Healthcare Assistant - General Practice

*Taurus Healthcare are advertising on behalf of Wargrave House Surgery*

To support the practice nursing team in the delivery of nursing services, working as part of the practice multidisciplinary team, delivering care within their scope of practice to the entitled patient population. The healthcare assistant will deliver and assist clinical staff in the provision of treatment, preventative care, health promotion and patient education.

Main duties of the job

• Undertake patient health checks, urinalysis and preparation of specimens for investigation by the pathology laboratories.
• Support the practice nurse with health promotion programmes and the management of chronic disease clinics
• Carry out baseline observations such as pulse oximetry, blood pressure, temperature,pulse rate, recording findings accurately
• Facilitate routine and 24-hour BP monitoring, advising patients accordingly
• Undertake wound care, dressings and other clinical tasks as required
• Carry out BMI checks as directed

About us

Wargrave House Surgery is located in the centre of Hereford and provides primary medical care to people who also live in the town and its surrounding suburbs. There are approximately 8300 patients registered at the practice. The practice is managed by four partners, including a Paramedic. They are supported by three salaried GPs. The practice employs Paramedics and several Practice Nurses who carry out reviews of patients with long term conditions such as, diabetes, asthma and hypertension. They also provide cervical screening and contraceptive advice. There are three Health Care Assistants who carry out duties such as, phlebotomy, health checks and flu vaccinations. The practice is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6.30pm.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Taurus Healthcare Ltd is advertising this position on behalf of Wargrave House Surgery. This means that Wargrave House Surgery is the employing organisation and will make the final decision on appointing candidates.

Taurus Healthcare Ltd, on behalf of Wargrave House Surgery, will collate all relevant information for the purpose of the recruitment and pre-employment check process.

This information will then be securely transferred to Wargrave House Surgery.

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

To support the practice nursing team in the delivery of nursing services, working as part of the practice multidisciplinary team, delivering care within their scope of practice to the entitled patient population. The healthcare assistant will deliver and assist clinical staff in the provision of treatment, preventative care, health promotion and patient education.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The following are the core responsibilities of the Healthcare Assistant. There may be on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels. Training in specific areas may be necessary. Personal development and education will be encouraged.

Primary Responsibilities

• Undertake urinalysis and preparation of specimens for investigation by the pathology laboratories.
• Support the practice nurse with health promotion programmes
• Carry out baseline observations such as pulse oximetry, blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, recording findings accurately
• Facilitate routine and 24‑hour BP monitoring, advising patients accordingly
• Undertake wound care, dressings and other clinical tasks as required
• Support the practice nurse with the management of chronic disease clinics
• Carry out BMI checks as directed
• Act as a chaperone as required
• When trained, undertake venepuncture
• When trained, administer flu vaccinations and B12 injections
• Carry out ECGs and dermoscopy as requested
• Ensure specimens are recorded and ready for onward transportation
• Provide support during minor operations as required
• Ensure all clinical rooms are adequately stocked and prepared for each session
• Daily recording of fridge temperatures
• Ensure fridges are cleaned routinely in accordance with extant guidance
• Maintain stock levels of ALL vaccines as per national vaccination programme
• Keep an up‑to‑date log of all vaccines to include quantity/batch number/expirydate as per Cold Chain Policy
• Ensure clinical waste is removed from clinical areas and sharps bins replaced in accordance with the practice IPC policy
• Deliver opportunistic health promotion where appropriate

Secondary Responsibilities

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the healthcare assistant may be requested to:

• Participate in practice audit as directed by the audit lead
• Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care
• Support and participate in shared learning within the practice
• Complete opening and closing procedures in accordance with the duty rota

* A full Job Description & Person Specification is attached to this advert*

Person Specification

Skills

• Excellent communication skills (written and oral)
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Effective time management (planning & organising)
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
• Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
• EMIS

Clinical Knowledge & Skills

• Wound Care / Removal of sutures & staples
• ECGs
• Venepuncture
• New patient medicals inc. Height, weight, BP, Pulse
• Chaperone procedure
• Ability to record accurate clinical notes

Qualifications

• Healthcare qualification (level 3 or 4) or working towards gaining equivalent level

Personal Qualities

• Polite and confident
• Flexible and cooperative
• Motivated
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Ability to work under pressure / in stressful situations
• Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort

Other Requirements

• Flexibility to work outside of core office hours
• Occupational Health Clearance

Experience

• Experience of working in a primary care environment
• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of working in a healthcare 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 (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.