Plasma Healthcare Assistant

NHS Blood and Transplant; Reading; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Join NHS Blood and Transplant as a Healthcare Assistant, playing a vital role in ensuring donor safety and comfort at Plasma Collection Centres. You'll work in a diverse environment, contributing to life-saving processes while receiving extensive training and support for your career growth.

Benefits

Extensive Induction and Training Programme

Flexible working opportunities

27 days annual leave plus bank holidays

NHS pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience dealing with the public and sensitive matters.
• Ability to follow written instructions and develop practical skills.

Responsibilities

• Carry out pre-donation checks and perform venipuncture.
• Observe donor wellbeing and manage adverse side effects.

Skills

Customer Service

Confidentiality

Education

Training in Practical Skills

Job description

This vacancy is not eligible for Visa Sponsorship. Please do not apply unless you have another means of establishing a right to work.

Job Summary

At NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT), our Plasma Collections team do something incredible every single day and we are looking for a Healthcare Assistants to join our Plasma Collections Centres. You will play a vital part in making sure our donors feel safe, special, and well cared for, and to create an experience that they will want to return to time and time again.

Plasma is part of your blood. It’s rich in antibodies, which can be concentrated into immunoglobulin medicines. These medicines save or improve the lives of around 17,000 people in England each year. They’re used to either boost immune system or calm down the immune system when it’s attacking someone’s own body.

Main duties of the job

Our Healthcare Assistants in our Plasma Donor Centres, work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to deliver an exemplary donor experience to each and every donor while collecting their plasma.

After training and assessment, you will carry out pre- donation checks, perform venipuncture (inserting a needle in the donor’s arm) and collect plasma. You will observe the donor’s wellbeing throughout the process and manage any adverse side effects from donation. You will be handling plasma product bags, needles and a range of equipment, daily.

The plasma we collect goes on to be manufactured into live saving medicines so it’s vital that you work in line with regulatory clinical requirements and operational performance standards.

You’ll get to contribute to improving patients’ lives by working under the professional leadership of our Operational Nurse Team Leader. You will have an opportunity to develop yours and your colleague's knowledge, skills and capabilities through continued observations and meaningful feedback to deliver the life-saving work.

At NHSBT, we work and operate in a highly diverse environment, you will be expected to demonstrate NHS values and role modelling behaviours that drive inclusivity, safety, integrity, and respect for others always.

About You

Experience and Knowledge

• Experience of dealing with the public and putting the customer first
• Experience of dealing with sensitive or confidential matters and an understanding of how this applies to the role
• Experience of delivering a quality customer service
  
  

Qualifications And Training

• Ability to follow written instructions, to develop a good underpinning knowledge relating to practical skills, for which you will receive training and ongoing assessment
• Willing to undertake further skill development for self and for supporting the training and induction of new team members, where required
  
  

About Us

It takes all types of people to deliver the kind of service that saves and improves lives. At NHSBT, you’ll join a team of more than 6,000 people who are making a genuine difference to communities, families, friends, relatives and more across the UK. We play a unique and special role in the NHS by helping people do something extraordinary- donate blood, blood products, organs, tissues, or stem cells to save someone in need.

Our three core values are what set us apart. They guide and inspire everything we do. By being caring, expertly meeting the needs of our patients and our people, and accepting nothing less than the best quality, we can do extraordinary work and help our people to do something extraordinary in their career, too.

Three small words, one big difference - Caring, Expert and Quality. Together we'll save and improve more lives than ever.

You will join us on our journey to create an inclusive workplace and aim to reflect the diverse communities we work with, and we positively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

What We Offer You

• Extensive Induction and Training Programme
• Rotas published 6 weeks ahead of time.
• No night shifts.
• Payments for unsociable hours, overtime and meal allowances where applicable.
• NHSBT promotes flexible working opportunities where the role allows.
• 27 days per year plus 8 bank/public holiday. Pro rata if part-time. Leave increases to 29 days after 5 years’ service and 33 days after 10 years’ service.
• An NHS career pathway- we’ve fostered a culture of continuous learning where colleagues are well-led, engaged, and encouraged to grow. We support you in reaching your full potential, both in your current role and future career. Our Thrive program embodies our commitment to learning and development, offering a wide range of activities to support your personal and professional growth. It’s open to everyone at NHSBT, ensuring you have the resources to succeed and shine in your role.
• NHS pension scheme. The NHS Pension Scheme is a defined benefit scheme (not dependent on investment returns) Further details and outline of benefits can be found at: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/pensions
  
  

Please view the attached recruitment profile which is a summary of the detailed Job Description and Person Specification for the full personal attributes we require for the role. You will need to demonstrate these throughout the recruitment process.

If you are shortlisted for this role, you will need to attend in person for a blood collection session tour so we can provide you with more in-depth understanding of this role. This will be followed by a face-to-face interview. We are unable to arrange virtual interviews or tours. Please also note that our travel policy does not allow for the payment of travel expenses.

This vacancy will close at 23:59 on 20th May 2025. NHSBT reserves the right to close this job vacancy early if a high volume of applications is received.

Interviews are anticipated to be held on 05th June 2025 subject to confirmation

For informal enquiries please contact Madonna Rato Plasma Operations Manager via email at [e-mail]