Healthcare Assistant

NHS; Bury St Edmunds; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Part time

Job summary

A healthcare provider in Bury St Edmunds seeks a part-time Healthcare Assistant to support the clinical team. Responsibilities include performing health checks and assisting with patient care in a multidisciplinary setting. The ideal candidate will possess a Care Certificate, have experience in health or social care, and demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The role offers attractive pay and benefits including NHS pension.

Benefits

Attractive rates of pay with annual review

Generous annual leave

Free uniform

NHS contributory pension scheme

Voluntary overtime when available

Qualifications

• Minimum qualification is a Care Certificate.
• Experience in a relevant healthcare setting is required.
• Proven ability to maintain high standards of care.
• Computer literate with clinical and office-based systems.
• Trained in phlebotomy.
• Own transport may be required.

Responsibilities

• Support the clinical team by performing health checks and taking blood samples.
• Assist with measurements and vaccinations.
• Help patients feel comfortable during their visits.
• Maintain accurate health records.
• Work as part of a multidisciplinary team to enhance care.

Skills

Excellent interpersonal skills

Organisational skills

Empathy

Experience in health or social care

Ability to work in challenging environments

Education

Care Certificate

Tools

EMIS

Job description

Anew and exciting opportunity has arisen for a Healthcare Assistant to join ourfriendly and dynamic team at Woolpit Health Centre. This is a part-time role of30 hours per week plus 1 in 8 Saturday mornings on a rota.

Thepost holder will work in a multidisciplinary team and be responsible forundertaking a wide range of clinical duties. The ability to work confidentlyand effectively in a varied, and sometimes challenging environment is essential.

Thesuccessful candidate should have excellent interpersonal and communicationskills, be organised, patient and empathetic. They will have experience ofworking in health, social care or other support roles including direct contactwith people, families or carers.

Main duties of the job

As a Healthcare Assistant in a GP surgery, youll support the clinical team by carrying out routine health checks, taking blood samples, performing observations (e.g. blood pressure, height, weight), supporting vaccinations, and assisting with minor procedures. Youll help patients feel comfortable, provide health promotion advice, maintain accurate records, and ensure a smooth flow of care in the surgery.

A full description can be found in the attached Role Specification.

About us

Why work for us?

Based in the Suffolk village of Woolpit, the Health Centre aims to provide:

The type of care that we would expect for ourselves and our own families.

We provide services to over 16,000 patients who live in a practice area of 75 square miles of rural West Suffolk, straddling the A14, between Thurston in the west, and Haughley in the east.

We pride ourselves in delivering high standards of care. We are holders of the Royal College of General Practitioners Practice Accreditation Award, a quality mark held by only 19 UK practices.

Our 7 GP partners and 5 non-partner GPs lead a multidisciplinary team including nurses, health care assistants, a practice based medicines management team, social prescriber, first contact physiotherapists and mental health practitioners - based in our purpose-built premises.

Benefits of working for Woolpit Health Centre include:

• Attractive rates of pay with annual pay review (not agenda for change)
• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Voluntary overtime when available
• Regular one-to-ones and supervision to aid development and support good communication
• Plenty of training opportunities
• Membership of the NHS contributory pension scheme

The NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefits scheme

Life insurance

Family benefits including an adult dependents pension and childrens pension

• Option of NHS discount and Blue Light Card for retail/dining/holidays etc.
• Free uniform

Job responsibilities

Have a Care Certificate as minimum level of qualification

• Has experience of working in a relevant healthcare setting
• Has a proven ability to maintain high standards of care
• Computer literate with clinical and office-based systems
• Trained in phlebotomy
• Own transport as may on occasions be asked to see patients at home

Key Responsibilities

Work as part of the Multidisciplinary team (MDT) to provide and monitor care, under direct or indirect supervision.

Improve safety and quality of care at every opportunity.

Contribute to the delivery of integrated care.

Work with the MDT to ensure the delivery of Healthcare Assistant duties complements the existing workforce.

Provide support and supervision to Apprentices, and those on learning assignments/placements as required.

Support registered nurses to enable them to be able to focus on the more complex clinical care.

Develop relationships across the MDT to support integration of the role across health and social care including primary care, secondary care, and mental health.

Perform and record clinical observations such as blood pressure, temperature, respirations, and pulse.

After undertaking additional training, provide flu vaccinations, ECGs, venepuncture and other relevant clinical tasks as required in line with the competencies of the role.

Promote health and wellbeing to all patients, for example undertaking the NHS health check.

Care for patients with dementia, mental health conditions and learning disabilities.

Advise patients on general healthcare and promote self-management where appropriate, including signposting patients to personalised care colleagues and local community and voluntary sector services.

Communicate proactively and effectively with all MDT colleagues, attending and contributing to meetings as required.

Maintain accurate and contemporaneous patient health records.

Enhance own performance through continual professional development, imparting own knowledge and behaviours to meet the needs of the service.

Clinical Supervision

The postholder will have access to appropriate clinical supervision and an appropriate named individual in the practice to provide general advice and support on a day to day basis.

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Hold a Care Certificate.
• Acts in accordance with all organisational policies and procedures and within expected values and behaviours.
• Understanding of the scope of the role of the Healthcare Assistant in context of the nursing and interdisciplinary team and the organisation.
• Knowledge of when to seek advice and escalate to the appropriate professional for expert help and advice.
• Understanding of the importance of following procedures and treatment plans.
• Ability to work on own initiative, demonstrating effective
• organisational, time management and prioritisation skills.
• Experience of working in teams under appropriate supervision as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
• Insight into how to evaluate own strengths and development needs, seeking advice where appropriate.
• Ability to deal with non- routine and unpredictable nature of workload and individual patient contact.
• Ability to communicate effectively (written, verbal and non- verbal communication) with patients, relatives/carers and all members of the multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to develop effective and appropriate relationships with people, their families, carers and colleagues.
• Maintain own CPD in line with NMC requirements and contribute to the setting of own objectives and development plan.
• Ability to take part in reflective practice and clinical supervision activities.
• Familiarity with EMIS.

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.