Health Care Assistant in Folkestone

An opportunity has arisen for the role of a Health Care Assistant at Sandgate Road Surgery, Folkestone. Located in West Folkestone just a short walk from the Folkestone Leas, the practice provides primary care services to approximately 13,200 patients. We are looking to recruit an experienced Health Care Assistant to join our general practice team for 20 hours per week, offering a competitive hourly rate of up to £13.30, dependent on skills and experience. In addition, the successful candidate will have access to the NHS Pension Scheme and NHS discount benefits.

Previous experience working within a general practice setting is essential. The successful applicant must hold the Care Certificate and KaSPaC or an equivalent NVQ qualification. You will be confident, well organised, and able to demonstrate excellent communication and computer skills, with the ability to multi-task, work independently, and contribute effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Main duties of the job

• Competent in delivering a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services, including:
• ECGs
• 24-hour blood pressure monitoring
• Wound care and dressings
• Diabetic health checks
• NHS Health Checks

Job responsibilities

• Working under the direct supervision of the Practice Matron 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.
• Duties and responsibilities include:
• New patient health checks
• ECG recording
• Blood pressure
• Ear syringing
• Processing and management of laboratory samples requested by GPs and nurses
• Sterilising, cleansing and maintenance of surgical equipment
• 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
• 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
• Assisting with the collection and collation of data on needs related to health and well-being
• Preparing and maintaining Infection Control Audits

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

Health & safety

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, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will 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
• Actively reporting of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general and patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder's role
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)

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

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 people's needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services

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: Care Certificate and KaSPaC or an equivalent NVQ qualification
• Experience: Experience of working within a nursing team, dealing with patients, working in primary care, and working in a GP practice

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.