Health Care Assistant (HCA)

Job responsibilities

Job Purpose

The post holder will work under supervision of the nursing team and undertake tasks/duties delegated appropriately. The post holder will work collaboratively with the general practice team to meet patients needs.

Duties and Responsibilities:

a) Undertake and record and follow guidelines for the tasks for which you have received appropriate training.

b) Urinalysis and preparation of specimens for investigation by the pathology laboratory

c) Phlebotomy

d) Prepare and maintain environment and equipment before and after patient care interventions, including assisting GPs during the performance of minor operations

e) Assists in raising awareness of health and wellbeing and health promotions

f) Monitoring and recording of blood pressure

g) Fitting and instruction of 24-hr blood pressure machine

h) Measuring and recording physiological measurements in routine presentations: pulse rate and rhythm, height, weight, body mass, blood pressure.

i) Carrying out ECGs and reporting back to the GP

j) Carrying out Registration Health Checks

k) Giving dietary and lifestyle advice in accordance with written protocols / include weight management clinic

l) Chaperoning duties

m) Other clinical duties identified by Practice Nurse or Doctor in accordance with written protocols

n) Appropriate dressing changes (including complex dressings)

o) Safely administer injections under PSD

p) Working in a variety of environments, from the practice clinics to residential accommodation and patients' own homes, the post holder will help the practice meet the needs of elderly, disabled or vulnerable patients who may not be able to easily visit the practice.

Housekeeping:

a) Maintain and control stock levels of drugs, dressings and other materials according to the needs of the practice

b) Monitor stocks (with Lead Practice Nurse) and condition of medical equipment. In conjunction with the Practice Nurse respond to requests from GPs and Nurses for maintenance, repairs and renewal of equipment

c) Be responsible (with Lead Practice Nurse) for stocking the treatment rooms both clinically and for administrative purposes

d) In conjunction with the Nurses, to ensure Emergency Box is always ready for use.

Confidentiality

In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and dignity

In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description the post holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential

Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, and other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data.

Health & Safety:

The post holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health and Safety policy, to include:

Using personal security systems within the workplace according to the Practice Guidelines

To comply with the practices guidelines and policies at all times, e.g. in respect of dress code, wearing of identity badges, travelling and security and safeguarding of service users

Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills

Apply appropriate infection control/hand hygiene measures when hand washing, collection and handling of laboratory specimens, segregation and disposal of waste materials, management of clinical equipment, reporting of sharps injuries and dealing with bodily/fluid spillages

Reporting potential risks identified

All staff must ensure that they are aware of their responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974.

Equality and Diversity:

The post holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues to include:

Acting in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies and current legislation

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients carers and colleagues

Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Whilst the Post Holder will be specifically part of the Nursing Team, his/her responsibilities will be as part of the Practice Team as a whole and flexibility of working patterns will be expected.

This Job Description will be subject to periodic reviews and changed in consultation with the post holder.

Personal/Professional Development:

The post holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:

Participate in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development

Quality:

The post holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:

Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk

Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision

Effectively manage own time, workload and resources.

Participate in audit where appropriate

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ 3 qualification or relevant experience as an HCA
• Maths and English GCSE
• Full clean driving licence

Desirable

• Current Healthcare Assistant experience, preferably in General Practice

Experience

Essential

• Self-motivated
• Organised
• Flexible
• Caring
• Sensitive to the needs of others and to the needs of vulnerable people
• An active team player but also able to work on own initiative
• Good communicational skills
• Proven ability/desire to learn and take on additional responsibility
• Computer literate

Desirable

• Experience of working in primary care

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.

Employer details

Employer name

Bretton Park Healthcare

Address

Bretton Medical, Rightwell East

Bretton

Peterborough

PE1 2UF