Health Care Assistant

We are seeking to employ an enthusiastic Healthcare Assistant, who has a strong emphasis on providing quality care, good teamwork and flexibility, to join our established Nursing team. Excellent communication skills and a reliable, friendly, professional attitude are essential for this role. You will also share the Practice values of Excellence, Responsibility, Integrity, Development and Commitment, and champion them always in your work ethos.

This vacancy is offered as a permanent role of 25 hours per week, with some flexibility on days/times of working hours. This can be discussed at interview. Salary dependent upon experience, pay equivalent to AFC Band 3. (Please note the practice has its own PayScale and not AFC). Level 2 training required or equitable clinical experience.

Main duties of the job:

• Working under the direct supervision of the Practice Nurses and Doctors, this role will involve opportunistic health and lifestyle screening and patient education.
• The post will also include some administrative duties, including providing direct pre-procedure advice for patients attending for family planning clinics.
• Act as a focal point of communication between patients, doctors, nurses and other members of the primary health care team.
• Support non-patient facing clinical duties, such as maintaining stock, equipment, and fridge maintenance to ensure smooth running of the clinics.
• Basic wound care knowledge is essential to undertake this role, however, training will be given as required.
• Phlebotomy skills and willingness to work across sites are essential for this role.
• Basic chronic disease knowledge desirable but not essential.

Job responsibilities:

• To support medical/nursing colleagues in the provision of dedicated minor operations / family planning clinics and act as a chaperone during procedures.
• To be able to undertake basic wound care/dressings and to refer patients to trained nursing colleagues where necessary for follow-up review.
• To assist with the delivery of pre-procedure clinical advice, generally via telephone calls, to ensure patients are fully informed of procedure/risks and have any queries answered.
• Referring onto medical practitioner for any areas of concern as per protocol.
• Assist in Health Promotion and healthy lifestyle advice, in line with national initiatives such as, make every contact count.
• To perform ECGs as required and undertake baseline observations - BP/Pulse/Temp and oxygen saturation as required.
• To perform venepuncture for patients and support phlebotomy clinics if required.
• Height/Weight/BMI monitoring opportunistically.
• With training, ability to support seasonal projects as required, such as annual Flu campaigns.
• Assist in the assessment, surveillance, promotion and collection of data of patients' health and well-being.
• To prepare consulting rooms prior to dedicated clinics, and maintain stocks of equipment/supplies.
• To ensure couches, fridges and clinical areas are kept clean.
• To ensure medical equipment is maintained and cleaned in preparation for next clinic.
• Ensuring any equipment that needs sterilising is sent to CSSD as per protocol and monitored for timely returns.
• To maintain relevant medication stock levels and stock rotation in liaison with colleagues.
• To maintain and order drugs in liaison with nurses, instruments and clinical supplies.
• Following training to perform other clinical tasks to meet the needs of the practice.
• To provide support to the practice nursing/medical team to enable them to function effectively.
• In agreement with Line manager to perform any other task within the skills of the post holder and with relevant training given, that supports the practice to provide nursing services.

Person Specification:

• Empathy