Healthcare Assistant (HCA)

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 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

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

Housekeeping duties

The post-holder will:

• Serve refreshments, clean and tidy away afterwards. Defrost fridge if appropriate.
• Ensure premises are kept clean and tidy between visits from cleaning staff.
• Replace and maintain indoor plants. Tidy and sort toys, magazines, leaflets etc. Discard old or damaged items.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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)