This is an excellent opportunity for those seeking flexible work arrangements, with a commitment of 0.8 WTE and no on-call duties. You'll typically enjoy a Monday to Friday routine with a day off during the week, enabling you to achieve that all-important work-life balance. Plus, you’ll be engaging in vital multidisciplinary team meetings, providing comprehensive assessments for new patients, and supporting medical students in their learning journeys. If you're ready to contribute to a progressive model of care and have a fulfilling career in a supportive environment, we’d love to hear from you!
The post(s) will be ward-based on Dart Ward at Totnes Community Hospital. Dart Ward is an 16 bedded ward (18 beds in escalation) that aids in the rehabilitation and ongoing medical care of patients before they are suitable for discharge. The majority of these patients are frail and have multiple co-morbidities.
Since April 2022 the Healthcare for Older People (HOP) team have taken over the responsibility for these beds and are developing a new model for care in the community.
The posts would be to provide a 52 week per year level of cover for these beds supported by and accountable to a HOP consultant who provides a weekly ward round and is available by phone daily. The workload will be shared by two people working 0.8 WTE, making it ideal for those wishing to work LTFT.
There would be no on-call commitment within these roles, however there is the expectation that there will be some bank holiday working to ensure the ward is not without medical support for longer than 3 days. Working 0.8 WTE there will be one day off per week; likely a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday as there is a focus on ensuring robust ward cover on Mondays and Fridays.
Whilst this role is based at Totnes Hospital there may be the requirement in extremis to work at Newton Abbot Community Hospital. This would be agreed first through the Clinical Service Leads for HOP.
- Providing a clerking service for patients that are newly admitted to the ward and commence a comprehensive geriatric assessment. Patients could come from Torbay, Exeter or Plymouth.
- Review patients that are having active medical care, and those that have been highlighted by the nursing team.
- Liaise between nurses, patients, relatives, and senior medical staff.
- Participate in the daily MDT meetings for inpatients.
- Completion of discharge summaries
- Supervise medical students where appropriate
- Co-operate with members of the personnel department when monitoring hours of work and other personnel issues
- Comply with all local policies including dress code, annual and study leave
About us
The working day will start from 8.30 and finish at approximately 4pm. You would start by identifying the nurse in charge and ask who they feel needs a review- if any. The new patients have usually been identified in the doctors book and they should be reviewed first unless there is anyone unwell. The observations are recorded on an electronic system that you will have access to and can aid your prioritisation.
There is currently a courier service twice a day (9.15 and 3pm) that will take blood samples back for analysis at Torbay hospital, and you may be asked to take blood that the nurses have been unable to do. It is anticipated that Totnes will get a point of care testing facility in the near future to speed up decision making with test results.
The MDT commences at 11.45 and it is here that anticipated discharges be discussed. You will need to do discharge summaries and TTA much further in advance of discharge as it takes longer to get the drugs to a community hospital.
Year 3 medical students have been attending the ward for the falls pathway and dementia/delirium pathway so there will be an opportunity to provide small group teaching for them.
You will be part of the Healthcare of Older People department and we run a weekly teaching session on a Friday lunchtime that can offer training in geriatric care and a forum for you to provide a teaching session.
Your day to day decision making will be support by a middle grade and there will be a weekly consultant led ward round.
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