Job responsibilities
Title:Healthcare Assistant
Responsible To:Clinical Nurse Lead /
Clinical Team Manager
Main Purpose of the Post:
Working under the direct supervision of the Practice Nurses and
strictly in accordance with specific practice guidelines and protocols. The
Healthcare Assistant will
Assist Medical Personnel in the care of Practice Patients to include
treatment, preventative care, screening and patient education. The post will
also include some administrative duties.
Act as a focal point of communication between patients, doctors, nurses
and other members of the primary health care team.
Duties & Responsibilities of the Post:
Main Duties:
- New Registration health checks and assist in Health Promotion,
e.g. smoking cessation / health checks
- To perform ECGs as required.
- To undertake baseline observations - BP / Pulse / Temperature and
oxygen saturation as required on templates.
- To perform venepuncture
for patients and phlebotomy clinics
- To test urine specimens using appropriate equipment and record as
required.
- To ensure that specimens brought in by patients, or taken by
doctors or nurses, are ready for collection by pathology service
- Height / Weight / BMI monitoring
- Routine and 24 hour BP monitoring
- To be able to undertake basic wound care / dressings and to refer
patients to trained nursing colleagues where necessary for review.
- Cholesterol paperwork in accordance with surgery protocol /
guidelines
- Chaperoning duties.
- To assist in seasonal and special projects as required e.g. flu
and pneumonia campaigns
- B12 / Flu / Pneumonia / shingles injections this list is not
exhaustive, working to PSD and under the instruction of trained nursing
colleagues.
- Assist with minor operations and baby clinics.
- Assisting in the assessment, surveillance, promotion and
collection of data of patients health and well-being
- To assist stock lead for surgery in ensuring consulting rooms
maintain stocks of equipment / supplies.
- To ensure clinical areas, couches, fridges and work environments
are kept clean.
- Regular cleaning of medical equipment.
- Following training to perform other clinical tasks to meet the
needs of the practice.
- To provide support to the Nursing Team to allow them to function
effectively .
- Engage in both national and surgery screening programmes
- Work with Long Term Condition Nurses to monitor, educate and
provide ongoing assessments
Confidentiality:
As per both Government legislation and Practice Policies ensure that
all confidentiality, data protection and information governance policies and
guidelines are followed and strictly adhered to, reporting any infringements
to the Operations Office immediately.
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, the
practice Health & Safety manual, and the practice Infection Control
policy and published procedures. This will 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
- Actively reporting of health and safety
hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
- Keeping own work areas and general / patient
areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards
of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holders role
- Undertaking periodic infection control
training (minimum annually)
- Reporting potential risks identified
- Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and
promoting the welfare of children.
- 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 staff performance review.
- 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.
- Lead on induction and training of new staff at site
- 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/Information:
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective
communication within the practice and management 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
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies,
standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate
Any other
delegated duties considered appropriate to the post.
This job description is not intended to be
exhaustive, but to indicate the main areas of responsibility. It may be changed after consultation with
the post holder. The employee shares with the employer the responsibility for
review and modification of duties. Suggestions
and discussions are welcome.
Policies and
Procedures - the duties and responsibilities of the post will be undertaken
in accordance with the policies, procedures and practices of the Practice,
which may be amended from time to time. You are required to be flexible and
the practice reserves the right to alter such fixed hours as may be
considered necessary to ensure the surgery runs smoothly.
The business operates between the hours of 0700 2100 hours Monday to
Friday (0800 1300 Saturday), with possible requirement for some future
evening and weekend working as the business develops.
