Health Care Assistant (HCA) Part Time

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB TITLE: Health Care Assistant

LINE MANAGER: Nurse Manager

MAIN PURPOSE OF POST:

To contribute to the care of patients, working in line with practice protocols and policies to provide services within competence areas directly to patients. To assist and support other clinical and non-clinical colleagues and to ensure safe, effective and patient-centered holistic care is provided.

Major duties and responsibilities of the Post:

1. CLINICAL DUTIES:

a) After training and competency assessment, where required, consult with patients undertaking variety of tasks. including

a. Phlebotomy

b. Taking ECGs

c. Performing urinalysis

d. Fitting patients for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and administering the return of the ABPM machine

e. Removal of sutures

f. Wound care, including compression bandaging and supporting patients with chronic wounds.

g. Taking blood pressures

h. Acting as a chaperone

i. Administering influenza, pneumococcal and B12 vaccinations

j. Undertake NHS Health Checks

k. Advising and supporting patients to stop smoking, recording each quit attempt via the mechanisms required by the commissioners, in line with local guidelines and nationally accepted evidence.

l. Providing advice and guidance on healthy lifestyle choices, making every contact count* to maximize the opportunities to motivate patients to stop smoking, improve their diet and reduce alcohol consumption and increase exercise , according to individual patient need. *Make Every Contact Count campaign led by Warwickshire Public Health http://publichealth.warwickshire.gov.uk/making-every-contact-count/

m. Supporting the management of long term conditions, including facilitating group consultations.

This list may changed to incorporate other tasks that are nationally recognised as being Health Care Assistant duties.

b) Assist GPs during minor operations, including setting up equipment, providing assistance, administration of samples taken and tidying away following completion of the minor surgery session.

c) Maintenance, cleaning and calibration of equipment in line with practice protocols

d) Accept delegation from other clinical team members, working as a team to meet the best needs of the patient.

a) Maintain stocks of clinical supplies, ordering as appropriate, putting away new stock in accordance with stock control principles and ensuring sufficient stock levels at all times in both clinical rooms and in the stock cupboards.

b) Read and record maximum and minimum fridge temperatures on a twice daily basis at set times, ensuring that monthly calibration checks of fridge thermometers take place.

c) Maintain stocks of patient information leaflets, ordering leaflets from suppliers as required.

d) Ensure packs of equipment for certain procedures are available to clinicians as needed.

e) Assist with the co-ordination of routine care for housebound patients.

f) Support the co-ordination and recall of patients for annual influenza vaccination.

a) With assistance from your practice nurse mentor, maintain personal development plan, undertaking training and development as appropriate to develop skills and meet changing practice needs.

b) Participation in relevant working groups, contributing to the development of services and improvements in practice processes and protocols

c) Participation in practice processes for quality improvement, including reporting and learning from significant events and near misses and audit.

4. EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

a) 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.

a) Adhere to the Practices Health and Safety Policy and maintain a safe working environment.

b) Promote safe clinical practice, adhering to infection control policies, COSHH and policies governing the disposal of clinical waste.

c) Use and encourage others to adopt appropriate infection control procedures and maintain work areas in each clinical room so that they are clean, safe and free from hazards reporting of any potential risks identified, including:

hand washing

universal hygiene procedures

collection and handling of laboratory specimens

segregation and disposal of waste materials

reporting and treatment of sharps injuries

dealing with blood and body fluid spillages

Assist patients and colleagues in adopting sound infection control measures

d) Use of computer and other equipment safely

e) Understand and apply the principles of the cold chain

f) Ensure safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs within area of responsibility

g) Know the general principles of resuscitation to be able to undertake initial actions as appropriate

h) Be aware of responsibilities to report and support child and adult safeguarding, including statutory local guidance and referral criteria

i) Adhere to confidentiality and information governance requirements, ensuring data is processed and destroyed appropriately following relevant policies and protocols

5. GENERAL:

a) Know the general principles of resuscitation to be able to undertake initial actions as appropriate

b) Be aware of responsibilities to report and support child and adult safeguarding, including statutory local guidance and referral criteria

c) Adhere to confidentiality and information governance requirements, ensuring data is processed and destroyed appropriately following relevant policies and protocols

d) To act with professionalism and ensuring that ethical conduct is adhered to at all times.

e) The responsibilities of this role are delegated from clinicians who are registered to practice. Therefore the postholder is required to work in line with practice policies and protocols and according to guidance from registered clinicians.

f) The postholder will be encouraged to attend training courses commensurate with his/her development and in accordance with the needs of the individual and the Practice.

g) The postholder should notify the Line Manager of any concerns relating to the above responsibilities.

h) The postholder will be required to take part in the appraisal scheme.

i) The postholder will be encouraged to attend relevant lunch time meetings and remuneration will be made for this in line with Practice policy (eg staff meetings, working group meetings).

j) This job description covers the main duties which the post holder is expected to undertake. These duties may be revised from time to time, in consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE or equivalent standard of education with an emphasis on numeracy and literacy

Desirable

• Evidence of training appropriate to the role. i.e. NVQ

Additional criteria

Essential

• Able to work flexibly as part of a team.
• Careful and conscientious with an aptitude for attention to detail .
• Computer literate.
• Evidence of good written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness and ability to work flexibly when required.
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• Ability to organise and prioritise own workload.
• Understanding of confidentiality and data protection regulations.
• Helpful, caring and compassionate approach to others.
• Flexible and helpful attitude.
• Ability to adapt to change positively.
• Willingness to learn and develop.

Desirable

• Knowledge of EMIS computer system.

Experience

Essential

• Experience of team working.
• Experience of dealing with the public.

Desirable

• Experience of a GP practice setting.
• Previous experience of working as a Healthcare Assistant.

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

Shipston Medical Centre

Address

Shipston Medical Centre

Badgers Crescent

Shipston on Stour

Warwickshire

CV36 4BQ

Employer's website

https://www.shipstonmc.warwickshire.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)