Healthcare Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

For further information please refer to the job description and personal specification

To practice the Care Certificate and support junior staff to achieve the standards. Communicate with tact, empathy, overcome barriers to understanding e.g., patients with physical impairment, mental health conditions or learning disabilities.

Monitoring and recording patients vital signs (including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, oxygen saturation) and reporting any abnormal results to registered nursing staff. Assess comfort of patient and instigate emergency procedures.

Measuring and recording patients height and weight.

Role OverviewThe Healthcare Assistant is an integral member of the Outpatients Department, supporting the care of patients attending for clinical review, treatment, and follow-up. The post holder will work closely with consultants, nursing staff, and allied health professionals to deliver high standards of patient care.

In this fast-paced environment, the Healthcare Assistant will assist with both clinical and administrative duties as delegated by registered nursing staff. The role supports the coordination and management of patients attending the department for treatment and medical reviews, contributing to the efficient running of clinics and ensuring a positive patient experience.

Strong teamwork, flexibility, and effective communication are essential. The post holder will work collaboratively with the wider multidisciplinary team and will have opportunities to develop new skills and competencies under the supervision of the nursing team.Detailed Job Description and Main ResponsibilitiesFor further information on this role, please see the attached detailed Job Description and Person Specification.

Key responsibilities include:

Assisting consultants and nursing staff with the smooth running of outpatient clinics.

Escorting and chaperoning patients where appropriate, ensuring patients feel safe, supported, and well informed during their visit.

Performing venepuncture, venous blood sampling, and cannulation in line with competency and Trust policy.

Undertaking clinical tasks relevant to patients attending OPD, following competency sign-off. This may include performing ECGs, urinalysis, MRSA screening swabs, recording allergies on the Electronic Patient Record (EPR), venepuncture, and cannulation.

Demonstrating an understanding of infection prevention and control principles, including attendance at mandatory training and adherence to Trust policies and procedures.

Taking responsibility for maintaining high standards of infection control practice and supporting a culture where safe practice is upheld and appropriately challenged when required.

Why Join Us

This role is essential to the smooth running of the Outpatients Department and offers a rewarding opportunity to contribute to the care of patients undergoing cancer treatment. You will join a dedicated team committed to delivering compassionate, high-quality care in a specialist setting.

If you are a motivated individual with a passion for patient care and a desire to make a meaningful difference to patients lives, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Venepuncture and cannulation

The Royal Marsden values diversity and is committed to the recruitment and retention of underrepresented minority groups. We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates and candidates with disabilities.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are working to create a workplace that enables all staff to reach their full potential. We are committed to this because we know that greater diversity and inclusion will lead to an even greater positive impact for the people we serve.

Due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close any adverts before the published closing date once we have received a sufficient number of applications. We advise you to submit your application as early as possible to prevent disappointment.

All applicants will be contacted by email to the address supplied on your application. Applicants are advised to check their email accounts regularly and to ensure that email filters are set to allow our emails.

The wellbeing of our staff and patients is of the upmost importance to us, and it is the expectation of The Royal Marsden that all patient-facing staff have an annual flu vaccination, provided free of charge by the Trust.

Person Specification

Education/Qualifications

Desirable

• NVQ in Health and Social Care Level 2, working towards Level 3

Education/Qualifications

Essential

• Completed Care Certificate
• Completed Care Certificate Demonstrable experience of working in a hospital setting
• Evidence of ongoing professional development

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a hospital setting for a duration long enough to have obtained relevant competencies for a Band 3 position. Experience of working with computers (keyboard skills, data entry)

Desirable

• Experience of working with oncology patients

Skills Abilities/knowledge

Essential

• Clinical skills (e.g. phlebotomy etc.)
• Evidence of effective interpersonal skills
• Evidence of good organisational skills
• Self-motivated to work under minimal supervision
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Good communication skills, written and verbal
• Patience and understanding of patient's needs Ability to remain calm and demonstrate tact and diplomacy whilst under pressure
• Evidence of commitment to customer care initiatives
• Awareness of the importance of patient confidentiality
• Literacy and numeracy skills
• Awareness of health and safety at work (e.g. Manual Handling skills, Infection Control measures)
• Ability to use own initiative

Desirable

• Understanding of working with patients who are critically and chronically ill
• Venepuncture and cannulation

Other Requirements

Essential

• Flexibility to meet the needs of the service (e.g. shift work)
• Able to work on both sites and to be flexible to meet the needs of the role

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

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Royal Marsden Chelsea

Chelsea

SW3 6JJ

Employer's website

https://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk/working-royal-marsden (Opens in a new tab)