Stroke Trainee/ Advanced Clinical Practitioner - Band 7/8A

Due to the career progression of the current post-holder, we are excited to offer an opportunity for either a Trainee or Qualified ACP to join our dynamic and expanding stroke ACP team.

The successful candidate will work autonomously to complete initial assessments, select appropriate investigations and interpret the results of these to plan treatments for patients presenting with suspected stroke, contributing to the delivery of high quality, evidence based care across the stroke pathway.

The successful candidate will be part of a forward-thinking team at an exciting time for stroke services, with the ongoing expansion of acute stroke service provision.

We are an active research site, offering opportunities to participate in a range of stroke research studies, including supporting participant recruitment.

The team has a strong focus on innovation and quality improvement, with recent collaboration with NHS Elect to explore new ways of increasing reperfusion rates for eligible stroke patients, as well as several other active quality improvement projects working across emergency care pathways.

Applications are welcomed from both Qualified and Trainee ACPs who wish to develop their career within the Stroke speciality. Trainee ACPs will be fully supported to achieve the MSc in Advanced Clinical practice. Progression to 8a will be awarded upon successful completion of this.

Informal visits are welcome.

Main duties of the job

• Effectively triage all stroke and TIA referrals
• Autonomously perform initial assessments of patients presenting with suspected stroke
• Appropriately select and request investigations, interpreting the results to formulate treatment plans in line with current clinical guidelines.
• Identify patients eligible for reperfusion therapies and facilitate the patients' access to these treatments/interventions, contributing to timely decision making.
• Perform specialist stroke assessments such as a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and dysphagia assessments.
• Work in line with SSNAP standards to ensure high quality evidence based care
• Actively contribute to the MDT working environment
• Provide specialist stroke education and training to members of the stroke MDT and across other clinical specialities.

Lincoln Hospital is a thriving university city and with the opening of the medical school, it provides all major specialties and a 24-hour major accident and emergency service.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust has been granted teaching hospital status, after demonstrating evidence to significant teaching commitment. From now on it will be known as United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Pilgrim Hospital is situated in beautiful countryside and serves the communities in the South Lincolnshire area. It provides all major specialties and a 24-hour major accident and emergency service.

Grantham and District Hospital serves the communities of Grantham and the local area. It provides ambulatory paediatric and accident and emergency services.

Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust (LCHS) and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust (ULHT) have come together in a Group arrangement, with the goal of improving the care provided to patients across the county.

This will not constitute a formal merger of the two organisations, but will bring the Trusts together under a single Board and Executive Leadership Team, with the goal of improving the care that is provided to patients both in the community and in hospitals across Lincolnshire. Both Trusts will retain their separate statutory names and legal obligations.

The Group will be known as Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group (LCHG).