Job overview

An exciting opportunity has arisen within the Early Intervention Team for a 12 month secondment or fixed term contract as an Advanced Care Practitioner. 

This role is working as an ACP in the community to enable admission avoidance responding to 2 hour urgent community response referrals. You will have a keen interest in frailty, long- term conditions and admission avoidance. You will work alongside an MDT in EIT and INTs, as well as being part of the virtual ward response. The role will take direct referrals from the ambulance service to prevent ambulances attending, where clinically appropriate, as well as work with primary care and community colleagues to support people in crisis. You will work in patients homes using holistic ACP skills and assessment tools. At times you will visit alone and other times with another member of the MDT. 

You will have access to the virtual ward and frailty teams, as well as attending their training and patients reviews. You will also have access to the community geriatrician for support. You will also be part of the community ACPs working in EIT, virtual ward and integrated neighbourhood teams, helping to develop and shape service development.

This is an exciting time for ACPs and urgent response.

We are currently starting to use point of care testing and developing pathways to improve practice. 

For any further information on the role, please contact Gareth Blissett - Service Lead, EIT via email [email protected] 

Main duties of the job

Practice autonomously as an ACP using collaborative and independent judgement to assess, investigate, diagnose, plan, implement, manage, and evaluate clinical medical care (alongside previous professional skill set) in the management of patients. You will be responsible for the initial assessment and treatment of patients presenting with undifferentiated or undiagnosed conditions and make professional autonomous decisions regarding treatment within you scope of practice.

To work as part of the multi-disciplinary team in providing quality evidence-based health care to meet the immediate needs of the patient for people at risk of hospital admission or to support an enhanced level of care after hospital discharge  

To be responsible for the assessment of care needs, the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care, without supervision, and to teach other staff.

Prescribe medicines independently (where legally permitted) or uses PGD’s to review medication for therapeutic effectiveness, appropriate to patient needs and in accordance with evidence-based practice, national and practice protocols, and within scope of practice to optimise treatment 

Develop a plan of care, which is individualised, and patient focussed. 

Participate in audit, clinical governance and other clinical meetings where the outcomes and recommendations have the potential to improve the quality of care; give case presentations as required. 

You will need to be able to drive and be able to access rural locations. 

Contribute to the development and implementation of clinical policies, procedures and guidelines 

Working for our organisation

#BeKnown at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust. By us. By our patients. By our community

We are a busy, friendly, rural NHS Trust providing high-quality care and compassion to more than a quarter of a million people across west Suffolk. We care for, treat and support people in hospital, at home and in various community settings.

The West Suffolk Hospital in Bury St Edmunds provides acute and secondary care services (emergency department, maternity and neonatal services, day surgery unit, eye treatment centre, Macmillan unit and children's ward). It has 500+ beds and is a partner teaching hospital of the University of Cambridge.

Adult and paediatric community services, provided in collaboration with West Suffolk Alliance partners, include a range of nursing, therapy, specialist, and ongoing temporary care and rehabilitation, some at our Newmarket Community Hospital.

We do our utmost to achieve outstanding clinical outcomes for patients and our values of fairness, inclusivity, respect, safety and team work guide how we work and behave as a team.

With nearly 5,000 staff, from all over the world, we strive to make our organisation a great place to work. Whatever your role or ambition, we want to help you be the best you can be.

We promote a diverse and inclusive community where everyones voice counts and you can #BeKnown for whoever you are.

Join us. What will you #BeKnown for?