Healthcare Assistant (HCA)
Faversham Medical Practice
This job is now closed
Job summary
We are looking for Health Care Assistants (full or part time) to work with our friendly and supportive team at Faversham Medical Practice.
Health Care Assistant (Agenda For Change - Band 3)
These positions will require working weekends and Bank Holidays due to our Urgent Treatment Centre being open 7 days a week 8am to 8pm.
Main duties of the job
Working under the direct supervision of the Nurse Lead 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.
About us
We are a GP Practice and Urgent Treatment Centre working from Faversham Health Centre.
We are a friendly and supportive team.
Date posted
03 December 2021
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 3
Salary
£20,330 to £21,777 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Flexible working
Reference number
A0646-21-1416
Job locations
Faversham Health Centre
Bank Street
Faversham
Kent
ME13 8QR
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job summary:
Working under the direct supervision of the Nurse Lead 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:
New patient health checks
Ear irrigation
Blood pressure recording
24-hour blood pressure - fitting and removal of machine
Glucose tolerance testing
ECG recording
24-hour ECG
Phlebotomy
Spirometry and reversibility
Urine tests
Chaperone duties
Administer B12 injections
Administer pneumococcal injections
Administer influenza vaccinations to adults under a patient specific direction
NHS Health Checks
Simple dressings
Smoking cessation advice
Height and weight measurements
Diabetic foot checks
Warfarin testing
Skin scrapes
Take observations of patients attending the Urgent Treatment Centre.
ECG recordings, plastering and simple dressings in the Urgent Treatment Centre.
Assist the Urgent Care Practitioners with clinical tasks as trained.
Process and manage of laboratory samples requested by GPs/nurses
Maintain surgical equipment
Vaccine/cold chain storage, monitoring and recording
Restock surgical equipment and vaccine and stock rotation
Clear and re-stock consulting rooms
To Maintain and order drugs, instruments and clinical supplies.
Prepare and maintain environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions including assisting GPs during the performance of minor operations
Assist 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
Perform other clinical tasks as trained and agreed to meet the needs of the practice and the Urgent Treatment Centre.
Undertake home visits.
Perform administrative tasks to meet the needs the needs of the practice and the Urgent Treatment Centre.
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 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 ongoing correct usage by staff
Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
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 (minimum twice annually)
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
Safeguarding:
It is the responsibility of all staff at Faversham Medical Practice to;
Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
Ensure their safeguarding adults and safeguarding children training is up to date at the level appropriate to their role.
Ensure the safeguarding policies and procedures in place within the Practice are adhered to during employment.
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 people’s 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
Quality:
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
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 team’s 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 people’s 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
Housekeeping duties
The post-holder will:
Serve refreshments, clean and tidy away afterwards.
Ensure premises are kept clean and tidy between visits from cleaning staff.
Replace and maintain indoor plants. Tidy and sort toys, magazines, leaflets etc.
It is important that all members of staff are prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain the efficient running of the practice. The Partners reserve the right to redistribute duties and functions among members of staff from time to time, and requests for such changes shall not be reasonably refused.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job summary:
Working under the direct supervision of the Nurse Lead 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:
New patient health checks
Ear irrigation
Blood pressure recording
24-hour blood pressure - fitting and removal of machine
Glucose tolerance testing
ECG recording
24-hour ECG
Phlebotomy
Spirometry and reversibility
Urine tests
Chaperone duties
Administer B12 injections
Administer pneumococcal injections
Administer influenza vaccinations to adults under a patient specific direction
NHS Health Checks
Simple dressings
Smoking cessation advice
Height and weight measurements
Diabetic foot checks
Warfarin testing
Skin scrapes
Take observations of patients attending the Urgent Treatment Centre.
ECG recordings, plastering and simple dressings in the Urgent Treatment Centre.
Assist the Urgent Care Practitioners with clinical tasks as trained.
