Primary Care HCA in Bristol

We are a friendly, supportive, and forward-thinking GP surgery looking for an experienced Primary Care Health Care Assistant (HCA) to join our established clinical team. This is a great opportunity for someone passionate about patient care, who enjoys working in a fast-paced and collaborative environment. This role is up to 37.5 hrs per week with salary dependent on experience. The HCA will work and support the practice nursing and administrative teams in the delivery of clinical and administrative services. This role involves working as part of the practice multi-disciplinary team, delivering care within their scope of practice to the entitled patient population. You will be expected to work under the supervision of the practice nurses and to follow practice protocols.

Main duties of the job

• Blood pressure monitoring
• ECGs
• Health checks and NHS Health Checks
• Basic wound care and dressings
• Assisting with chronic disease reviews
• Health promotion including weight, height and lifestyle advice
• Diabetic pre-assessments and foot checks
• Administering B12, flu and other vaccinations

Additional Responsibilities

• LD and ADHD checks
• Dementia reviews
• Supporting minor surgery clinics

The post holder has a duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults in line with the NHS Trusts safeguarding policies and procedures. They must ensure that they are aware of, and work within, local and national safeguarding legislation, guidance and procedures. The post holder will be required to attend mandatory safeguarding training appropriate to their role and to act at all times to protect the safety and wellbeing of patients, service users and colleagues.

About us

We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, flexible and reliable person to join our lovely team at our semi-rural training practice, a short drive from Bristol. We are a Park Run practice, interested in the environment and individual wellbeing. We have a garden and an active social team.

Job responsibilities

• Consult with patients and their families to undertake assessments of patient need
• Deliver and assist clinical staff in the provision of treatment, preventative care, health promotion, long-term condition management and patient education
• Be an integral part of the general practice team
• Maintain accurate and comprehensive, contemporaneous patient record keeping using EMIS or other clinical software
• Report and record all accidents, incidents and complaints and refer immediately to the Practice Manager and appropriate practice nurse or duty doctor on call.
• Provide clinical support to registered nurses and other healthcare professionals within the organisation
• Deliver basic clinical care interventions under supervision, supporting continuity of care and patient safety initiatives
• Act as a chaperone as required
• Ensure specimens are recorded and ready for onward transportation
• Provide support during minor operations as required
• Ensure clinical waste is removed from clinical areas and sharps bins replaced in accordance with the organisations Policy
• Work within national and local protocols where these exist
• Recognise the boundaries of their practice and know when and to whom patients should be referred
• Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements
• Support the administrative team on an as-required basis
• Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes
• Attend staff development training programmes as appropriate, for example BLS training.
• To be familiar with emergency procedures including fire, resuscitation and health and safety
• Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance
• Attend team meetings for the purpose of maintaining an informed interest in the work undertaken at the surgery and contribute to the primary healthcare team objectives.
• Be familiar with and adhere to practice policies and protocols.
• Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
• Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months.

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Healthcare Assistant has the following wider responsibilities:

• Participate in any audits as directed
• Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care
• Support and participate in shared learning
• Complete opening and closing procedures in accordance with the duty rota

This job description is not exhaustive, and you will be required to carry out any other duties that may be required by the practice either on a temporary or permanent basis.

Personnel:

• Maintain good professional relationships
• Take reasonable care of his/her/their own safety and that of other persons who may be affected by his/her/their act or omission
• Co-operate with the practice to ensure all members of the team adheres to statutory regulations/policies and codes of practice and departments safety rules
• Offer innovative ways of working and opportunities to facilitate learning
• Maintains a caring environment through the support of colleagues
• Takes an active involvement in staff meetings

Confidentiality:

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately. In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential. Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety:

To implement and lead on a full range of health promotions. Manage their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, and to adhere to the infection control policy and guidelines. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
• Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimens process including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient processes
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
• Actively identifying reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Ability to recognise signs and symptoms of child abuse

Equality & diversity:

Will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

Quality:

Will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

Should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services:

Apply practice policies, standards and guidance. Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work. Participate in audit where appropriate. Support the practice in achieving quality indicators and targets.

Person Specification - Health Care Assistant

Qualifications & Training

• NVQ Level 2 or 3 in Health and Social Care (or equivalent)
• Evidence of recent and relevant healthcare training
• Additional training in phlebotomy, ECGs, smoking cessation, wound care, or long-term condition support
• Immunisation and vaccination training (e.g. B12, flu)
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification

Experience

• Recent experience working in a general practice or primary care setting
• Experience carrying out basic clinical duties such as blood pressure checks, phlebotomy, ECGs, health checks, etc.
• Experience supporting chronic disease management
• Experience assisting in minor surgery clinics
• Experience using EMIS Web or similar clinical systems
• Experience of simple wound dressings

Skills & Abilities

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Able to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Organised and able to manage time and workload effectively
• Able to work under pressure
• Adaptable and able to embrace and implement change
• Ability to adapt to new technologies or systems
• Comfortable supporting patients with complex needs or long-term conditions
• Lateral thinking/problem solving skills

Knowledge

• Enthusiastic, motivated, and flexible
• Friendly and approachable manner
• Committed to ongoing professional development
• Reliable and punctual
• Willingness to undertake additional training or qualifications relevant to the role

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.