Health Care Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

Duties and responsibilities:

Working under the direct supervision of the senior practice nurse 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 including but not limited to:

New patient health checks

ECG recording

Phlebotomy

Spirometry

Chaperoning duties

Processing and management of laboratory samples requested by GPs/nurses

Sterilising, cleansing and maintenance of surgical equipment

Vaccine/cold chain storage, monitoring and recording

Surgical equipment and vaccine re-stocking and stock rotation

Clearing and re-stocking consulting rooms

Preparing and maintaining environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions, including assisting GPs during the performance of minor operations

Assisting 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 urinalysis

Measuring and accurately recording patient blood pressure

Measuring and accurately recording patient height and weight measurement

Giving appropriate and predetermined advice and guidance to patients on healthy eating and living

Undertaking electrocardiograms and downloading the results onto the computer and in to the patients electronic record

Undertaking phlebotomy procedures

Prepare all equipment and facilities and assist with minor surgical procedures

Act as a clinician chaperone at the request of patients or clinicians

To develop and maintain relationships with the patient, families, carers or their advocates

To report any problems/changes/complaints concerning the practice and the quality of medical care provided to patients to the Practice Manager

Input and code patient clinical information in to the practice clinical system

Ensure relevant nGMS prompts for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) are coded and recorded appropriately

Report any changes in a patients condition to a Registered Nurse or Doctor

Maintain your personal development profile

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 their own and others health and safety and infection control 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 (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

Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 that 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

Review and Approval

All employees are entitled to have at least an annual job and development review with their line manager, which will include drawing up a personal development plan and reviewing the job description.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Essential Criteria:
• Qualified in Phlebotomy
• Experience in undertaking ECGs, blood pressure, urinalysis/samples
• Good general education to GCSE standard or equivalent
• Experience within a health care setting
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Good organisational and teamworking skills
• Effective time management
• Ability to work independently
• Computer literate
• Understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality
• Able to work under pressure and keep calm
• Be Flexible and adaptable
• Full Driving Licence

Desirable

• Desirable Criteria:
• Experience in Primary Care
• Knowledge of System One clinical system
• Basic First aid knowledge
• Health & Safety Awareness

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 Blackmore Vale Partnership

Address

Sturminster Newton Medical Centre

Old Market Hill

Sturminster Newton

Dorset

DT10 1QU

Employer's website

https://blackmorevalesurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)