Physician Associate
The closing date is 31 October 2026

Burlington Primary Care is growing their multidisciplinary team and is excited to be creating this new physician associate post - a real opportunity to shape the role from the ground up, working closely with experienced GPs and a supportive wider team. This is a new post within our expanding clinical team, offering a physician associate (PA) the opportunity to build a meaningful, focused caseload centred on long-term conditions (LTC) management in primary care.

Working under the supervision and clinical governance of a named GP lead, you will run structured chronic disease clinics within agreed protocols, support frailty and care home patients, and contribute to proactive care planning. Patients are allocated to PA clinics through a GP-led triage and recall system; prescribing decisions remain with the supervising GP throughout. This is a clinically rich and varied role - not a generalist GP cover post, but a purposefully designed LTC-focused position where you will develop genuine depth of expertise. Burlington Primary Care is committed to a lifestyle medicine and prevention-first approach to long-term conditions, and this post sits at the heart of that vision.

Prescribing is supported through our GP clinical leads; you will work within a clear supervised model with regular oversight, case review and professional development built in from day one.

Main duties of the job
What you'll do:

• Run structured chronic disease clinics for patients with one or more long-term conditions, working to national and local QOF and IIF frameworks
• Conduct medication reviews, care planning, and annual reviews for patients with complex multi-morbidity
• Undertake regular care home ward rounds and community visits, providing continuity of care for housebound and frail patients
• Work with the nursing team on recall and proactive management of the LTC register, with a focus on prevention and early intervention
• Contribute to care planning for patients on the Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH) framework
• Liaise with secondary care, community teams and social services as part of a holistic care approach
• Participate in MDT meetings, significant event review and quality improvement
• Support the development of clinical protocols and pathways alongside senior clinicians
• Deliver and support group consultation clinics for patients with shared LTC needs, using a lifestyle medicine and behaviour change framework
• Embed lifestyle medicine principles into routine LTC reviews addressing nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress and social connection alongside clinical management
• Contribute to our prevention agenda, supporting patients to reduce their risk of disease progression and complications

About us
Burlington Primary Care is a busy, forward-thinking GP practice committed to delivering outstanding patient care through innovation, teamwork and a strong multidisciplinary approach. We are proud of our culture of clinical excellence and continuous improvement, and we invest in our team's development at every level.

You will join a growing, friendly and highly skilled MDT that includes GPs, paramedics, pharmacists, practice nurses, healthcare assistants, GP assistant and care coordinators.

What We Offer:

• Salary dependent on experience - please contact us to discuss
• A new, purposefully designed post - genuine opportunity to shape and grow with the role
• A supportive, welcoming MDT in a practice that genuinely values its staff
• Regular protected CPD time and support for continued professional development
• Access to peer support, clinical audit and quality improvement opportunities
• NHS pension scheme eligibility
• A varied, clinically rich caseload with real continuity of patient relationships

Location: Ipswich
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: 30096

Job responsibilities
Conditions you'll manage:
Your caseload will span the full breadth of LTC in primary care, including:

• Diabetes (Type 1 and Type 2) - annual reviews, HbA1c monitoring, foot and eye referral pathways
• Hypertension - BP monitoring, cardiovascular risk assessment, and documented recommendations for GP-authorised medication adjustment
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - spirometry interpretation, exacerbation management, inhaler review
• Asthma - asthma reviews, PAAP updates, step-up/step-down under GP oversight
• Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) - eGFR and ACR monitoring, medication safety reviews, referral pathways
• Atrial Fibrillation (AF) - anticoagulation monitoring, stroke risk assessment, and liaison with the prescribing GP on rate or anticoagulation management
• Heart Failure - monitoring, titration of medications under GP supervision, coordination with community cardiology
• Frailty - comprehensive geriatric assessment, falls risk, polypharmacy review
• Dementia - annual reviews, carer support, advance care planning
• Mental Health (SMI register) - physical health checks, metabolic monitoring
• Obesity and metabolic syndrome - lifestyle management, weight management pathway referrals
• Hypothyroidism and other endocrine conditions - monitoring and medication review

Care home & community visiting:
This role includes a regular care home and community visiting commitment - a valued part of how we provide continuity for our most vulnerable patients. Home and care home visits are structured and planned; they are not for acute or undifferentiated presentations, which are triaged and managed by a GP first.

• Undertake regular structured ward rounds at our linked care homes, supported by GP clinical leads, focusing on LTC review, medication safety, and personalised care planning
• Conduct anticipatory care planning and RESPECT conversations as part of planned care home visits, working alongside the palliative care team and GP lead
• Carry out planned home visits for housebound patients for routine LTC reviews and vaccinations
• Work within the Enhanced Health in Care Homes (EHCH) framework, contributing to personalised care and support plans
• Build relationships with care home staff and community nurses to ensure joined-up, person-centred care

This is an exceptional opportunity for a PA who wants to develop real expertise in the care of older people and those with complex needs.

Your clinical supervisor will be a named GP. You will benefit from:

• Peer support from clinical colleagues across the practice
• A clear escalation pathway to our On the Day Hub for urgent or complex clinical decisions at all times
• Participation in our whole-team clinical meetings and significant event review

We are committed to making this role work for you - we want our PA colleague to thrive, develop and stay with us for the long term.

Person Specification
All applicants should have the following qualifications and registrations, either in place or pending:

Essential

• Registered as a Physician Associate with the General Medical Council (GMC)
• Graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma or Master's in Physician Associate Studies from a UK-accredited programme
• Demonstrable interest or experience in long-term conditions management
• Strong clinical assessment and reasoning skills
• Excellent communication skills with patients, families and the wider team
• Commitment to working within a supervised clinical model and to ongoing professional development
• Ability to manage a caseload independently within defined scope, escalating appropriately

Desirable

• At least one year of post-qualification experience in primary care, community, or secondary care (we have limited capacity for intensive induction at this time, so some clinical confidence is important)
• Familiarity with SystmOne clinical systems
• Experience with chronic disease templates, QOF frameworks or care home ward rounds
• Interest in frailty, older peoples care or anticipatory care planning

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: Primary Care Careers
Address: 14 Burlington Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2EU, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.eoeprimarycarecareers.nhs.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: Recruitment Team, Primary Care Careers, 01206918760

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