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JOB DESCRIPTION

PRIMARY CARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICE

OPERATIONAL MANAGER

Background

Primary care across the health system is facing unprecedented levels of activity growth at a time when there are significant funding challenges, we know that:

  • Demand for GP services rose by 13 per cent between 2008-2013/14.
  • According to a recent National Audit Office report, out-of-hours GP services handled around 5.8 million cases including 800,000 home visits.
  • Consultations with nurses rose by 8 per cent and with other professionals in primary care, including pharmacists, grew by 18 per cent.
  • Recruitment particularly of GP’s but across all professional groups is a growing challenge
  • Policies to achieve fairer funding such as the primary medical services (PMS) contract review means that whilst there are gainers as well as losers overall achieving fairer funding is an added pressure.
  • Data from sources such as the GP patient survey and primary care web-tool is identifying increasing incidences of deteriorating performance
  • National programmes to address the pressures on primary care including the 10 Point Workforce Plan, Primary Care Transformation Fund and Vulnerable Practice fund which all aim to support transformation and sustainability and comewith associated funding streams.
  • The Five Year Forward View recognises the importance of having strong and vibrant primary care at the heart of the wider health and care system. This envisages increased organisational and service integration to achieve a sustainable model which can offer scale benefits.

NHS England South West has established a local primary care development programme which incorporates the national work required to identify and support potentially vulnerable GP practices. The Programme Management Office will ensure that these specific work programmes are delivered and opportunities for links to associated activities in the other programmes are exploited. Across the South West there are 30 separate local development programmes and over 50 individual GP practices have been identified as potentially vulnerable and needing to be linked into a programme of support which will deliver a sustainable solution. Delivery of the 10 point workforce plan is the lead responsibility of Health Education England and CCG’s will take responsibility for allocating resources to improve premises and IT through use of the Primary Care Transformation Fund although clearly all these initiatives need to be drawn together to deliver the strategic change required. The diagrams below provide an overview of the programme governance, the role of the programme office and key work- streams.

Job outline:

  • The Operational Manager can be based any of the NHSE offices (Bristol/Taunton/Saltash) but is working with Change Managers and CCG’s across the South West. The post will be line managed by the Project Lead who is based in Exeter/Saltash.
  • Will work with the programme lead to establish an effective programme management office and the post-holder will take responsibility for collecting, analysing, and reporting to meet both local and national requirements
  • Sets out project plan for overall programme of work with key outcomes and milestones clearly identified and monitored
  • Designing and running a simple but effective project reporting system to SRO and project lead, change managers, CCG’s and COG’s
  • Ensures all national reporting requirements are fulfilled
  • Ensuring monthly PCDF project reports are received and reviewed so that progress against milestones, expenditure, areas of good practice and blocks to progress can be identified and acted on in a timely manner
  • Monitors budgets including delivery of match funding commitments
  • Organising sharing of progress/ best practice to support learning and development process including monthly conference calls with local change managers and occasional regional or sub-regional events.
  • Familiarises themselves and local change managers with the resources already available builds on this to provide and signpost local projects towards these and additional materials
  • Is the operational contact point for the national team and supports project lead in identifying work from national activities or other regions which may be helpful to local projects
  • Ensures change managers are working with current and future potentially vulnerable practices so they are supported towards a sustainable solution for the medium and longer term.
  • Highlights any concerns about local direction of travel/ where new delivery models are not aligned to local and national strategic direction
  • Responds to requests for research into specific issues and/or need to obtain specialist advice (eg HR or legal)
  • This role has no line management responsibility however, it will be required to work in a matrix way across a number of different organisations with at times differing views.
  • Works in a structured well organised and supportive manner and with a can do, positive attitude which inspires the confidence of stakeholders particularly local change managers.
  • Coordinate efforts with other specialists including Health Education England and proposed national Framework providers for HR, finance and legal advice
  • Ensure local change management activities are reviewed and wider project plan is updated as required. Track and report issues including agreeing metrics to monitor change and measure progress

Skills and Qualifications

  • Experience of working in or with general practice primary care and an understanding of the challenges faced
  • Experience and/or qualifications in project management together with strong organisational skills and the ability to plan ahead and predict and prepare for potential requirements.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and oral including the ability to synthesise and present large quantities of complex information so that key issues are clear
  • Research and analytic skills together with ability to signpost and disseminate information to others
  • Organized with a natural inclination for planning strategy and tactics
  • Excellent active listening skills and ability to clearly articulate messages to a variety of audiences
  • Understanding of change management processes and realism about what can be achieved and timelines for doing so in a complex environment balanced by the need to deliver sustainable solutions quickly
  • A solid understanding of how people go through a change and the change process and/or experience and knowledge of change management principles, methodologies and tools
  • Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships and influence others and move toward a common vision or goal
  • Flexible and adaptable; able to work in ambiguous situations
  • Must be a team player and able to work collaboratively with and through others

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