Trust Chief Physician Associate

This role is maternity cover for our Trust Chief Physician Associate.

Our Trust Chief Physician Associate was created to support the ever growing numbers of physician associates (PAs) in the trust. The post holder will be accountable for ensuring that the PAs deliver high quality patient care at all times. PAs increase the numbers of the medical workforce and increase access to quality care for patients. They act in an enabling role, helping to reduce the healthcare team’s workload, and bring new talent to the NHS, adding to the skill mix within the teams. While trainee doctors and surgeons rotate through different specialties, PAs offer continuity and stability both for patients and for the team in which they work. PA support also provides cover so that trainee doctors can attend training, clinic or theatre.

The post holder will be expected to work with their usual area of clinical practice to take forward best practice and be an ambassador and leader for other PAs within the trust. The Trust Chief PA will provide expert evidence based advice and clinical expertise within their area of clinical practice, working collaboratively and co-operatively with others to meet the needs of patients and their families. The post holder will demonstrate decision-making autonomy, being responsible and accountable for providing advanced clinical assessment, planning, initiating diagnostics, care and treatment; and monitoring efficacy of treatment.

They will need to liaise with other professionals and specialities as required and complete necessary documentation relating to their patients. Clinically, the Trust Chief PA will be supervised by a designated consultant with individual mentorship to overview career development.

The post holder will also take a lead role in the development of programmes which support the training and deployment of PAs in the trust and make recommendations for local planning and service development.

London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWH) cares for the people of Brent, Ealing, Harrow and beyond.

Our team of more than 8,200 clinical and support staff serve a diverse population of almost one million people.

We run major acute services at:

• Northwick Park Hospital: home to one of the busiest emergency departments (A&E) in the country. The hospital provides a full range of services including the country’s top-rated hyper-acute stroke unit and one of only three hyper-acute rehabilitation units in the UK
• St Mark’s Hospital: an internationally renowned specialist centre for bowel disease
• Ealing Hospital: a busy district general hospital providing a range of clinical services, as well as 24/7 emergency department and urgent care centre, and specialist care at Meadow House Hospice
• Central Middlesex Hospital: our planned care site, hosting a range of surgical and outpatient services and collocated with an urgent care centre.

We are a university teaching NHS trust, in recognition of the important role we play in training clinicians of the future and bringing the benefits of research to the public.

To view the main responsibility, please see the attached the Job Description and Person Specification.