Healthcare Assistant

NHS; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider seeks a Healthcare Assistant to enhance their clinical team in Stevenage. This role focuses on patient care, carrying out various clinical tasks, providing support during operations, and ensuring effective communication within the healthcare team. Candidates should have strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to patient-centered care while working across two sites.

Qualifications

• Experience as a Healthcare Assistant is preferred.
• General Practice experience is desirable.
• Ability to work in a team and maintain confidentiality.

Responsibilities

• Assist in patient care and education, including clinical tasks.
• Support practice nurse with health promotion and chronic disease management.
• Perform routine health checks and administer injections when trained.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Patient care

Job description

We are seeking a Healthcare Assistant to join our excellent clinical team. We are looking for 30 hours over 5 days, with some flexibility around this for the right candidate.

We are a large, friendly, two-site practice. Our main surgery has a long history in the High Street of Stevenage, and our branch surgery is in Chells Manor. Our dedicated Nursing team provides General Practice nursing to our patients from both sites.

Main duties of the job

We are ideally looking for an experienced Healthcare Assistant, and General Practice experience would be desirable. A flexible and friendly personality is essential, with patient-centred care as a priority.

About us

Our clinical team consists of 9 GP Partners, 4 salaried GPs, and a Nursing team of 10. They are assisted by our hardworking administrative team. We are committed to providing an excellent service to our patients and ensuring our team is supported and valued.

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

To assist medical personnel in the care of practice patients, including treatment, preventative care, screening, and patient education. The role will also include some administrative duties.

A uniform must be worn at all times, which will, if required, be supplied by the practice.

They will act as a focal point of communication between patients, doctors, nurses, and other members of the primary health care team.

Working under the direction of the lead nurse and as part of the practice multidisciplinary team, to support the practice nursing team by 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.

The right candidate will demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills for dealing with our diverse patient population and be able to work well in a close-knit team of both clinicians and non-clinicians.

You will have an understanding, acceptance, and adherence to the need for very strict confidentiality.

Please note we are two linked surgeries based in Stevenage, and you will be required to rotate between both sites.

The core responsibilities of the healthcare assistant include, but are not limited to:

• Undertaking new patient health checks.
• Supporting the practice nurse with health promotion programmes.
• Carrying out baseline observations such as pulse oximetry, blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, recording findings accurately.
• Facilitating routine and 24-hour BP monitoring, advising patients accordingly.
• Undertaking wound care, dressings, removal of stitches and clips, and other clinical tasks as required.
• Carrying out BMI checks as directed.
• Acting as a chaperone as required.
• Ensuring specimens are recorded and ready for onward transportation.
• Providing support during minor operations and in family planning clinics as required.
• Ensuring all clinical rooms are adequately stocked and prepared for each session.
• Ensuring clinical waste is removed from clinical areas and sharps bins replaced in accordance with the practice IPC policy.
• Delivering opportunistic health promotion where appropriate.
• Carrying out ECGs as requested.
• Supporting the practice nurse with the management of chronic disease clinics.
• Ensuring accurate and legible notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients' notes.
• Attending and participating in practice meetings as required.
• When trained, administering injections.
• When trained, undertaking venepuncture.
• When trained, carrying out ear irrigation under the supervision of the practice nurse.
• Undertaking any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the GP Partners or Management.

  Person Specification

  Experience

  • Experience in HCA role
  • Experience of GP

  Disclosure and Barring Service Check

  This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975, and a disclosure check will be required to ensure suitability for the role.