RCGP Primary Care Development - Adviser

This is an exciting, varied role working within an adviser team of GPs, Practice Managers, Advanced Nurse Practitioners and other Allied Healthcare Professionals, to use your skills and knowledge working directly to improve the quality of General Practice by working with General Practices across the UK.

Primary Care Development (PCD) is the College's successful general practice consultancy that has been operating since 2014.

PCD works with practices to identify and address a wide range of issues and opportunities, including; improving patient access and continuity of care, CQC inspection preparation, workforce development, leadership and system redesign, financial, mergers and premises issues etc.; enabling quality improvement and sustainability through bespoke quality improvement packages. Advisers are usually deployed in teams to bring an appropriate skill mix, and have additional support from the wider group.

For more information, visit our Primary care development section.

Accountable to:
Medical Director – Primary care development

Reports operationally to:
PCD Operations Manager & Deputy Lead

Term of office:
12 months fixed term flexible part time (subject to ongoing review and allocation of work) – renewable at end of term

Overall purpose:
To support and develop practices by undertaking regular in practice visits, scoping, making observations and recommendations, facilitating the co-creation of practice improvement plans, providing ongoing peer support, signposting development opportunities, and facilitating relationships between local stakeholders to support the practice.

Remuneration:
Requires a flexible sessional commitment, with a fixed rate payment for support and specific outputs agreed with the commissioner, dependent on the demand for the College’s service. The basic RCGP rate is the equivalent of circa £242 per session. Commissions can be varied but may require a regular weekly commitment for outputs that are expected to take around 4-8 sessions, although project types vary in the expected level of input needed, and the time anticipated to complete them, and some projects allow for significant autonomy and flexibility.

There is a possibility of working with the RCGP PCD on a regular weekly basis, within practices for at least one specified session (or more) a week over several weeks (13-26). Please let us know if you have availability and are interested in this more hands-on commitment.

Travel will be required including to visit practices, or neighbourhoods in person, but expenses will be reimbursed in line with the RCGP’s travel policy. *Reimbursement for travel expenses does not include any reimbursement for travel time unless there is a prior agreement in place.

Principal responsibilities:

• To support practices, including those in challenging circumstances, non-judgementally and with the utmost sensitivity, confidentiality, and professionalism.
• To engage with practices collaboratively to identify areas for improvement and development and work with them to develop quality improvement plans.
• To engage with key personnel in practices who have self-identified issues or areas for development raised by the PCN, ICS, Health Boards, CQC or others.
• To support practices recently inspected or awaiting CQC inspection.
• To prepare and submit high quality written reports including; diagnostic reports, feedback and recommendations, and co-create action plans as required by the commissioner, using various sources of data, first hand interviews and observations.
• To provide ongoing peer support and encouragement to practices throughout the process by a variety of communication methods as appropriate.
• To engage with local organisations, particularly PCNs, ICSs, Health Boards and RCGP Faculties for local sources of support for practices.
• To provide regular updates and reports to the assigned PCD Deputy Lead and Operations Manager on the progress of practices.
• To respect the confidentiality of the practice, but to discuss significant concerns promptly with the Deputy Lead (incl. safeguarding, patient safety or probity: medical professionals to abide by GMC Good Medical Practice.)
• To ensure that practices are supported in such a way that accords with equality, diversity, and best practice in inclusion.
• To participate in RCGP PCD workshops and training, to ensure consistency in approach, maintain high standards and

Essential attributes

• For clinical roles, be registered with, and in good standing with, the appropriate professional body eg GMC, NMC, HCPC, GPC etc
• Minimum of five years’ experience in general practice in an applicable role.
• Have been active in general practice within the past two years.
• Detailed and fully up-to-date understanding of the national primary care system.
• Good understanding of patient access methodology; telephony and online access, including triaging.
• Working knowledge of relevant inspection systems (CQC or other)
• Enthusiasm for supporting and enabling improvement in others.
• Excellent skills in communications and team building.
• Tact and diplomacy and the ability to give and receive constructive feedback.
• Commitment to equality and diversity, inclusion, confidentiality, creating safe cultures and high professional standards.
• Ability and capacity to meet timescales, work under pressure and organise work effectively to deliver high quality reports on time.
• Interest in quality assurance and quality improvement methodology
• Professional level of IT literacy.
• Willing to travel and undertake face-to-face practice visits.
• Willing to attend RCGP PCD Quality Assurance events.

Desirable attributes:

• Membership of a relevant professional college e.g., RCGP or RCN
• ANP/ACP -An MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice or evidence of working at this level.
• Understanding of the factors contributing to underperformance and experience in supporting those affected.
• Relevant management/ leadership role.
• Experience of working or liaising with, regional or national stakeholders.
• Recent experience of practice inspections
• The ability to conduct an appropriate needs assessment/root cause analysis
• Driver’s licence.

Applications

If this adviser role resonates with you, we would love to hear from you.

To apply, please send your CV with a one-page covering letter to practicesupport@rcgp.org.uk with the subject line ‘RCGP PCD Adviser Application’.

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis, and therefore may hold your application until a suitable date for interview. We will acknowledge receipt of your application.