Health Care Assistant in Lanchester

We are seeking an experienced Health Care Assistant to provide a wide range of clinical and administrative support within the practice. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of our nursing and GP team, delivering care in line with practice protocols, national guidance, and their assessed competencies. This is a varied and rewarding role, ideal for someone who enjoys working in a busy primary care environment and is committed to delivering excellent patient care. This is a 32 hour position worked within the practices core hours of 08:00-18:30, Monday to Friday, with Enhanced Access operating on Thursday evenings until 20:00, which you may be required to cover occasionally.

Main duties of the job

• Clinical duties include:
• ECG recording
• Urinalysis and specimen collection
• New patient health checks and NHS Health Checks
• Diabetic foot checks using practice protocols and templates
• Wound care and dressings (including compression, if trained)
• Suture and clip removal
• Ear irrigation (if trained)
• Simple injections (e.g., B12) under PSD/PGD
• Vaccinations (flu, COVID, shingles, pneumonia, childhood vaccines if trained)
• DMARD monitoring and safety checks
• Digital systems:
• Use of Ardens templates for chronic disease reviews, foot checks, wound care, vaccinations, and monitoring
• Managing tasks, recalls, and patient messaging
• Infection control, stock & equipment:
• Maintaining high standards of infection prevention and control
• Cleaning and preparing clinical rooms between patients
• Completing daily/weekly room and equipment checks
• Monitoring and replenishing clinical stock
• Ensuring safe storage and cold chain compliance for vaccines
• Team and administrative responsibilities:
• Supporting the wider clinical team
• Participating in audits, quality improvement, and mandatory training
• Contributing to a positive, collaborative practice culture

About us

Lanchester Medical Centre is a friendly GP practice serving a list size of approximately 4,100 patients. We are based in the beautiful village of Lanchester, with excellent transport links and close proximity to Durham, making us an attractive location for both staff and patients. The area offers a welcoming community, scenic surroundings, and a great quality of life. We are proud of our longstanding, experienced clinical and administrative teams, many of whom have been with the practice for several years.

Job Purpose

To provide safe, effective, and compassionate clinical support within Lanchester Medical Centre. The postholder will work under the indirect supervision of registered clinicians, delivering high-quality patient care in line with practice protocols, national guidance, and their assessed competencies.

Key Clinical Responsibilities

• Clinical Observations & Assessments
• Height, weight, BMI
• Urinalysis and specimen collection
• New patient health checks
• NHS Health Checks
• Long-Term Condition Support
• Diabetic foot checks using practice protocols and digital templates
• Support for chronic disease reviews (e.g., hypertension, COPD, asthma)
• Lifestyle advice: smoking cessation, weight management, physical activity
• DMARD Monitoring
• Conduct blood tests and observations required for DMARD safety monitoring
• Follow practice protocols and templates to ensure correct monitoring intervals
• Escalate abnormal results promptly to the clinical team
• Reinforce patient education around monitoring schedules and red-flag symptoms
• Clinical Procedures
• ECG recording
• Wound care and dressings, including compression
• Suture and clip removal
• Simple injections (e.g., B12) under PSD/PGD
• Support seasonal flu and COVID clinics
• Maintain cold chain and vaccine storage standards
• Record vaccinations accurately in the clinical system
• Infection Control, Stock & Equipment Responsibilities
• Infection Prevention & Control
• Maintain high standards of infection control in all clinical areas
• Clean and prepare clinical rooms between patients following practice protocols
• Ensure safe disposal of clinical waste and sharps
• Adhere to hand hygiene, PPE, and decontamination procedures
• Report any infection control concerns or incidents promptly
• Stock Management
• Monitor and replenish clinical stock in consultation rooms and treatment areas
• Check expiry dates and rotate stock appropriately
• Support ordering processes by reporting low stock levels
• Ensure vaccines and consumables are stored safely and in line with cold-chain requirements
• Room & Equipment Checks
• Complete daily and weekly room checks as per practice protocols
• Ensure equipment (e.g., BP monitors, ECG machines, pulse oximeters) is clean, functional, and calibrated where required
• Report faults or maintenance needs promptly
• Prepare clinical rooms for clinics, ensuring all necessary equipment is available and safe to use

Digital & Clinical Systems Responsibilities

• SystmOne
• Record all consultations, observations, and procedures accurately and contemporaneously
• Use clinical templates to ensure safe and consistent documentation
• Manage tasks, recalls, and patient messaging as required
• Use Ardens templates for all entries: Diabetic foot checks, DMARD monitoring, NHS Health Checks, Wound care, Long-term condition reviews
• Follow prompts to ensure compliance with national and local protocols

Administrative & Team Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate, legible, and timely clinical records
• Assist with stock control, equipment checks, and infection control processes
• Participate in clinical audits and quality improvement
• Attend practice meetings, training sessions, and mandatory updates
• Work collaboratively with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, and administrative teams
• Contribute to a positive, supportive, and patient-centred practice culture

Training, Competence & Professional Development

• Work strictly within scope of competence and training
• Undertake mandatory training (e.g., BLS, safeguarding, infection control)
• Engage in ongoing development to expand clinical skills
• Maintain awareness of practice policies and national guidance
• Participate in annual appraisal and competency review

Person Specification

• Care Certificate (or willingness to complete upon appointment)
• Phlebotomy training and competency
• Basic Life Support (BLS) training
• Safeguarding training (Adults and Children Level 1 or 2 depending on role)
• Infection Prevention & Control training
• Evidence of competency-based clinical skills training relevant to primary care (e.g., wound care, observations, ECGs)
• Level 3 Diploma in Healthcare Support / Clinical Healthcare Support
• Vaccination training (flu, COVID, shingles, pneumonia, childhood vaccines if applicable)
• Wound care and compression therapy training
• Diabetic foot assessment training
• DMARD monitoring awareness training
• Ear irrigation training
• Training in using primary care clinical systems (e.g., SystmOne)
• Ardens template training or experience
• Smoking cessation or health coaching training
• Chaperone training

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.