Health Care Assistant in Bacup

Role Available: Permanent role. Hours to be worked between 8am-8.30pm Monday to Friday. Please state on your application if you would like part or full-time hours. We are looking for a hardworking, reliable and well-motivated flexible person to join our busy nursing team who strives to ensure that our patients receive the best possible service from the Practice. A background in Primary Care or NHS is desirable though not essential as training and support will be available for the right candidate. Membership of NHS Pension Scheme is automatic on appointment. This post is subject to a disclosure check by the Disclosure and Barring Service and successful references.

Working under the direct supervision of the Practice Nurse Team and strictly in accordance with specific practice guidelines and protocols, the Healthcare Assistant will assist the practice clinical team in the provision and delivery of prescribed programmes of patient care.

Main duties of the job:

• New patient health checks
• BP monitoring
• ECG taking & recording
• Urinalysis
• Processing and management of laboratory samples requested by GPs/Nurses
• Vaccine/cold chain storage, monitoring and recording
• Surgical equipment and vaccine re-stocking and stock rotation
• Clearing and re-stocking consulting rooms
• Preparing and maintaining environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions including assisting GPs during the performance of minor operations and vasectomies
• Assisting in the assessment and surveillance of patients' health and well-being
• Undertaking specific clinical activities for named patients that have been delegated and taught specifically in relation to that individual
• Helping to raise awareness of health and well-being and how it can be promoted
• Providing lifestyle advice to patients making any necessary referrals within the practice
• Weight monitoring
• Assisting with the collection and collation of data on needs related to health and well-being
• Assist in practice audit, CQC compliance evidence and QOF recalls
• Flu vaccinations for those eligible groups under a PSD
• Conduct home visits for housebound patients

About us:

Based in the centre of Bacup, Lancashire, we are a large GP training practice with a list size of 15,000+ patients. We have 6 GP partners and 6 salaried GPs. A nursing team consisting of Practice Nurses, HCAs, NAs, TNAs. A large admin team including reception staff, administrative staff, prescription team staff and secretarial staff.

Job responsibilities:

• Participate in the administrative and professional responsibilities of the practice team
• Ensure accurate and legible notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients' notes
• Ensure the clinical computer system is kept up to date with accurate details recorded
• Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice
• Ensure collection and maintenance of statistical information required for regular and ad hoc reports
• Ensure all mandatory training is completed on an annual basis including safeguarding, confidentiality, Equality + Diversity etc.
• Attend and participate in practice meetings as required
• Assist in formulation of practice philosophy, strategy and policy
• Restocking and maintenance of clinical areas and consulting rooms
• To assist in seasonal and special projects as requested e.g. flu campaign
• Retrieve and re-file records as requested, ensuring that strict alphabetical order is adhered to
• Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc. are filed in correct records
• Ensure records are kept neat and tidy and in good repair with all necessary information recorded correctly on the outer cover
• Ensure total familiarity with all appointment systems including regular and incidental variations

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.

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others' health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people's 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

The post-holder 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

The post-holder 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 team's performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients' needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

The post-holder 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
• Recognise people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

The post-holder will:

• 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

Person Specification:

• Qualifications: Good General Education, Qualified in Phlebotomy
• Experience: Experience within a health care setting working within a nursing team, Experience of dealing with vulnerable patients, Experience of working in a GP Practice, Experience of working in primary care
• Knowledge & Skills: Ability to provide quality care, Good interpersonal and communication skills, Good organisational skills, Good team working skills, Ability to work independently following verbal or written instructions, Adaptable to change, An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality, Able to work on own initiative, Able to work under pressure and remain calm, Flexible and adaptable, Aware of own limitations, Basic IT Skills, Knowledge of EMIS clinical system, Skills in Phlebotomy, ECGs, Patient Health Checks, Blood Pressures, Basic first aid knowledge, Health and safety awareness, Awareness of Blood Borne Viruses

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.