The following are the core responsibilities of the paramedic practitioner. There may be on occasion a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent on factors such as workload and staffing levels. The paramedic practitioner will work within their scope of clinical practice and:
1. Identify, signpost or refer patients at risk of developing long-term conditions, preventing adverse effects on the patient’s health.
2. Provide routine care to patients as required in accordance with clinically based evidence, NICE and the NSF.
3. Examine, assess and diagnose patients and provide clinical care/management as required.
4. Triage patients and provide the necessary treatment during home visits.
5. Triage and treat or refer patients who attend the Practice minor illness clinic.
6. Collect pathology specimens as required.
7. Maintain accurate clinical records in line with extant legislation.
8. Ensure that read codes are used effectively.
9. Ensure continuity of care, arranging follow-up consultations or reviews as necessary.
10. Review the effectiveness of the treatment provided, making changes where necessary to improve patient outcomes.
11. Chaperone patients where necessary.
12. Prioritise health issues and intervene appropriately.
13. Act as the lead clinician when dealing with clinical emergencies.
14. Recognise, assess and refer patients presenting with mental health needs.
15. Support patients in the use of their prescribed medicines or over-the-counter medicines (within own scope of practice).
16. Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure that the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients, etc.).
17. Ensure that they adhere to the relevant patient group directives and local clinical pathways at all times.
18. Support the clinical team with all safeguarding matters, in accordance with local and national policies.
19. Understand practice and local policies for substance abuse and addictive behaviour, referring patients appropriately.
20. Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate.
Secondary responsibilities
1. Support the practice audit programme, undertaking audits when necessary.
2. Support junior members of the team, providing guidance when necessary.
3. Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care.
4. Support and participate in shared learning within the practice.
5. Continually review clinical practices, responding to national policies and initiatives where appropriate.
6. Participate in the review of significant and near-miss events, applying a structured approach, i.e. root cause analysis (RCA).
7. Take personal responsibility for own learning and development, including the requirement to maintain currency, achieving all targets set in own Personal Development Plan (PDP).
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