Director of Primary Care

Director of Primary Care

Director of Primary Care

Job Description

Context –

Sandwell and West Birmingham are looking to appoint a qualified general practitioner to our leadership team. The post-holder would join our practice support team within the Strategy directorate (led by Mike Sharon), and work closely with the Medical Director's Team, especially our Associate Medical Director for Integration (Dr Nigel Trudgill). Ideally the appointee will be a current principal with a referring practice to our Trust - drawn from any CCG.

Purpose –

We think we can change how we work to better support primary care partners. And there may be opportunities for practices to adapt their ways of working to improve our care, or support efficiency and a better patient experience. So we want to hire an expert: A local GP to join our leadership team on a part time basis to advise us on the opportunities - the problems and the smart solutions. The post-holder would help build relationships between GPs and consultants, between middle managers and practices. The post may suit someone who has always wanted to influence how the Trust works with GPs; or someone looking to develop a career in medical management who sees a chance to be at the sharp end of integrating clinical practice and organisational development.

Remuneration and skill-set -

The role will be paid on a per-annum sessional basis equivalent to one full day per fortnight. A larger time commitment would be considered by mutual agreement. The skills required for the post are summarised in the attached job description. This is a fixed term post for two years, with the prospect of renewal by mutual agreement.

Role fit and key deliverables –

The Trust’s clinical services span many clinical directorates. These are organised into seven Clinical Groups. Each is led by a Group Director with overall responsibility for delivery of outstanding service, research and education. These post-holders report to the Chief Operating Officer. Seven corporate directorates support these Clinical Groups. The corporate directors report to the Chief Executive, who has overall delegated responsibility from the Board for safety, partnership and financial stability. Within this structure, the role of director of primary care would be a line report to the Director of Strategy and Organisational Development (the deputy chief executive) and would form part of his senior team, within the current practice support team. This will provide managerial intelligence and support to the role. The Medical Director is supported by three associates, including a related key role – the associate medical director of integration.

Demonstrable delivery of a values-based approach for areas of responsibility, which are:

  1. Primary care advice

To provide expert clinical advice to the management and clinical community within the Trust on the primary care aspects and implications of its strategic and operational plans in order to improve the quality of services provided. This will include, but not be limited to, the local implications of the Better Care Fund and Right Care, Right Here.

  1. Partnership working

In conjunction with senior management colleagues, to develop and enhance the Trust’s approach to partnership working with local primary, social and independent care organisations across SWB so that it can enhance its position and reputation as a local health partner. This will also include taking professional oversight of primary care clinicians directly employed or contracted by SWBH, including providing inputs to appraisal and recommendations to their responsible officer.

  1. Access and discharge

Provide senior clinical advice to the Clinical Groups in the development of the Trust’s approach to patient access and discharge and to GP access in order to help resolve current issues and improve the ease of access to services in future. In particular to play a transformational role in how we deliver our Year of Outpatients change programme in 2014.

  1. Patient safety, innovation and quality

Work with clinical leaders to innovate and improve the safety and quality of care of patients throughout the entire patient pathway within primary, secondary and tertiary care so that our Trust can ensure the provision of a safe, excellent quality, patient-centred approach to care.

  1. Public and primary health

To work with the Medical Director’s team in developing our Public Health agenda to support the development of the Trust’s approach to public health and in bringing care closer to or at home.

  1. Business and service planning

Advise the Trust on the primary care implications of its approach to business planning to ensure that more informed action can be taken in terms of appropriate whole system service redesign in a context of Service Line Reporting.

Key working relationships –

The post-holder will work internally alongside strategy and MDO colleagues. They will need to find the right balance between becoming a solitary voice for primary care and succeeding in influencing performance on the deliverables above. Each Clinical Group has a monthly top team meeting and the post-holder will want to identify how best to influence these decision-making bodies, as well as the Clinical Leadership Executive and Operational Management Committee.

The post-holder will need to identify a comprehensive external network across the three key CCGs with whom the Trust works. This needs to include the provider organisations run by local GPs, as well as practices both active in the CCG and LMC and those less extensively engaged in leadership roles.

Person Specification- Director of Primary Care

Area / Specification / Essential / Desirable
Education / Can demonstrate evidence of professional development in management.
Has undertaken clinical leadership training.
Has undertaken service improvement technique training. / E
E
D
Experience / Holds a substantive general practice role as a principal within SWB, X-City or BC&S CCG
Can demonstrate evidence of successful service leadership
Evidence of success in change management
Can demonstrate evidence of leading implementation of service improvement techniques.
Can demonstrate evidence of successful collaborative working with multi-disciplinary teams. / E
E
E
D
E
Knowledge / Has a high level of strategic awareness and is committed to delivering pivotal initiatives such as the ‘Right Care Right Here’ strategy.
Can identify the opportunities arising from improved IT in healthcare, especially at the interface of primary and secondary care
Can demonstrate understanding of national performance regime and integration policy
Understanding of national quality & productivity agenda.
Understands the requirements of good organisational and clinical governance.
Understands and is committed to key trust initiatives / E
D
D
D
E
E
Skills and Abilities / High-level communication skills – written and verbal.
Able to understand complex data both qualitative and quantitative and apply the outputs to clinical practice.
Has demonstrated successful leadership of a team
Has successfully delivered major change.
Can demonstrate that they have taken an active interest in the financial management of the team/ service budget and has taken action to improve financial performance. / E
E
E
D
D
Personal Qualities / Demonstrates credible leadership acumen which colleagues, clinical and non-clinical, elect to follow with confidence.
Work collaboratively, showing mutual respect for others skills and abilities.
Keen to develop others skills and can provide evidence of having done this in the past in a multi-disciplinary environment
Demonstrates enthusiasm for change and is passionate about improving patient care.
Shows clear commitment to the NHS Constitution and the values and promises of SWBH / E
E
E
E
E