training throughout the careers of all of our staff. As well as offering access to a range of core skills training and professional development.