Process and manage of laboratory samples requested by GPs/nurses
Maintain surgical equipment
Vaccine/cold chain storage, monitoring and recording
Restock surgical equipment and vaccine and stock rotation
Clear and re-stock consulting rooms
To Maintain and order drugs, instruments and clinical supplies.
Prepare and maintain environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions including assisting GPs during the performance of minor operations
Assist 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
Perform other clinical tasks as trained and agreed to meet the needs of the practice and the Urgent Treatment Centre.
Undertake home visits.
Perform administrative tasks to meet the needs the needs of the practice and the Urgent Treatment Centre.
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 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 ongoing correct usage by staff
Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
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 (minimum twice annually)
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
Safeguarding:
It is the responsibility of all staff at Faversham Medical Practice to;
Safeguard and promote the welfare of children and vulnerable adults.
Ensure their safeguarding adults and safeguarding children training is up to date at the level appropriate to their role.
Ensure the safeguarding policies and procedures in place within the Practice are adhered to during employment.
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 people’s 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
Quality:
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
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 team’s 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 people’s 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
Housekeeping duties
The post-holder will:
Serve refreshments, clean and tidy away afterwards.
Ensure premises are kept clean and tidy between visits from cleaning staff.
Replace and maintain indoor plants. Tidy and sort toys, magazines, leaflets etc.
It is important that all members of staff are prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain the efficient running of the practice. The Partners reserve the right to redistribute duties and functions among members of staff from time to time, and requests for such changes shall not be reasonably refused.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Maths and English GCSE Grade C or above, or equivalent.
Desirable
- NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent
- 5 GCSEs to Grade C or above, or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a health care setting
Desirable
- Experience of working in a GP setting
- Experience of working as a Health Care Assistant
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Good organisational and time management skills
- Good team working skills
- Ability to work independently following verbal or written instructions
- Adaptable to change
- Basic IT skills
- Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
- Willingness to undergo education/training for both Practice and service needs
Desirable
- Skills in carrying out clinical procedures as listed under Duties and Responsibilities in the HCA Job Description
- Working knowledge of EMIS and Docman clinical IT systems
- Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
Qualities/Attributes
Essential
- An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
- Able to work under pressure and remain calm
- Flexible, adaptable and reliable
- Aware of own limitations
- Keen to develop skills
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Maths and English GCSE Grade C or above, or equivalent.
Desirable
- NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent
- 5 GCSEs to Grade C or above, or equivalent
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a health care setting
Desirable
- Experience of working in a GP setting
- Experience of working as a Health Care Assistant
Knowledge & Skills
Essential
- Good interpersonal and communication skills
- Good organisational and time management skills
- Good team working skills
- Ability to work independently following verbal or written instructions
- Adaptable to change
- Basic IT skills
- Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
- Willingness to undergo education/training for both Practice and service needs
Desirable
- Skills in carrying out clinical procedures as listed under Duties and Responsibilities in the HCA Job Description
- Working knowledge of EMIS and Docman clinical IT systems
- Competent in the use of Office and Outlook
Qualities/Attributes
Essential
- An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
- Able to work under pressure and remain calm
- Flexible, adaptable and reliable
- Aware of own limitations
- Keen to develop skills
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Additional information
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
Employer details
Employer name
Faversham Medical Practice
Address
Faversham Health Centre
Bank Street
Faversham
Kent
ME13 8QR
Employer's website
https://www.favershammedicalpractice.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
Employer details
Employer name
Faversham Medical Practice
Address
Faversham Health Centre
Bank Street
Faversham
Kent
ME13 8QR
Employer's website
https://www.favershammedicalpractice.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
For questions about the job, contact:
Dan Graves
Date posted
03 December 2021
Pay scheme
Agenda for change
Band
Band 3
Salary
£20,330 to £21,777 a year
Contract
Permanent
Working pattern
Flexible working
Reference number
A0646-21-1416
Job locations
Faversham Health Centre
Bank Street
Faversham
Kent
ME13 8QR
Supporting documents
Privacy notice
Faversham Medical Practice's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)