Are you ready to take on a fresh challenge and make a real impact in healthcare? NHS Somerset is looking for a proactive and organised professional to join our dynamic Primary Care Team, part of the wider Medical Directorate. This varied role offers the chance to support vital services for Somerset's population while developing your skills in a supportive, fast-paced environment.
Collaboration is essential, and you'll work closely with providers, system partners, and senior managers to drive innovation and improvements. With opportunities to deputise for Primary Care Officers, lead operational projects, and manage a Primary Care Administrator, this role offers the perfect blend of hands-on experience and leadership development.
At NHS Somerset, we're committed to improving health outcomes, reducing inequalities, and delivering care that's joined up, compassionate, and effective. This is your chance to be part of that mission. If you're ambitious, enthusiastic, and ready to shape the future of primary care, we'd love to hear from you.
Interviews will be Thursday 30 January 2025 at Wynford House.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if sufficient applications are received prior to the advertised closing date.
Main duties of the job
Day-to-day, you'll assist with business-as-usual functions, such as drafting contracts and service specifications, handling technical queries, and providing operational support to Pharmaceutical, Optical and Dental (POD) transformational programmes of work. You'll also play a key role in analysing data for payments, supporting procurement processes, and ensuring high standards of quality and patient outcomes in everything we do.
We're looking for someone who thrives in a busy environment and can juggle multiple priorities. Strong communication, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills are essential. You'll need a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and the confidence to take initiative. Experience in healthcare or commissioning is ideal, but a willingness to learn and a can-do attitude are equally important.
This role is based at Wynford House, with travel throughout the county as and when required.
Join us and make a real difference to healthcare in Somerset!
About us
NHS Somerset Integrated Care Board (ICB), known as NHS Somerset, is the statutory NHS organisation responsible for implementing a health and care strategy developed by the Integrated Care Partnership.
NHS Somerset consists of approx. 350 staff across 8 directorates, with multiple teams within each directorate.
We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and welcome applications from underrepresented groups. When recruiting, we are committed to equality of opportunity for all. We believe that the best organisations are those that reflect the communities they serve.
We offer flexible working from your first day of employment and we also have an agile approach to home/office-based working. Please note however, that you will be required to work from our HQ, Wynford House in Yeovil for 2/3 days per week and that elements of the role may require you to travel to other locations across Somerset, to attend in-person meetings and meet the needs of the service. Please consider this before applying.
Note for existing NHS Employees applying for Fixed Term vacancies at NHS Somerset
If you are an existing NHS Employee and are applying for a Fixed Term role with NHS Somerset, the role will be offered on a secondment basis only. You should gain agreement from your current employer before applying to allow you to be released on secondment. Please ensure the reference section confirms your current HR Department details.
Thank you for your interest.
Job responsibilities
PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:
This post is designed to support the Primary Care Officers and their portfolios of Primary Care contracted services and associated projects to meet the health needs of the population of Somerset.
This post will be responsible for supporting delivery of the business as usual (BAU) functions of the wider Primary Care Team. The post holder may also assist other related work programmes across the ICB where collaboration and communication are necessary.
Working in collaboration with all primary care providers, as well as wider health and social care system partners, will be instrumental in supporting the delivery of local and national strategic priorities and agreed objectives. This will encompass the entirety of the commissioning and contracting cycle.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE ROLE:
General:
To assist in the development of a culture of positive innovation and change for primary care within the context of improving population health and system effectiveness.
Support of BAU contract management activities, for example drafting service specifications or contracts, procurement processes and responsibility for following team procedures contributing to regular reviews and updating process cards as required.
Provide ad hoc support for project management for identified General Medical Services procurements/programmes of work.
Provide operational support to Pharmaceutical, Optical and Dental (POD) transformational programmes of work.
Support technical query resolution and patient registration queries.
Deliver and support initial primary care provider payment processing, adhering to contractual timescales and NHS England statement of financial entitlement.
Relationship management of Primary Care Support England (PCSE). This will include being the first point of contact in the team for process queries and to escalate challenges with PCSE service delivery.
Support on identified areas of work outside of the usual allocated portfolio of work.
Meeting attendance where appropriate including supporting administrative processes as and when required. This will include supporting the drafting of board/governance/committee papers.
Operationally support Assurance Framework meetings including coordination of diaries, practice reports for distribution, minutes and action logs.
Provide cover for general practice inbox queries and support responses.
Ensure quality and patient outcomes is at the heart of all commissioning plans and work programmes.
Ensure patient participation and engagement in development and commissioning of improved patient pathways.
To work in a Team of Teams approach with both internal and external colleagues, developing good working relationships.
Leadership/ Management:
Deputise for the Primary Care Officers as and when required.
To line manage the Primary Care Administrators in a way that supports growth and maximises potential, whilst fulfilling good HR practice, covering additional colleagues during periods of staff absence.
Support team leadership and development as required.
Other: The postholder will be required to adapt and undertake new or changing duties in line with their banding therefore, the key responsibilities listed are not exhaustive. Any changes will be in relation to changing circumstances and in consultation with the postholder.
The postholder will enhance their own performance through continuously developing own knowledge and skills to meet the current and future requirements of the role and the needs of the directorate and ICB.
Person Specification
Experience
* Proven experience of working in the NHS or other healthcare environment
* Experience of working in a busy environment under specific time pressures
* Good time management skills with the ability to re-prioritise and work to specific timescales
* Ability to pull together comprehensive draft reports, data and letters. This will require negotiating, networking and persuasive skills as well as attention to detail
* Ability to manage aspects of projects ensuring they meet financial targets
* Ability to problem-solve and respond to sudden unexpected demands.
* Excellent working knowledge of all Microsoft Office packages
* An understanding of current national health and social care policy and regulations relating to Primary Care as well as current programmes of work
* An understanding of the implications of current healthcare policy and the implications of this on commissioning & contracting services.
* An understanding of the strategic commissioning cycle and the NHS change model.
* Primary care commissioning or contracting experience or significant involvement with primary care issues, including working with the NHS Standard Contract Framework and PMS/GMS regulations
* Experience of working with primary care providers
* Experience of developing, writing and implementing local contract documentation.
* Experience of working with senior-level staff
* Experience of working in a politically sensitive environment
* Experience of project principles, techniques and tools such as Prince 2 and Managing Successful projects
Communication
* Ability to deliver excellent written and verbal communication to a variety of different audiences including medical professionals and patients.
* Capable of constructing and delivering clear information/instructions to staff and service users via documents, including presentations, reports and e-mails.
* Ability to take minutes effectively and maintain action logs as required
Personal Statement / Motivation for Applying
* Please use this section to explain how you meet the additional criteria in the Personal Specification including your reasons and motivation for applying.
Qualifications
* Educated to degree level or significant equivalent previous proven experience of working at a similar level in a specialist area.
* European Computer Driving License (ECDL) qualification or equivalent training
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