Job overview

Are you looking to be part of an exciting model of care? If so, we have a fantastic opportunity for Frailty Specialist practitioners to bring their expertise and knowledge to assist in the ongoing delivery of clinical care as part of the integrated Virtual Ward clinical team which runs over seven days a week, covering the hours of 8am to 8pm. The role involves working closely with existing specialist teams and the acute teams and is a pivotal role ensuring all patients within the Virtual Ward receive the best possible care and service.

The Frailty practitioner will be responsible for providing the delivery of evidenced based and clinically effective practice within the community to facilitate step down from the acute hospital and step up from the community. To promote effective self-management of patients preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and improving quality of life and to actively identify patients who would benefit from an admission to the virtual ward.

The post holder should be an experienced community practitioner with diagnostic and consultation skills and preferably be a non-medical prescriber or willing to complete the course and will act within their professional boundaries, providing care for the presenting patient, from initial history taking through to treatment. They will work collaboratively across the virtual wards and with the multidisciplinary team to meet the needs of the patients.

Main duties of the job

Will be responsible for the efficient running of the Frailty virtual ward ensuring flexibility, collaboration, and integration across the CHFT footprint within Calderdale community.

· Will work in various locations across the Calderdale community footprint, with the ability to commute within the specific response times.

Will undertake comprehensive geriatric assessments for patients under the care of the Frailty virtual ward and formulate personalised management plans in collaboration with the MDT. This includes chronic, acute, and palliative care within own competencies, recognising own limitations and seeking advice when necessary.

· To work autonomously managing own clinical caseload/workload efficiently, to support patients in their own homes whilst on the virtual ward, interpreting diagnostic results and escalating where appropriate.

· Will use relevant specialist training/knowledge and using expertise to clinically assess, diagnose and deliver evidence-based practice.

Working for our organisation

We employ more than 6,500 staff who deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals, Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, health centres and in patients’ homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children’s and young people’s services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza. 

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation. Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS – yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boards listen to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members – patients, staff and the local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in the changes to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.