Job responsibilities
Working under the direct supervision of the Practice
Nurses 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.
Working under the supervision of the
Practice Manager to perform administrative duties to meet the needs of the
practice.
Duties and
Responsibilities:
The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by the practice
healthcare assistant/administrator team may include any or all of the items in
the following list. Duties may be varied
from time to time under the directive of head of nursing/management team,
dependent on current and evolving practice workload and staffing levels:
New patient health checks
Phlebotomy
Spirometry
Chaperoning duties
Processing and management of
laboratory samples requested by GPs/Nurses
Vaccine storage, monitoring and
recording, maintaining the cold chain.
Surgical equipment and vaccine
re-stocking and stock rotation
Preparing and maintaining
environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions
including assisting GPs during the performance of minor operations
Assisting in the assessment and
surveillance of patients health and well-being
Undertaking specific clinical
activities for named patients that have been delegated and taught specifically
in relation to that individual
Performing assessment of patients
with chronic diseases as outlined by the Quality and Outcomes Framework and
referring patients as necessary to the supervising nurse or other registered
colleagues. Acting at all times within your own clinical competence.
Helping to raise awareness of health
and well-being and how it can be promoted
Assisting with the collection and
collation of data on needs related to health and well-being
Offer
general assistance to the practice team and project a positive and friendly
image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone
Opening up/locking-up of practice premises and maintaining
security in accordance with practice protocols
Taking messages and passing on information
Domiciliary visits
To cover reception during critical circumstances.
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 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 assist in promoting and maintaining their
own and others health, safety and security as defined in the practice Health
& Safety Policy, to include:
Using personal security systems within the workplace according
to practice guidelines
Identifying the risks involved in work activities and
undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work
areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
Reporting potential risks identified.
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 which 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.
Any
clinical duties within job description after appropriate training.
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 will strive to:
Communicate
effectively with other team members
Communicate
effectively with patients and carers
Recognize
peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond
accordingly.
Contribution
to the Implementation of Services:
The
post-holder will:
Apply
practice policies, standards and guidance
Discuss
with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will
affect own work
Participate
in audit where appropriate.
