Job Summary
This service is a collaboration between Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust (SCFT) and the Sussex Federations: Brighton & Hove Federation (BandHF), Alliance for Better Care (ABC) and South Downs Health & Care (SDHC). The Federations will be delivering the GP-led aspect of the Virtual Ward at a place-level to match SCFTs Urgent Community Response service across Sussex. SCFT provides the service in West Sussex, Brighton and Hove and the High Weald, Lewes and Havens area of East Sussex.B&HF are the lead contractor for the GP Service delivery and have sub-contracted to ABC for delivery within the federations geographical areas of Mid Sussex (including Crawley, Horsham, East Grinstead, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill and surrounding villages), Worthing and Chichester.

Main Duties of the Job
The Virtual Ward GP role is to act as the senior clinical decision maker within the UCR Team and providing daily clinical leadership. The following duties are the core responsibilities of the Virtual Ward GP:

• Adhering to the timetable of daily scheduled clinical activities.
• Holding the responsibility for medical decisions made during the contracted service hours.
• Appreciating the complexity of patients with multi-morbidity, frailty and polypharmacy where involving specialists is necessary
• Providing care in line with recommended best practice as established through clinical guidelines
• Providing medical advice and supporting decision-making to the members of the wider MDT through all stages of the patient journey: at triage of new referrals or admission to the virtual ward, during daily handovers and Board rounds, in an urgent / on-call capacity, support pharmacists with medication reviews when needed upon discharge with a written discharge summary
• Supporting and guiding the development of patient management plans, including: RESPECT forms, DNAR forms, Personalised Care and Support Plans, Ceiling of care reviewing and prescribing medications, with clinical input from the VW Pharmacy Team proposing the use of digital monitoring where it may be appropriate, and: setting thresholds for escalation, acting upon signs of deterioration
• Work with the MDT to support clinical decision-making based on readings from POC/remote monitoring equipment.

About Us
Alliance for Better Care CIC is a GP Federation that unites 47 NHS GP practices across 12 Primary Care Networks in Sussex and Surrey. We support our Primary Care colleagues as well as their patients, to transform how healthcare is managed within the community. As a membership organisation, our focus is to work in partnership with our members and help them to improve the provision of General Practices in the local area. We work with and listen to our GP Practices, PCNs, Hospitals, Community Organisations and the Third Sector. These vital partnerships ensure that, together, we deliver a truly integrated approach that offers the support and expertise needed to effectively serve our communities.

Details
Date posted: 13 July 2026
Pay scheme: Other
Salary: £13,111 a session per session per Anum
Contract: Fixed term
Duration: 8 months
Working pattern: Part-time
Reference number: B0141-26-0053
Job locations: Sussex Community Health Foundation Trust, Unit 1, The Quadrant, 60 marlborough road, Lancing, BN15 8UW, United Kingdom

Job Responsibilities
The Virtual Ward GP role is to act as the senior clinical decision maker within the UCR Team and providing daily clinical leadership. The following duties are the core responsibilities of the Virtual Ward GP:

• adhering to the timetable of daily scheduled clinical activities
• holding the responsibility for medical decisions made during the contracted service hours
• appreciating the complexity of patients with multi-morbidity, frailty and polypharmacy where involving specialists is necessary
• providing care in line with recommended best practice as established through clinical guidelines
• providing medical advice and supporting decision making to the members of the wider MDT through all stages of the patient journey.
• supporting and guiding the development of patient management plans
• reviewing and prescribing medications, with clinical input from the VW Pharmacy Team proposing the use of digital monitoring where it may be appropriate
• work with the MDT to support clinical decision-making based on readings from POC or remote monitoring equipment
• requesting diagnostic investigations and managing test results
• providing virtual consultations or home visiting where clinically required
• keeping accurate and contemporaneous documentation.
• liaising with other health professionals or providers for advice

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential

• Qualified GP
• General Practitioner Certificate of Completion of Training CCT
• Full GMC Registration
• National Performers List registration
• Appropriate defence indemnity MPS/MDU

Desirable

• MRCGP
• Diploma in Geriatric Medicine
• Diploma in Immediate Medical Care
• Diploma in Urgent Medical Care

Experience
Essential

• Five years post-CCT in general practice
• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of continued professional development
• Experience and knowledge of Sussex ICB and referral systems

Desirable

• Experience of working with Urgent Care, A&E and Out of Hours
• Previous post CCT experience of working in virtual wards or other acute care settings
• Experience of working effectively in collaboration with other organisations
• Experience of providing supervision/support to an MDT

Clinical Knowledge and Skills
Essential

• Outstanding level of clinical knowledge and skills commensurate with that of an experienced GP
• Understands the importance of evidence-based practice and clinical effectiveness
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal)
• Strong IT skills (competent in the use of Office and Outlook)
• Effective time management (Planning & Organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Problem solving & analytical skills
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
• Ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• Experience with clinical risk management
• Understanding of Clinical Governance and quality issues as well as health and social policy

Desirable

• Knowledge of the current issues facing primary care and the wider NHS
• EMIS and SystmOne user and Docman skills Experience with audit and able to lead audit programmes
• Ability and success in the implementation of change and/or service development within an organisation

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer Details
Employer name: Alliance for Better Care CIC
Address: Sussex Community Health Foundation Trust, Unit 1, The Quadrant, 60 marlborough road, Lancing, BN15 8UW, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://allianceforbettercare.org/

Contact Details
For questions about the job, contact:
Clinical Services Operations Manager, Sarah Watts, sarah.watts17@nhs.net