Frailty Practitioner

homes and community-based care

The post

holder will support older people in care homes and the community, reviewing

patients after a change in health, supporting falls prevention and care

planning, liaising with care home staff and families, and helping to reduce

avoidable emergency attendances or admissions.

Frailty

assessment

moderate, or severe frailty.

functional, and social information.

and any change from the patient's normal baseline.

falls, and mobility or balance difficulties.

impairment or delirium, and escalating where needed.

concerns, weight loss, or poor appetite.

toileting difficulties and making appropriate referrals

contributors to decline.

carer strain, and the home environment and making appropriate referrals.

need urgent medical review.

to the wider team.

Holistic

clinical assessment

take a

clinical history;

medical records, diagnoses, and recent hospital or community contacts;

changes from baseline and consider functional status, multimorbidity, and

safeguarding concerns.

possible infection, dehydration, malnutrition, delirium, or falls as causes of

decline, and recognise when further investigation or medical assessment is

required.

frailty syndromes

The post

holder helps identify and manage common frailty syndromes, including falls,

reduced mobility, functional decline, cognitive impairment, delirium,

nutritional decline, continence problems, dizziness, polypharmacy, social

isolation, and carer stress.

identify appropriate interventions within their scope and coordinate referrals

to other services, such as GPs, community nursing, physiotherapy, occupational

therapy, dietetics, pharmacy, falls services, specialist frailty or memory

services, social care, and palliative care where appropriate.

decision-making

The post

holder demonstrates sound clinical reasoning appropriate to Band 6 level,

making independent decisions within their scope, recognising significant

deterioration, and balancing clinical evidence with the patient's circumstances

and preferences.

senior clinicians, GPs or specialists when needed, escalate promptly where

safety may be at risk, and document their reasoning clearly.

working

The post

holder works closely with GPs, practice nurses, pharmacists, advanced

practitioners, community nurses, allied health professionals, social workers,

care coordinators, care homes, and specialist or secondary care services,

contributing relevant clinical information to MDT discussions for patients with

complex needs.

The post

holder recognises and responds appropriately to safeguarding concerns involving

older people, including neglect, abuse, carer breakdown, and unsafe living

circumstances, following practice and local safeguarding procedures.

and governance

The post

holder has access to a named senior clinician and GP support, takes part in

regular clinical supervision, reflective practice, and audit, and maintains

appropriate professional indemnity. They work within relevant professional

standards and the practice's clinical governance policies.

professional development

The post

holder maintains ongoing development relevant to frailty, falls, delirium,

dementia, nutrition, multimorbidity, medicines awareness, safeguarding, mental

capacity, and end-of-life care, identifying learning needs through supervision,

appraisal, and clinical practice.

improvement

The post

holder contributes to safe and effective frailty services through audit,

service evaluation, review of falls and hospital admissions, development of

care pathways, and MDT learning, supporting a culture of continuous improvement

and patient safety.

Whitstable Medical Practice is a forward thinking single Primary Care Network (PCN), GP Practice based across three sites in Whitstable, Kent looking after 45,500 patients.

Feel valued, supported and have the opportunity to shape the future.

Be apart of the only GP practice named in the NHS 10-year Health Plan for its innovation and care.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a progressive and ambitious practice where your ideas, professional development and well-being are genuinely valued.

Support from our experienced clinical teams, including;

Our state-of-the-art buildings provide access to a wide range of services and facilities, including:

As is typical across the country, we are experiencing an increasing elderly population which is placing additional pressures on the local health economy. There are 10 care and nursing homes in the area all of whom are registered with the practice.

Experience

Skills and Abilities

Desirable: - Experience of completing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments.

Qualifications

Essential: - Experience and fully qualified Healthcare professional.; - Registered Practitioner holding current registration with NMC or HCPC.

Desirable: - Frailty or End of Life Care modules/qualifications.; - Clinical assessment module if not included in your registration qualification.