Healthcare Assistant - Day Stay & Elective Admissions Lounge

VerseOne Group; Basildon; On-site; GBP 23,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust invites applications for a Healthcare Assistant (Band 3) in the Day Surgery Unit. This 12-month maternity cover role supports day-case and inpatient care, assisting with admissions, preparation, and discharge under supervision.

The post requires compassion, clear communication, and the ability to work within established protocols to ensure safe, dignified patient care in a busy surgical setting.

Qualifications

• Care Certificate required.
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent.
• Literacy & Numeracy skills appropriate to the role.
• Committed to ongoing learning and development.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality, compassionate care to day-case and inpatient patients.
• Support patient admissions, preparation and discharge under RN supervision.
• Record and report clinical observations; escalate concerns as needed.
• Assist with personal care, mobility, dignity, privacy during care.
• Prepare patients for procedures and assist with gown changes and checks.
• Escort and transport patients to theatre and other areas safely.
• Assist with stock control, equipment checks and supplies.

Skills

Care Certificate

Literacy & Numeracy

Communication skills

Teamwork

Post-operative patient care

Experience in day surgery

Clinical observations

Patient dignity and respect

Good computer literacy

Education

NVQ Level 3 or equivalent

Job description

Healthcare Assistant - Day Stay & Elective Admissions Lounge

Band 3

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is one of the biggest trusts in the country, following the merger of Mid Essex, Basildon and Southend hospitals in April 2020.

Main area Day Surgery Grade Band 3 Contract Fixed term: 12 months (Maternity Leave cover; ending 3rd September 2027) Hours Full time - 37.5 hours per week (Mix of 11.5 hour & 7.5 hour shifts. Working hours are 7am to 10pm weekdays. No weekend or bank holiday working.) Job ref 390-TAC-BAS-7990-A

Site Basildon Town Basildon Salary £25,272 Per Annum (Pro Rata for Part Time) Salary period Yearly Closing 21/10/2026 23:59

Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust is the onlyacute hospital provider in the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS), which is a system of health and care partners working together for our local population.

Within Mid and South Essex there are 149 GP practices, operating from over 200 sites, forming 27 Primary Care Networks and one Ambulance Trust. There are also three main community and mental health service providers who work together through a community collaborative.

We collaborate with other valuable partners, including three Healthwatch organisations, nine voluntary and community sector organisations and three top tier local authorities, with seven district, borough and city councils, as well as our local universities.

Job overview

Healthcare Assistant (Band 3) – Day Surgery Unit (12-Month Maternity Cover)

Are you a caring, motivated Healthcare Assistant looking for an exciting opportunity in a fast-paced surgical environment? We have a fantastic 12-month maternity cover position within our Day Surgery Unit at Basildon Hospital.

As a Band 3 Healthcare Assistant, you will play a vital role in delivering high-quality, compassionate care to patients undergoing planned day-case and inpatient procedures. Working alongside our experienced nursing team, you will support patients throughout their journey—from admission and preparation for surgery through to recovery and discharge—ensuring every patient receives safe, dignified and person-centred care.

This rewarding role requires excellent communication skills, strong clinical competencies, and the ability to work confidently within established protocols while contributing to a positive patient experience.

Our busy service cares for both adult and paediatric surgical patients. The Day Stay Unit operates Monday to Friday, 7:00am–10:00pm, while the Elective Admission Lounge runs from 7:00am–3:30pm, supporting an average of 35 patients each day.

Join our friendly and dedicated team and help deliver outstanding care to patients across Mid and South Essex.

Main duties of the job

Provide high-quality, compassionate care to patients attending day case procedures and the Elective Admissions Lounge, ensuring a positive patient experience throughout their pathway.

Support patient admissions, preparation and discharge under the direction and supervision of a Registered Nurse.

Undertake, record and promptly report clinical observations, escalating any concerns in line with Trust policies and procedures.

Assist patients with personal care needs, mobility and comfort, maintaining dignity, privacy and respect at all times.

Prepare patients for procedures, including assisting with gown changes, completing pre-procedure checks and ensuring readiness for treatment.

Accompany and transport patients safely to and from theatre and other clinical areas as required.

Assist with stock control, equipment checks and maintaining adequate levels of supplies to support the smooth running of the service.

Collect and transport specimens to pathology when required and undertake housekeeper duties in their absence to maintain a safe, clean and organised environment.

Working for our organisation

Our ambition is to deliver excellent local and specialist services, to improve the health and well being of our patients, and provide a vibrant place for staff to develop, innovate and build careers.

We aim to make the most of our skills and experiences so we can become the best we can be. As one organisation we will recruit the finest and retain more specialist staff due to more employment opportunities across our Trust.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

For more information on this varied and rewarding role, please see the attached Job Description.

Please be aware that we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should a high number of applications be received.

Unfortunately, there is no Visa Sponsorship available for this role.

Person specification

Qualifications

• Care Certificate
• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent
• Literacy & Numeracy skills appropriate to the role
• Committed to on going learning and development

Knowledge & Experience

• Effective oral / written communication and interpersonal skills
• Computer Literate
• Experience of providing direct patient care
• Experience working as part of a healthcare team
• Experience in an acute hospital or day surgery setting
• Experience of post-operative patient care

Please be aware as per the new Immigration guidelines we cannot sponsor candidates with a salary (full time or pro Rata) under the current minimum threshold.

Please note, the selection processes at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust are in place to ensure we recruit candidates with the right skills and values, please be advised that the use of AI in applications are monitored. We remain vigilant against candidates who misuse these tools to generate an application that doesn’t accurately reflect their skills, and you will be required to declare on your application if AI has been used before submitting your application.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.