Support Worker - Radiotherapy

Job description

Job responsibilities

Communication Skills

Provides support to the department by ensuring accurate recording of treatment and planning data, organising and scheduling patient appointments, greeting and escorting patients and assisting patients with appointment queries.

To assist and support radiotherapy staff to support the patients' physical, clinical and emotional needs whilst attending. This includes care of post-operative patients, changing dressings, tracheostomy support, and working with patients that have communication difficulties due to their condition.

Provides and receives routine information using tact, empathetic and reassurance skills towards patients and carers.

Liaises between all Christie radiotherapy centers, host sites and community where appropriate

Knowledge, training and experience

Uses knowledge of integrated clinical information system for case note tracking and collating of data for referrals.

Data input and radiotherapy completion tasks

Where applicable, provides retrieval of medical documents for clinical information including those from other Trusts

Complies with policies, procedures, rules, regulations and departmental protocols.

Working under the direction of the medical team to undertake routine and specifically identified tasks once training and competencies have been completed. Although not exhaustive this will include, patient observations, phlebotomy, cannulation, taking Glucometer readings and changing simple dressings.

Personal Skills

Liaises with the multi-disciplinary team to ensure that adequate information and support is available to patients.

Produces departmental statistics using appropriate systems, ensuring submission within given deadlines.

Uses analytical skills to make judgments on patient situations such as deciding when issues need to be escalated and support provided.

Cover the reception desk as needed, answering internal or external telephone calls.

Maintain accurate patient details in all the Christie patient systems, following the correct procedures for recording of information to ensure information is up to date for future reference and complies with the data protection act.

Planning and Organisation

Triage and management of booking forms, booking and scheduling of radiotherapy planning and treatment across all sites

Books patient transport where applicable and deals with transport queries

Booking and scheduling of physiotherapy and complimentary therapy and support services on site

Produce daily Clinic lists from patient management system to cover all clinics held in radiotherapy areas.

Using patient management system, ensure all radiotherapy appointments are recorded on Medway.

Where appropriate use the Medway system to locate case notes for patients attending for Radiotherapy clinics, out-patient clinics or treatment.

Responsibilities

Is responsible for stock control in areas of work.

Is responsible for the production and processing of all relevant completion letters following a patient's treatment.

Creation of Follow up letters on patient's treatment completion.

Pre-treatment imaging support

Prepares patients for diagnostic procedures.

Provide continuity of support during the absence of other clinical support workers, and booking team members

Clinical and clerical support for all clinics in the Christie network, including AHP services.

Organisation and provision of relevant medical equipment, used in applicable clinics, including sterilisation.

Patient Care:

Undertakes a range of different delegated duties across the Radiotherapy Department as allocated by the relevant line manager. Will record patient information and data and contribute to the implementation of patients clinical care packages.

Freedom to Act

Will be required to utilise own initiative but work within defined SOPS, Procedures and Policies. When there is doubt or the post holder is unsure then there will be more senior members of staff available to raise issues with and receive guidance from.

Effort

Patient transfer

Manual handling tasks as required

Working Conditions

Working hours must be flexible to the needs of the service, this may include working weekends.

Expected to participate in all shift patterns

Teaching/Training

Attends all relevant mandatory training courses

Maintains own personal development

Participate in relevant training, meetings and work at The Christie Withington site and other satellites within the network as required.

Assists in the training and/or orientation of clinical support worker and any other students.

Complete Christie Care Certificate as mandated by the Trust.

Required to demonstrate tasks and duties to new and less experienced members of the team.

This is not an exhaustive list and additional duties may be required as requested by the lead radiographer/ principal radiographer.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to GCSE level in Maths and English or equivalent qualification
• Vocational Healthcare Qualification at level 3 or willingness to work towards

Desirable

• Completion of Care Certificate or willingness to work towards

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a customer service or patient related environment
• Experience of undertaking administrative duties

Desirable

• Experience of working in a clinical environment within the NHS
• Experience of undertaking clinical duties including venepuncture, observations, ECG recording and wound dressing changes
• Experience of using multiple healthcare IT systems

Skills

Essential

• Effective communication and Customer/patient care skills
• Able to work using own initiative, following instructions from a Registered professional and line management
• Ability to demonstrate and share care skills to more junior health care support workers

Desirable

• Phlebotomy/Cannulation skills
• ECG Recording and Observation recording
• Wound dressing skills

Knowledge

Essential

• Understanding of the healthcare support worker role in an Outpatient setting
• IT Literate

Desirable

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications
• Evidence of recent training
• Previous experience of Oncology patient management systems

Values

Essential

• Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours

Desirable

• Committed to delivering high standards of patient care
• Empathetic and caring
• Professional outlook and positive attitude
• Honest and trustworthy-team player
• Dedicated and enthusiastic
• Ability to keep up to date with own competencies and keen to learn new clinical and administrative skills
• Ability to concentrate during unpredictable and busy work patterns
• Comfortable being exposed to distressing and/or emotional circumstances and situations

Other

Essential

• Able to work shift patterns and Bank Holidays

Desirable

• Flexibility within working hours

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 Christie NHS FT

Address

Radiotherapy Salford - E00081

Salford

M6 8HD

Employer's website

https://www.christie.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)