Job responsibilities
Job Description
Healthcare
Assistant
Location: Copeland
Hours: Negotiable, Various available
Salary: Dependant on experience
Responsible to: Lead Nurse for
Copeland
Job Summary
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. They will work collaboratively with the general practice team to meet the
needs of patients, following policy and procedures.
Clinical & Administrative duties:
Phlebotomy
NHS Health Checks
To carry out calibration of Health Check
Machine in line with national protocol Liaison with Practice Manager
QOF long term condition management - working
alongside Practice Nurse for patient reviews, any areas of QOF appropriate to
role and at discretion of Practice Nurse, GP & Practice Manager
Blood-pressure checks
Urinalysis (Dip stick urines in line with our
urines policy liaising with Practice Nurse/GP)
Weight Management checks (where felt
appropriate by GP/Practice Nurse/Dietician)
Diabetes Foot checks as part of annual
Diabetes Reviews
Simple dressings (supported by Practice
Nurse)
ECG recording
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/joint injections where
appropriate
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 wellbeing
Any other clinical
or administrative duties in line with your individual skill set and felt
appropriate to this role
Vaccinations
NHS Health Checks
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 which is welcoming to and
of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings
priorities and right.
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. 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 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 and 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
Participate in audit where appropriate
Anything else deemed appropriate to
the role of Health Care Assistant.