Healthcare Assistant

Job responsibilities

Job summary:

Working under the supervision of the lead nurse manager and strictly in accordance with specific practice guidelines and protocols, the healthcare assistant will assist the practice clinical team in the provision and delivery of prescribed programmes of patient care.

Duties and responsibilities:

Patient Observation and Screening: Taking and recording vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, oxygen saturations, height, weight and BMI.

• Phlebotomy: Taking blood samples (venepuncture) and processing / labelling for testing.
• Diagnostics: Performing ECGs (electrocardiograms) and urine dip-testing.
• Health Checks: Conducting new patient health checks, NHS Health Checks, and annual reviews for specific conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
• Clinical Support: Assisting GPs and nurses with minor surgical procedures or specialized clinics (e.g. coil fittings) and chaperoning during examinations.
• Vaccinations: Administering specific vaccinations (e.g. flu or B12 injections) under a Patient Specific Directive (PSD) once appropriately trained.
• Health Promotion: Offering basic diet, smoking cessation, and lifestyle advice to patients.
• Clinical Management: Preparing consultation rooms, monitoring infection control, restocking and ordering supplies, and managing medical waste or sharps bins.
• Warfarin monitoring and INR star.
• Vaccine and cold chain storage, monitoring and recording.
• Undertaking specific clinical activities for named patients that have been delegated and taught specifically in relation to the individual.

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 act appropriately

• 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 act appropriately
• 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, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Health & Safety

The post-holder will implement their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety policy, the practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

Follow the Fire and Health and Safety Policies.

• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines.
• Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements.
• Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice, including provision and ordering.
• Responsible for their own hand hygiene.
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process, escalating issues as appropriate.
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills.
• Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards.
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Undertaking periodic infection control training on an annual basis.
• Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
• Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
• Spillage control procedures, management and training
• Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
• Maintenance of sterile environments
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 recognizes 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 that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

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:

• Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work

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
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication:

The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and ...