Health Care Assistant

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a temporary Health Care Assistant to join our friendly and supportive general practice team, providing maternity leave cover. The post holder will play a key role in supporting the clinical team to deliver high quality, compassionate, person‑centred care.

The role involves a range of clinical and non‑clinical duties within the post holder's training and competence, including supporting chronic disease management, health promotion and undertaking routine clinical procedures in line with practice protocols.

The Health Care Assistant plays a key role in supporting the delivery of high quality, person‑centred care within the practice. Working under the direction of registered healthcare professionals, the post holder undertakes a range of clinical and supportive duties within their scope of training and competence. This includes:

• Clinical observations, venepuncture, routine procedures, health promotion and supporting chronic disease management.
• Contributing to effective multidisciplinary team working, clinical governance, patient safety and the smooth running of day‑to‑day clinical services.
• Flexibility is required, and the post holder may occasionally be asked to undertake additional tasks in response to service needs, workload and staffing levels.

Our well‑established Practice is currently running across three sites as we await the build of our new state‑of‑the‑art Medical Centre. We pride ourselves on being a training practice supporting GP trainees and Medical students from across the North West. We are a large practice with over 15,000 patients, supported by a very experienced clinical and administrative team.

• Deliver high quality, compassionate, person‑centred care under the direction of a registered healthcare professional.
• Work collaboratively as part of the multidisciplinary and wider practice team to meet patient needs.
• Perform and accurately record clinical observations, including blood pressure, pulse, temperature and respirations, with appropriate coding.
• Undertake venepuncture (blood tests) competently and independently, in line with practice protocols and current training.
• Perform ECGs, wound care and dressings, and diabetic foot checks where trained and competent.
• Support chronic disease management in line with agreed scope and protocols.
• Provide health promotion and lifestyle advice, including diet, smoking cessation and alcohol reduction.
• Maintain accurate, contemporaneous patient records and patient confidentiality in line with GDPR and Caldicott principles.
• Work within scope of practice, adhere to policies and clinical protocols, and raise concerns appropriately.
• Support registered nurses with routine care to enable focus on more complex clinical work.
• Contribute to clinical governance, quality improvement, safeguarding, enhanced services and integrated care delivery.
• Participate in supervision, appraisal, mandatory training and maintain a safe, effective working environment.

• Has a minimum of GCSE Maths and English at grade 9 to 4 (A to C) or Functional Skills Level 2 in Maths and English.
• Qualified in Phlebotomy.
• Completion of the Care Certificate.

• Previous experience in a healthcare setting working as a HCA.
• Ability to work effectively as a team player under appropriate supervision and as part of a multi‑disciplinary team.
• Perform and record clinical observations.
• Discuss and share information with the nursing team on patient health conditions, activities and responses.
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to clinical colleagues.
• Ability to organise and prioritise own delegated workload.
• Ability to deal with non‑routine and unpredictable nature of workload and individual patient contact.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non‑verbal communication) with patients/relatives and carers and all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Ability to develop effective and appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues.
• Ability to work to key policies and procedures.
• Ability to listen, empathise with people and provide person‑centred support in a non‑judgemental way.
• Courteous, respectful and helpful at all times.
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
• Ability to utilise own initiative, discretion and sensitivity.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and promote collaborative practice with all colleagues.
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.
• Understanding of safeguarding adults and children.
• Commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Experience of working in a primary care environment.

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.