Healthcare Support Worker

St George's, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group cares for a population of four million people in South West London and North East Surrey.

Our sites include St George's Hospital, one of 11 major trauma centres in the UK and the largest healthcare provider and major teaching hospital in the area; St Helier Hospital, home to the South West Thames Renal and Transplantation Unit and Queen Mary's Hospital for Children; and Epsom Hospital, home to the South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre (SWLEOC).

After years of collaboration, our two Trusts became a hospitals group in 2021.

While remaining as two separate Trusts, being a hospitals group will help us to collaborate more closely on research, and the development, education, and training of our 17,000-strong workforce.

At gesh we are committed to supporting flexible working arrangements. Applicants are encouraged to discuss any flexibility they may need during the recruitment process.

Main Duties/Key Results Areas

The post holder will support the clinical team in assessing, treating, and caring for patients in the HIV clinic by:

• Undertaking routine phlebotomy (essential)
• Performing routine observations including weight, height, blood pressure, vital signs, urinalysis and pregnancy testing
• Supporting patients to access online sexual health screening
• Answering the telephone and dealing with patient queries and passing on messages to the team
• Ensuring all areas of the clinic and patient waiting room are clean and stocked appropriately
• Ordering laboratory and clinical supplies and ensuring stock levels are maintained
• Acting as chaperone if required
• Support the reception and administration staff; providing cover for receptionists, registering patients, answering the phone, maintaining a safe and pleasant environment in the patient waiting area and undertaking any other relevant administrative tasks as required
• Be responsible for the effective assessment of care needs, planning, implementation and evaluation of patient care within the department
• Perform clinical skills following appropriate training, supervision and assessment of competency by a qualified nurse in the relevant areas:
• Phlebotomy (essential)
• Blood Glucose Monitoring
• Measuring and monitoring the physical condition of patients
• Undertaking standard pre clinic assessments using pro forma.
• Obtaining and testing various specimens.
• Calculating health scores (e. g. Q-risk, FRAX, frailty scores)
• Actively develop new clinical skills and competencies relevant to the post
• Monitor and support the emotional well-being of the patients
• Promote a patient's independence when providing care through observation, supervision, support, or hands on assistance, where appropriate
• Evaluate the prescribed plan of care, in partnership with patient and report any changes to the Registered nurse
• Participate in medicines management under the direct instruction and supervision of registered nurses
• To work in accordance with the Trust's Equal Opportunities policy to eliminate unlawful discrimination in relation to employment and service delivery
• To undertake such duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the grade and the needs of the service
• Communication
• Maintain accurate, legible, detailed and comprehensive records of all client care activities according to Trust policies and procedures and relevant professional/ clinical guidelines.

Document and report any changes in observations to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member

• Ensure effective communication with patients including the provision of health information about services where appropriate
• Act as an advocate, where appropriate, to represent client/carer needs/ views
• Adapt communication methods when working with people who may have communication difficulties and identify actions to overcome any problems with communication
• Establish and maintain effective communication with all interdisciplinary team members primary and secondary care services and across external agencies and services, where appropriate
• Support other team members in the development of communication skills and in the level of knowledge concerning relevant policies and procedures
• Actively contribute to team meetings and with other members of the team
• Demonstrate competence in use of clinical IT systems used for patient care, email and word processing software
• To ensure confidentially at all times, only releasing confidential information obtained during the course of employment to those acting in an official capacity in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act and its amendments
• Personal and people development
• Reflect on and evaluate one's own practice, identifying personal learning requirements, in order to improve the delivery of client care
• Provide an effective and competent role model for other HCAs, work experience students and student nurses, demonstrating appropriate skills, behaviours and attitudes
• Participate in the development and implementation of induction programmes for temporary and learner health care assistants, student nurses and visiting clinicians
• Discuss practice issues confidently in order to demonstrate competence
• Share experiences with colleagues in order to encourage sharing of learning and to promote good practice
• Assist in implementing effective learning and development opportunities for learners and other staff
• Actively participate in learning opportunities and feedback learning to others e. g. studies days, competency assessments
• Participate in and contribute to the supervision of self
• To ensure skills are up to date and relevant to the role, to follow relevant Trust policies and professional codes and to maintain registration where this is a requirement of the role
• Health, safety, and security
• Monitor, maintain and promote a safe work environment for patients, relatives and staff
• Identify health emergencies and act accordingly
• Support staff in monitoring, fitting of equipment and in observing safe practice
• Always comply with infection control procedures and guidelines
• Identify a safe workload and report areas of concern/ ask for advice appropriately
• Report all incidents and near misses according to Trust policy
• Ensure that cleanliness standards are maintained throughout period of duty for areas within your sphere of responsibility
• To have responsibility for the Health, Safety and Welfare of self and others and to comply at all times with the requirement of the Health and Safety Regulations
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