Healthcare Assistant
- NHS
- Full Time
- Nottingham
- Negotiable
Job Description
Job summary
The Primary Care Business Support Unit [BSU] works in partnership with PICS practices, and external parties, offering clinical and administrative support across a range of functions. The team is expanding to support both immediate operational needs and longer-term strategic growth. We are seeking a motivated and patient-centred Healthcare Assistant (HCA) to join our growing primary care team. This is an exciting opportunity to work across a range of enhanced clinical services, supporting patients through routine care, research activity, and specialist community-based contracts.
The successful candidate will work closely with GPs, nurses, pharmacists, and the wider multidisciplinary team to deliver high-quality, safe, and effective patient care. Delegated tasks and duties will be both clinical and administrative.
The role is based at PICS HQ with travel to practices/external sites required. A clean driving license and access to a vehicle with business use cover is essential.
The role will be required to support PICS practices with the provision of patient care, from time to time, and this will include the need to cover any enhanced access hours.
The postholder will support the BSU by undertaking a range of activities carried out in a flexible & professional manner.
There will be a requirement for performance of venepuncture.
The role will assist clinicians and the BSU Manager with Research in Primary Care.
For more information, see the supporting documents
Main duties of the job
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AS PART OF THE BSU
- Clinical competence within the scope of own practice and training, displaying effective and efficient clinical skills across practice and community-based health services. Competence in completing clinical documentation and use of Systmone, including searches, clinical coding.
- Be responsive to change and willing, as part of the BSU Primary Care research team, to pursue an expansion of its research footprint.
- Liaison and communication with BSU, primary care colleagues & patients/public.
KEY REQUIREMENTS
- Educated to min NVQ Level 2/NVQ Level 3 Health & Social Care / Care Certificate/ Maths & English
- Demonstrable experience of working in a GP practice or secondary care environment.
- Excellent clinical and administration skills, reliable and effective team worker, responsive to change.
- Access to a vehicle for work purposes.
About us
PICS is the employer for this role. We collaborate with patients and partners to design and deliver clinically robust health and social care solution through Community Services, Out of Hospital Services, GP Practices, and Primary Care Networks. Find out more about us: http://picsnhs.org.uk/.
Benefits of working for PICS
We offer a comprehensive package which includes:
- NHS Pension 2015 Scheme (subject to eligibility)
- Alternative government-based scheme (subject to eligibility)
- Competitive leave entitlement that includes maternity, paternity and adoption leave, study leave allowance, and sickness provisions
- Access to education and training opportunities, depending on your role (CPPE Pharmacy, NHS England Roadmap for First Contact Practitioners, apprenticeship schemes, support professional development)
- Working in a multi-disciplinary team with support from a wide variety of professionals
- A flexible approach to a work-life balance
- Cycle to work scheme (subject to eligibility)
- Access to Blue Light Card scheme
- All staff events and conferences
- Staff engagement (Wellbeing Group, EDI Network, Staff Focus group)
- Free parking across many sites
- Personalised induction into the company and job role
Job responsibilities
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical Practice:
- To perform venepuncture and specimen collection for patients
- To measure and record on SystmOne templates, physiological signs - alerting a registered practitioner in an appropriate timeframe if physiological signs are outside normal parameters.
o Blood pressure
o Pulse rate and rhythm
o Temperature
o Oxygen saturations
o ECG recording [12 lead]
- Supporting chronic disease monitoring clinics, health promotion and preventative care.
- To administer if necessary and under appropriate guidance and protocol, injections.
- To act as a chaperone, when required, during examinations and procedures
- To prepare, when required, the clinic rooms for appointments
- To monitor stock and place orders for pathology items as required by the BSU and its associated clinics/services.
- To ensure that clinic rooms used by the BSU are checked with stock replenished and rotated as required, ensuring that stock is checked re expiry dates. Check sharps bins are appropriately labelled, secured and replaced as appropriate.
- To perform other tasks as appropriately trained and agreed to meet the needs of the service.
- Supporting delivery of primary care research studies.
- Undertaking study-related procedures including venepuncture, observations, ECGs, and data collection as delegated and trained.
- Ensuring compliance with study protocols and Good Clinical Practice requirements.
- Following appropriate training and competency assessment:
- Administration of intramuscular Decapeptyl injections.
- Administration of intramuscular Nebido injections.
- Monitoring and supporting patients receiving treatment under the Transgender Enhanced Service.
- Assisting with blood test monitoring requirements under specialist shared-care arrangements.
- Following appropriate training and competency assessment:
- Performing spirometry and other respiratory diagnostic investigations in accordance with ARTP standards.
- Ensuring quality-assured testing procedures are followed.
- Please note: this role involves performing diagnostic testing only and does not include interpretation or reporting of results.
- To carry out effective and efficient administrative services by demonstrating accuracy and attention to detail
- Completion of medical records, preparation of written reports / letters and electronic mail.
- Prepare hard copy documentation for upload to digital systems via scanning
- Access patient records while carrying out administration and ensuring all activity is recorded as appropriate.
- Work with the BSU ensuring that quality and compliance are maintained when dealing with practice/patient administration.
- Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed and consent to treatment.
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers, recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating.
- Communicate in an appropriate timeframe, any concerns about patients health status to a registered clinician.
- Document care and accurately record data using SystmOne.
- Contribute to the work of the business support unit and practice teams in by utilising the data from SystmOne and other information systems to improve care.
- Work with the team to assess effectiveness of care delivery, for example through assisting with audits, reviews and evaluation of care.
- Support and participate in shared learning across the organisation.
- Understand own role and scope in the organisation and identify how this may develop over time.
- Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working.
- Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery. Participate in team activities that create opportunities to improve patient care.
- Be able to support the team by covering for leave and/or sickness absence.
- The post holder must comply with all PICS policies and procedures which aim to ensure safe practice and minimise risk. This includes:
- Infection control / needlestick Protecting themselves and others against infection risks. All staff regardless of whether clinical or not are expected to comply with current infection ...
