Health Care Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Job Summary:

Under the supervision of the trained nurses and in accordance with practice guidelines and protocols, the HCA will assist the practice clinical team in the provision and delivery of patient care to all age groups.

Carry out investigations and treatments in accordance with practice policy and protocols

Maintain a safe and effective practice at all times and bring any deficits in care to the attention of the Nursing team so that they can be addressed

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Clinical responsibilities :

• Liaise with other health professional in the practice to ensure integrated care

Participate in delivery of enhanced services as required ensuring that all information is adequately captured according to agreed procedures

Ensure that current evidence based approaches to patient care are standard practice

Adhere to high standards of infection control measures when collecting and handling laboratory specimens, disposing of waste materials, dealing with blood and body fluids spillages and report and treat sharps injuries

Undertake diagnostic, health screening, health surveillance investigations as requested directed by the GPs or as part of an evidence based protocol

Undertake annual training and demonstrate competency in anaphylaxis and resuscitation techniques

Assisting in the assessment; surveillance and promotion of patients health and well being

Clinical duties :

Chronic disease reviews in accordance with agreed protocols

Phlebotomy & Capillary blood samples

ECG recording

Chaperoning duties

NHS health checks

HCA QoF reviews

Blood pressure, pulse and temperature recording

Ambulatory and home blood pressure monitoring includes organising appointments, recording and saving the results

Urinalysis

Processing Tquest and management of laboratory samples requested by GPs/nurses

Ordering supplies including drugs

Assisting with the collection and collation of data on needs related to health and well being

Administration of influenza vaccine, pneumovax and vitamin B 12 injections

Education and Training

• To develop her scope of professional practice in order to develop this role to meet the service requirements in accordance with professional guidelines
• Completion of Care Certificate or NVQ in care; this knowledge needs to be regularly updated
• Annual training for influenza vaccination administration
• Completion of mandatory training
• .Acknowledge own limitations

Professional responsibilities

• To assist in skill development and sharing best practice as part of initiatives to develop the nursing team and enhance wider service provision in the practice
• To ensure resources are utilised cost effectively. Contribute to identifying alternative, more cost effective resources

Act as a resource to the general public, patients within the healthcare system their families and carers.

Attendance of weekly practice nurse team and other practice meetings

• To comply with all Practice protocols, procedures, guidelines and policies
• To wear a uniform and name badge at all times which will be supplied by the Practice
• Participate in the writing of protocols relevant to their role

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.

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.
• To maintain concise accurate records both in written and IT formats

Communication

The HCA should recognise 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

Liaison

As well as the nursing and GP teams, there is a need to work closely with reception and administrative staff to ensure the smooth running of the practice.

There is also a need to establish and maintain good liaison with other healthcare agencies, as well as other organisations that contribute to the care of patients.

Meetings

It will be necessary to attend and contribute to various practice meetings as requested and to cascade information to appropriate team members as necessary, ensuring adequate lines of communication

Research

Co-operate and participate as required in any research projects within the Practice

Changes to Jobs

All staff are expected to undertake reasonable additional duties and responsibilities in order to meet the evolving service needs of the Practice. Changes should be made in consultation with staff. Variations to job descriptions can be a common occurrence and do not in themselves justify a reconsideration of the grading of a post.

Provide cover for absent colleagues if possible.

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

• Essential NVQ2 in Health and Social care or Care Certificate or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Essential qualified or experienced in phlebotomy
• Desirable NVQ3 in Health and Social care or Care Certificate or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Must be aware of the professional boundaries they are working to; be aware of their limitations and be able to assess their own competency.
• Be able to identify their own learning needs and highlights areas where they need further development

• The HCA must be an excellent communicator both verbally and in writing.
• The HCA must be able to relay clinical information clearly
• The post holder must be well presented and wear the uniform provided by the practice
• An understanding of confidentiality is required and the HCA needs to be sensitive when dealing with confidential matters.
• Must have basic computer skills preferably with a knowledge of System 1 clinical system
• Must be comfortable with following procedures, guidelines and protocols
• Should be personable, polite and patient
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and in fraught circumstances
• Needs to apply common sense when dealing with situations out of the norm
• Must be adaptable and comfortable dealing with changing priorities
• Be a good team member

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified to NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent

Desirable

• Qualified in Phlebotomy
• Qualified in NVQ level 3 in Health and Social Care or equivalent

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within a nursing team
• Experience of dealing with a wide range of patients
• NVQ3 in Health and Social care or Care Certificate or equivalent knowledge and experience
• Must be aware of the professional boundaries they are working to; be aware of their limitations and be able to assess their own competency.
• Be able to identify their own learning needs and highlights areas where they need further development
• The HCA must be an excellent communicator both verbally and in writing.
• The HCA must be able to relay clinical information clearly
• The post holder must be well presented and wear the uniform provided by the practice
• An understanding of confidentiality is required and the HCA needs to be sensitive when dealing with confidential matters.
• Must have basic computer skills preferably with a knowledge of System 1 clinical system
• Must be comfortable with following procedures, guidelines and protocols
• Should be personable, polite and patient
• Ability to remain calm under pressure and in fraught circumstances
• Needs to apply common sense when dealing with situations out of the norm
• Must be adaptable and comfortable dealing with changing priorities
• Be a good team member

Desirable

• Experience of working in primary care or a GP practice

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

Spinney Surgery

Address

Ramsey Road

St Ives

Huntingdon

PE28 4JJ

Employer's website

https://spinney-surgery.org.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)