Healthcare Assistant

The ideal candidate will be working strictly in accordance with specific practice guidelines and protocols. The HCA will support the practice clinical team in the provision and delivery of quality health and care services. The post is for a part-time position, working up to 3 days a week. This post is for an HCA working in Primary care – not a nursing home or hospital environment, requiring a very different skill set.

Main duties of the job:

• The successful candidate must be able to display a basic level of computer literacy including the ability to use email.
• Be accurate and contemporaneous record keeping of all patient contact using appropriate templates and read coding, including recording QOF data.

Job responsibilities:

• Working under the supervision of a Registered Nurse and strictly in accordance with specific practice HCA guidelines and protocols, the post holder will support the practice clinical team in the provision and delivery of quality health and care services.
• No task will be undertaken without full training and assessment.
• Undertake, record and follow guidelines for the tasks for which you have received appropriate training.
• Phlebotomy skills including near patient testing for INR, blood glucose and cholesterol.
• Processing of patient samples for dispatch to hospital laboratories. This will include body fluids such as urine, faeces and sputum. This will also include urinalysis and the reporting of results to a registered clinician.
• Performing ECGs (training can be provided).
• Measuring and recording patient blood pressure. Reporting any measurement outside of the norm to the appropriate clinician using the practice Hypertension protocol.
• Prepare and maintain environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions. Ensure clinical treatment rooms are clean and well stocked. Stock ordering may be expected.
• Comply with national standards for healthcare cleanliness.
• Adherence to infection prevention control.
• Long term condition monitoring and NHS Health check screening.
• Notifying the GP/nurse of any significant patient issues.
• Liaising with administrative team.
• Act as a chaperone when requested.

Confidentiality:

While 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. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential.

Health & safety:

• The post holder will implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy.
• Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimen process including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements.
• Responsible for personal hand hygiene, correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process.
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control.
• Safe management of sharps procedures, including training, use, storage, and disposal.
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean, and safe way, free from hazards.
• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, sterile where appropriate.
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually).
• Waste management, including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection.
• Maintenance of sterile environments.

Equality and diversity:

Acting in a way that recognises 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.

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.
• Completion of annual mandatory training modules.

Quality:

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.

Communication:

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 peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.

Meetings:

It will be necessary to attend and contribute to various practice meetings as requested. The only reason for not attending will be annual or sick leave.

Person Specification:

• Phlebotomy skills including near patient testing for INR, Blood glucose & cholesterol.
• Good interpersonal & communications skills.
• Experience with using TPP SystmOne computer system.
• Ability to complete ECGs.

Qualifications:

• Qualified to NVQ level 3 Health & Social Care.

Experience:

• Experience of working within a nursing/clinical team.
• Experience in working in primary care in a GP setting.

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 to check for any previous criminal convictions.