Job Description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a skilled and passionate Lead Advanced Clinical Practitioner (ACP) to join the Urgent and Emergency Care Directorate at St Richard's Hospital Chichester. This senior clinical role is integral to the ongoing transformation of urgent and emergency services, providing expert clinical leadership and supporting high standards of care delivery across our Emergency Department (ED), Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC), and Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC).

As a Lead ACP, you will work autonomously at an advanced clinical level, managing patients across the full spectrum of undifferentiated emergency presentations. You will also provide visible clinical leadership, mentoring and developing a growing team of ACPs, Trainee ACPs and Emergency Practitioners (EP), ensuring excellence in clinical practice, education, and service innovation.

This is an excellent opportunity for a highly motivated ACP to influence strategic service development, enhance patient experience, and support safe, effective urgent care pathways.



We welcome applications from those who currently hold a UK NMC registration. If you currently hold an overseas nursing qualification and require sponsorship we are not currently direct hiring Internationally Qualified Nurses.



Lead the clinical delivery of care within the Urgent and Emergency Care Directorate, including ED, UTC, and SDEC.



Provide high-level assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and discharge planning for a broad range of emergency presentations.



Lead the supervision, development, and appraisal of ACPs and Trainee ACPs, supporting workforce growth and clinical excellence.



Collaborate with senior clinical, operational, and education leaders to drive quality improvement and service innovation.



Contribute to governance activities, including audit, incident review, and clinical effectiveness initiatives.



Champion a culture of compassionate, patient-centered care in line with Trust values.



At UHSussex, diversity is our strength, and we want you to feel included to help us always put the Patient First. Your uniqueness and experiences will be part of our creative and innovative community where everyone is encouraged to succeed. We have a range of Staff Networks to help break down barriers, and can offer a buddy to help new members settle in. We're proud to be a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2) and a Veteran Aware Trust.



We treat our patients and staff with the same compassion and empathy we expect for ourselves. We're here for them when they need us, and we go above and beyond to meet their needs. This can be seen in our Wellbeing Programme for staff which is extensive and designed to support you when you need it, including where possible, flexible working to support work life balance - because we know that to look after others we must first look after ourselves.



As a university trust and a leader in healthcare research, we value learning, teaching and training so that we can be the best that we can be. From the moment you start with us and throughout your career we will help you to grow and develop. We hope that in choosing UHSussex you are choosing a long and happy career where you will be able to see the difference you make and feel valued for all that you do.



We look forward to receiving your application and the start of your journey with UHSussex.



To communicate in a highly skilled and sensitive manner, highly technical, clinically sensitive /or condition-related information to clients, their families and other healthcare professionals both verbally and in written format



Communicate effectively with individuals, their families, carers and health/social care practitioners using a range of styles and ensuring information always remains confidential



Proactive in seeking out different styles and methods of communication to assist longer term needs and aims



Engage fully and contribute in communication and negotiation regarding service provision for emergency care considering how advanced practice can support progress and evolution of the service Collaborate and communicate effectively with other specialties, clinical areas, disciplines and services to deliver high standards of efficient care to your patients



Utilise effective communication techniques to integrate into the multidisciplinary team.



To communicate effectively with a wide range of people in a manner consistent with their level of understanding, culture and background and preferred ways of understanding. Communicate with multidisciplinary health professionals and colleagues at all levels



Provides and receives highly complex information and anticipates barriers to communication, whilst recognising factors that may influence the situation and pro-actively seeking out solutions to improve communication



To recognise the complexity of the communication and any associated political issues and risks



To explore complex issues and to make complex decisions encouraging the effective participation of all involved with excellent 'listening skills'



To be empathetic and reassuring when communicating highly sensitive condition related information and advice to patients, carers, relatives and staff



To competently receive sensitive information concerning patients' diagnosis/medical condition and to deal with this information appropriately



To use a range of skills to adapt the delivery of information through changing the environment, methods of communication or delivery of content using effective, reassuring skills as required. E.g. Breaking bad news/special needs/ dealing with anxious relatives/language barriers



To identify and manage challenging behaviours using a range of communication strategies



