Health Care Assistant (HCA) in Abbots Langley

Job Responsibilities

To assist medical personnel in the care of practice patients, to include treatment, preventative care, screening and patient education.

The post will also include some administrative duties.

A uniform and name badge, supplied by the practice, must be worn at all times.

They will act as a focal point of communication between patients, doctors, nurses and other members of the primary health care team.

• 1. Nursing
• New patient registration checks, health checks, carers health checks, diabetes health checks including completing any necessary paperwork.
• BP & 24‑hour BP monitoring, weight monitoring, ECGs.
• Urinalysis, phlebotomy, other samples as applicable.
• Provide lifestyle advice to patients, making any necessary referrals within the practice.
• Ensure specimens are labelled and bagged ready for collection with the necessary paperwork completed.
• Ensure clinical waste collection runs smoothly, reporting any problems to the nurse manager.
• Ensure sharps bins are ready for collection, restocking/maintenance of equipment.
• Restocking of clinical areas and consulting rooms.
• Covid, flu and other applicable vaccinations.
• Ordering and display of health promotion materials.
• 2. Administration and professional 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 patient's notes.
• Ensure the clinical computer system is kept up to date with accurate details recorded.
• Ensure appropriate items of service claims are made accurately, reporting any problems to the practice administrator.
• 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.
• Attend and participate in practice meetings as required.
• Assist in formulation of practice philosophy, strategy and policy.
• To create and send recall letters for clinics.
• 3. Management of appointment system
• Ensure total familiarity with all appointment systems.
• Book appointments and recalls, ensuring sufficient information is recorded to enable retrieval of the medical record.
• Monitor flow of patients into the waiting room, ensuring the appointment system accurately reflects the arrival of patients.
• Monitor effectiveness of the system and report any problems or variations to management.

4. Additional delegated duties considered appropriate to the post.

• Special requirements for the post
• Understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality.
• Ability to use own judgement, resourcefulness, common sense and local knowledge, to respond to patients' enquiries and requests while adhering to practice limitations.
• Understanding and acceptance of own capabilities and awareness of own limitations.
• Ability to work without direct supervision and determine own workload priorities.
• Basic keyboard and computer skills.
• Flexibility of working hours.
• 5. 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.

All such information is to be regarded as strictly confidential and 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.

6. Health & safety

The post‑holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and manage their own and others' health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures.

Responsibilities include maintenance of personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, safe specimen handling, infection control protocols, training, waste management, and safeguarding duties.

7. Equality and diversity

The post‑holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, behaving in a welcoming, non‑judgmental manner and respecting privacy and dignity.

8. Quality

The post‑holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, alerting other team members to issues, assessing own performance and contributing to the effectiveness of the team.

9. Communication

Effective communication with team members, patients and carers, recognising alternative methods when required.

10. Contribution to the implementation of services

Applying practice policies, participating in audits, and discussing policy impacts with the team.

Additional Information

The role requires flexibility in working hours to meet the needs of the practice. Duties may vary or change as the needs of the practice and NHS evolve.

Experience

• Experience of working with the general public.
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting.
• ECGs.
• Venepuncture.
• New patient medicals, including height, weight, BP, pulse.
• Chaperone procedure.
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes.
• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples.
• Understanding of infection prevention and control measures.
• Experience of working in a primary care environment.
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure.
• Ability to follow legal, ethical and clinical policy and procedure.
• Knowledge of and ability to work to key policies and procedures.
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion, and sensitivity.
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required.
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity.
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously.
• Good organisational skills.
• Competent in the use of MS Office and Outlook.
• Clinical Knowledge and Skills
• Ability to undertake vaccinations.
• Understanding of the principles of ECGs.
• Able to perform venepuncture.
• Ability to undertake patient medicals, including height, weight, BP, pulse and BMI.
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and understand when to refer to colleagues.
• Clinical IT system user skills and the ability to record accurate clinical notes.
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance.
• Understanding of safeguarding adults and children.
• Chaperone procedure.
• Understand the requirement for PSDs and associated policy.
• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples.

Qualifications

• Healthcare qualification, level 3 or 4, or working towards gaining equivalent level.
• Previous completion of the HCA Care Certificate.
• Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exemptions 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.

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