Community frailty practitioner Virtual ward | Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust

Posting date:	19 June 2025
Salary:	Not specified
Additional salary information:	£38,682 - £46,580 per annum, pro rata
Hours:	Part time
Closing date:	19 July 2025
Location:	halifax, HX1 5AX
Company:	Calderdale & Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	7180601/372-COM2504

Summary

Are you looking to be part of an exciting model of care? If so, we have a fantastic opportunity for Frailty Specialist practitioners to bring their expertise and knowledge to assist in the ongoing delivery of clinical care as part of the integrated Virtual Ward clinical team which runs over seven days a week, covering the hours of 8am to 8pm. The role involves working closely with existing specialist teams and the acute teams and is a pivotal role ensuring all patients within the Virtual Ward receive the best possible care and service.

The Frailty practitioner will be responsible for providing the delivery of evidenced based and clinically effective practice within the community to facilitate step down from the acute hospital and step up from the community. To promote effective self-management of patients preventing unnecessary hospital admissions and improving quality of life and to actively identify patients who would benefit from an admission to the virtual ward.

The post holder should be an experienced community practitioner with diagnostic and consultation skills and preferably be a non-medical prescriber or willing to complete the course and will act within their professional boundaries, providing care for the presenting patient, from initial history taking through to treatment. They will work collaboratively across the virtual wards and with the multidisciplinary team to meet the needs of the patients.

Will be responsible for the efficient running of the Frailty virtual ward ensuring flexibility, collaboration, and integration across the CHFT footprint within Calderdale community.

· Will work in various locations across the Calderdale community footprint, with the ability to commute within the specific response times.

Will undertake comprehensive geriatric assessments for patients under the care of the Frailty virtual ward and formulate personalised management plans in collaboration with the MDT. This includes chronic, acute, and palliative care within own competencies, recognising own limitations and seeking advice when necessary.

· To work autonomously managing own clinical caseload/workload efficiently, to support patients in their own homes whilst on the virtual ward, interpreting diagnostic results and escalating where appropriate.

· Will use relevant specialist training/knowledge and using expertise to clinically assess, diagnose and deliver evidence-based practice.

We employ more than 6,500 staff who deliver compassionate care from our two main hospitals, Calderdale Royal Hospital and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary as well as in community sites, health centres and in patients’ homes. We also are incredibly proud to have almost 150 volunteers here at CHFT.

We provide a range of services including urgent and emergency care; medical; surgical; maternity; gynaecology; critical care; children’s and young people’s services; end of life care and outpatient and diagnostic imaging services.

We provide community health services, including sexual health services in Calderdale from Calderdale Royal and local health centres. These include Todmorden Health Centre and Broad Street Plaza.

We continue to modernise and invest in our health services to build on our strong reputation. Foundation trusts are public leaders in improving quality in health services. They are part of the NHS – yet decisions about what they do and how they do it are driven by independent boards. Boards listen to their Council of Governors and respond to the needs of their members – patients, staff and the local community.

Foundation trusts provide what the health service wants, yet are also free to invest quickly in the changes to the local community needs, in striving to be the best, and in putting their patients first.

Will use relevant specialist training/knowledge and using expertise to clinically assess, diagnose and deliver evidence-based practice.

· Monitor indicators, to analyse the possible decline and proactively managing this, to ensure optimum wellbeing and independence.

· Collaborate with team members to devise protocols, guidelines, and policies.

· Act as a focal point for support and advice offering specialist advise whilst supporting frailty patients and their carers to navigate the patient pathway.

· Provide telephone support, assessment, and advice to people with frailty on their management in accordance with national and local guidelines and practice.

· Contribute to the achievement of standards/compliance of targets through participation in local and national audits to meet best practice tariffs and improve patient care and outcomes.

· To support the delivery of education to the wider community nursing teams and primary care colleagues.

· To support the vision, purpose, and objectives of the community Frailty service

· To support the Nurse manager in the community Frailty service to ensure the service achieves the quality, performance, productivity, and financial requirements.

· To be accountable for the management of patients in your care, to ensure a high standard of evidence based, clinical care is maintained from the very start of their journey to end of life care.

· Undertake on-going service reviews which will shape the service in response to user involvement, professional opinion, and audit along with local and national guidance.

· The post holder will be expected to act as the patients advocate at all times.

· Ensure all electronic based patient records are kept up to date in line with the trusts policies


This advert closes on Thursday 3 Jul 2025

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