Health Care Assistant - College Road Surgery

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities: (appropriate training will be given where the individual at appointment does not possess appropriate skills and qualifications).

• New patient health checks
• NHS Health Checks
• ECG recording
• ABPM
• Phlebotomy
• Influenza, Pneumococcal Vaccine
• Wound dressing
• Healthy life style advice
• Provision of clinical and administrative support in specified clinics
• Chaperoning duties
• Processing and management of laboratory samples requested by GPs/Nurses
• Vaccine/cold chain storage, monitoring and recording
• Ordering of clinical stock and stock control
• 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
• 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
• Participation in the development of administrative protocols.

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 implement and lead, with the support of GP Partners and the Practice Nurses on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others health and safety and infection control as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy and the practice Infection Control policy and published procedures. This will include (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines.
• 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, ordering, availability and on-going correct usage by staff
• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
• Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
• 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. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training
• Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
• Spillage control procedures, management and training
• Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
• Maintenance of sterile environments

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 the HCA training programme as agreed with the Partnership.
• 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 will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise 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, including CQC protocols.
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

POSTSCRIPT:This job description is intended to provide an outline of the key tasks and responsibilities only. There may be other duties required of the post-holder commensurate with the position. This description will be open to regular review and may be amended to take into account development within the Practice. All members of staff should be prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain the efficient running of the Practice. Any changes will be made in consultation with the post holder.

The practice operates a No Smoking Policy and is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• 5 GCSE or equivalent or above with other qualification
• IT qualification
• Good written English
• Keen and motivated to develop in primary care and may wish to go into nursing
• Demonstrable commitment to personal development

Knowledge

Essential

• Excellent communication skills
• Understanding of equal opportunity and diversity issues

Personal Qualities and attributes

Essential

• Pleasant and articulate
• Able to use own judgement, resourcefulness and common sense
• Able to work without direct supervision
• An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
• Wish to engage in personal development
• Flexible
• Self confidence and self awareness
• Clean UK driving license

Skills

Essential

• Appropriate word processing/data collection/IT skills
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills
• Good telephone manner
• Time management and ability to prioritise workload
• Common sense

Desirable

• Experience of use of a medical software package
• Proven record of effective use of networking and influencing skills
• Ability to think strategically
• Experience of presenting information to wider audience

Experience

Essential

• Working experience of 5 years duration post leaving school
• Evidence of working autonomously and as part of a team

Desirable

• Interpreting and implementing local and National policy agendas for health
• Experience in some area of healthcare work
• Interest and qualification in a distinct area of clinical medicine, in particular paediatrics

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

Our Health Partnership

Address

College Road Surgery

452 College Road

Birmingham

B44 0HL

Employer's website

https://ourhealthpartnership.com/ (Opens in a new tab)