Virtual Ward Clinical Lead
| Posting date: | 05 August 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | Not specified |
| Additional salary information: | Negotiable |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 August 2025 |
| Location: | Ipswich, IP3 8LX |
| Company: | NHS Jobs |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | B0291-25-0028 |
Summary
JOB SUMMARY To be accountable for the provision of qualified clinician oversight and input to patients under the care of the Virtual Ward at St Elizabeth Hospice, ensuring the delivery of safe high quality care services. To provide line management to the Virtual Ward Team Leader, to support their development and the delivery of outstanding patient care within patient homes underpinned by robust clinical governance arrangements. KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES To have clinical oversight of the Virtual Ward Caseload. To take overall responsibility for ensuring that patients on the Virtual Ward have regular reviews including face-to-face and telephone access to qualified clinicians to support safe care. To ensure that all patients admitted to the Virtual Ward have a care plan in place, including manual handling advice and risk assessments which have been produced by a clinician. To ensure that there is appropriate regular oversight, monitoring and updating of care plans as the patient condition changes. To provide line management to the Virtual Ward Team Leader, ensuring regular one-to-one meetings, annual appraisal and performance management. To work with the Virtual Ward Team Leader to ensure the virtual ward is staffed consistently and safely by suitably qualified care staff to meet the needs of the patient population, leading on recruitment, and supporting the Virtual Ward Team Leader with induction of team members as needed. Ensure there is adequate line management support to all Community Healthcare Assistant (CHCA) and Care Support Worker (CSW) team members, ensuring all team members have access to regular one-to-one meetings, ad hoc support, de-briefs as appropriate, and an annual appraisal. To provide expert professional clinical advice and support to multi-disciplinary team members to support them in the delivery of outstanding care to patients and families under the care of the Virtual Ward. To work with the Virtual Ward Team Leader to ensure appropriate development the CHCA workforce through the identification of their learning needs to support their career development and ensure the CHCA team are suitably skilled in aspects of care delivery for palliative and end-of-life patients. Ensure there are systems in place that support the efficient and effective delivery of care to support patient flow through the virtual ward as evidenced by the length of stay and volume of patients supported. Ensure there are systems in place to support the efficient delivery of a domiciliary care service, working with the Care Co-Ordinator team to ensure appropriate day-to-day route planning and patient allocation for the Virtual Ward CHCA staff, taking into consideration appropriate use of INT bases and car sharing. Lead on allocated incident and complaint investigations, ensuring these are robustly investigated with comprehensive action plans are drawn up to address any deficiencies in care. To work with the Community Team Leads to ensure appropriate information sharing occurs between the virtual ward and clinical community staff to ensure safe and effective patient care. To attend relevant clinical governance and operational meetings. Lead on the production and updating of allocated policies and procedures utilizing relevant research. In collaboration with the Virtual Ward Team Leader, ensure there are mechanisms such as regular team meetings and written communications that support care delivery, including the feedback from patients and learning from incidents and complaints. Responsible for the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) arrangements for the Virtual Ward, ensuring adherence with relevant IPC policies and procedures, raising any risks to the IPC group and that IPC related audits are carried out according to the agreed audit programme. In conjunction with the Associate Director of Care Operations to ensure the CHCA team are supported to carry out their role by the provision of a range of support mechanisms such as ensuring appropriate access to clinical staff for advice on patient care. Work with the Virtual Ward Team Leader to monitor the standard of care delivery on the Virtual Ward, utilizing clinical audit and patient feedback to identify and co-produce areas for development, leading on relevant quality improvement projects. To work with the Virtual Ward Team Leader to ensure the care staff have all the necessary equipment and supplies required to support the delivery of patient care. To promote a safeguarding is everyones business culture, and where necessary act as a safeguarding deputy. GENERAL Where you are a member of a professional body you are required to conform to the professional standards set by that body. You are required to ensure your registration is current and practice continuous professional development. Because of the special nature of the Hospice and its work, the post holder may on occasion be asked to undertake other duties to help maintain our high standard of care.