To ensure that essential information on the patients' condition and progress is recorded by self and team members appropriately according to NMC guidelines



Provides complex comprehensive information to the Trust and appropriate regional and national forums



To provide highly visible leadership within the multidisciplinary team, inspiring others and encouraging and supporting clinical practice and service development, nurturing talent in the clinical areas



Service Delivery and Improvement



To use advanced analytical and judgement skills to support the assessment of patients in highly complex situations; integrate information from multiple levels in diagnoses



To undertake advanced and comprehensive assessment, investigations and diagnoses based on a body of specialist knowledge



Continue provision of care in a determined care plan on the already differentiated and diagnosed patients or adapt care relevant to further assessment, investigations or differentiation/diagnosis in accordance with governance protocols relevant to area of working



Responsible for ensuring that information systems adopted by the Trust are implemented and maintained in their service area, that their service uses such systems effectively and that the information available is analysed and evaluated, to manage performance and to meet Trust objectives



Contribute to the national evidence base on advanced practice in emergency care; drawing on local findings of complex audit



People Management and Development



Act as a role model working with a high level of personal standards and self-discipline whilst delivering a high standard of care to your patients



Be an approachable senior clinical leader and support junior staff in their own development and learning



Be responsible for maintaining their own professional development above and beyond that expected of their MSc.



Ensure you maintain qualifications in relevant national courses for your role and if an instructor, continue to engage in these activities of education.



If not already completed, be willing to complete speciality credential or demonstrate a clinical portfolio to an equivalent from the relevant Royal College if such a curriculum is not yet in existence.



Supervise, mentor, coach and act as a resource to Advanced Clinical Practitioners, Trainee ACP's and Emergency Practitioners of all levels and speciality across the directorate . With direct responsibility for appraisals of these staff groups.



Responsible for recruitment across the service by working with the Clinical teams to agree appropriate workforce levels and skill mix in accordance with budget; participating in recruitment panels where required and supporting the selection process for staff



Take a lead role in the development of strategic plans for the emergency service and advanced practice provision across the directorate. Linking with primary and secondary care providers to develop collaborative and innovative strategies and processes



Lead on the development of educational strategies to ensure the workforce is equipped to meet current and future service developments.



Identify and assess the operational planning of the service to achieve the aims and objectives of the service and wider organisation



Lead on a portfolio of quality improvement, clinical audit and support research initiatives



Monitor the delivery of the service whilst promptly identifying and addressing any issues, changing priorities and implementing corrective actions where necessary



Gain feedback on how to improve service delivery to inform future practice



Presents complex information to people at corporate level in relation to service requirements where there are identified issues with efficiency and effectiveness highlighting advanced practice throughout the Trust



Works in partnership with others to define and clarify the strategic direction of the service



Engages all interested parties/users of the service in the planning of service development in partnership with the organisation(s)



Patient Care Delivery



Deliver and participate in high standards of clinical care, functioning as an expert practitioner with your speciality.



Work for up to 60% of the time in clinical practice



To be highly visible to all staff, patients and carers to be able to respond to requests for specialist assistance, advice and support, particularly concerning provision of care



Scrutinise patient care and address any issues, which may result in substandard care



To manage a case load of patients autonomously and independently in accordance with governance protocols relevant to area of working



Ensure all aspects of practice are undertaken with obtained informed consent where applicable, in accordance with local policy, professional body guidance and law



Contribute and assist in safe and efficient patient flow and become involved in potential areas of improvement within this area. Focus and strive to achieve national targets



Be directly involved in patient experience quality assessment and implementation of improvement strategies



Maintain infection control standards



Be an independent non-medical prescriber (V300)



Undertake health promotion at all appropriate opportunities



Make clinical decisions at the highest level working within the relevant 'Scope of Professional Practice' and 'Code of Professional Conduct'



To maintain accurate and legible patient notes (written and electronic) in accordance with Trust and national professional policies and guidelines



Scrutinise patient care and address any issues, which may result in substandard care



Contribute and assist in safe and efficient patient flow and become involved in potential areas of improvement within this area. Focus and strive to achieve national targets



Please see attached & Person Specification for full details.