Job summary
Job Title: Healthcare Assistant
Responsible to: Patient Services Manager
Location: Alliance Medical Group
Salary: £25,646.01 per annum (pro rata for part time)
Contract Type: Permanent
Hours: Part-time, 20 hours per week
33 days annual leave + bank holidays, pension and additional employee benefits
Main duties of the job
In Sunderland, we have a vision to develop
healthcare thats fit for the future.
Sunderland GP Alliance, a non-for-profit organisation owned by the
citys GPs and representing over 250,000 patients, is part of that vision. Over the last few years, we have strived to
improve services for patients and staff, developing and implementing ambulatory
ECG, the management of post-bariatric services in the community, decision
making and referral support software for GPs, a clinical pharmacy service for
thirteen member practices, and post discharge clinics that reduce the administration
burden on surgeries.
We are looking for a dedicated and dynamic HCA with
a strong team ethos to join our team to further enhance our nursing complement.
Sunderland GP Alliance Medical Practice is one
Practice which operates over 4 sites (Galleries, Barmston, Silksworth and South
Hylton). We pride ourselves in providing a supportive and motivating
environment for our staff and believe that getting our work-life balance right,
creates a happy, healthy and creative team
We
use EMISWEB as our clinical information system.
About us
For a second year in a row Sunderland GP Alliance has been listed in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work and Better Health At Work - Gold Award, offering 33 days annual leave and other benefits
Sunderland GP Alliance is owned by the GP Practices of Sunderland and helps GPs work collaboratively for the benefit of patients and staff. We are a not-for-profit organisation, ensuring any surplus is reinvested back into better services for patients.
By working together, our General Practice community is able to provide innovative services across the city, and work collectively with other key system partners. You'll find great examples of this approach across our website including information on our Enhanced Access service, Clinical Pharmacist provision, and ECG service.
We also run a number of practices where we aim to provide the best possible services for patients. All of our practices (where inspected) have been rated as Good by the Care Quality Commission.
Job description
Job responsibilities
-
To work in a supported learning environment to
develop the skills and knowledge required for a Healthcare role in General
Practice.
-
To develop skills to assist medical and nursing
staff in the care of practice patients to include treatment, preventive care,
screening and patient education. The
post will include administrative duties as part of the role.
-
Working under the indirect supervision of a
qualified nurse and strictly in accordance with specific practice guidelines
and protocols, undertake tasks and duties delegated by the General Practitioner
or qualified nurse.
-
To attend the relevant courses and study days
required to fulfil the role.
-
To gain knowledge and skills whilst working
alongside an experienced nurse mentor
-
To provide nursing treatments to patients
independently or in participation with nurse colleagues and general
practitioners with reference to agreed protocols and guidelines.
-
To provide general and specific health screenings to the practice
patients (within agreed protocols and guidelines) with referral to general
practitioners or other health professionals as necessary
Clinical Practice
-
To provide phlebotomy as required in accordance to
training and procedure
-
To take ear, throat and skin swabs as directed by
the practice nurse or GP
-
To take physiological measurements for patients
including blood pressure, pulse rate and rhythm, temperature, height and weight
(body mass index), visual acuity, urinalysis and ECG in the surgery and or at
home (if required)
-
Undertake new patient health checks, peak flow
measurement, spirometry, FeNO assessment, suture and clip removal (as per
practice policy) change simple dressings and carry out other tasks for which
you have received appropriate training.
-
To fit 24 hours BP machine as directed and in
accordance with training and procedure
-
To provide adult immunisations such as Flu
Pneumonia Vit B12 in accordance to training and procedure
-
Assist as per practice policy GPs undertaking minor
surgery
-
Prepare and maintain environments and equipment before, during and after patient
interventions
-
Clearing and restocking of consulting/treatment
rooms, including timely order of stock items under your control
-
Assist in raising awareness of health and
well-being by participating in patient health promotion
-
Give accurate and appropriate information within
own competence
-
Ensure that anomalies are reported to a senior
member of the clinical team
-
Notify the Practice nurse or GP of any significant
patient issues
Communication
-
Demonstrate sensitive communication styles to
ensure patients are fully informed, understand and consent to treatment and
intervention
-
Communicate sensitively and support patients who
have received bad news
-
Communicate effectively with patients and carers,
recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome
different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of
communicating
-
Anticipate barriers to communication and take
action to improve communication
-
Establish and maintain effective and timely
communication with individuals and groups within the practice environment and
with external stakeholders
-
Act as an advocate when representing patients and
colleagues
Delivering A Quality Service
-
Recognise and work within own competence
-
Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a
manner that maintains and promotes quality
-
Work with the team to deliver care according to
NICE guidelines, evidence-based care and local policy
-
Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self
and peer review, shared learning and formal evaluation including annual
appraisal and revalidation
-
Be aware of NHS policies and initiatives relevant
to areas of practice and work with the practice team to respond to these and
develop patient services
-
Engage in the use of the audit cycle and patient
feedback mechanisms as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self
and the team
-
Understand responsibilities and legal requirements
relating to confidentiality and data protection; these are outlined in the
practice policy on confidentiality and must be adhered to at all times
-
Be aware of Duty of Candour and appropriate
behaviours regarding this within the practice
-
Understand and apply policies that support the
identification of vulnerable children and adults, being aware of statutory
child/vulnerable adult health procedures and local guidance on Safeguarding
-
Work within policies regarding domestic violence,
vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviour
-
Manage and assess risk within the areas of
responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and
patients
-
Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are
safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security
legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines
Leadership, Development and Training
-
Take responsibility for own development and
performance; assessing own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate
-
Make effective use of learning opportunities within
and outside the workplace, evaluating their effectiveness and feeding back
relevant information to the wider practice team
-
Participate in planning and implementing changes
within the areas of care and responsibility
-
Provide an educational role to patients, carers and
families
-
Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance
and provide information in an acceptable format to all patients, recognising
any difficulties and referring where appropriate.
-
Undertake mandatory and statutory training
requirements
-
Promote the role of the HCA in the provision of
care
Team Working
-
Understand own role and scope, and identify how
this may develop over time
-
Work as an effective and responsible team member,
supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working
-
Ensure clear referral mechanisms are in place to
meet patient need
-
Participate in team activities that create
opportunities to improve patient care
-
Participate in and support local projects as agreed
with the practice management team
Utilising Information and IT Systems
-
Use technology as an aid to management in planning,
implementation and monitoring, presenting and communicating information
(EMISWEB, NHS Mail and local intranet system)
-
Review and process data using accurate Read codes
and local templates to ensure easy and accurate retrieval for monitoring and
audit processes
-
Manage information searches using the internet and
local library databases, for example, the retrieval of relevant information for
patients on their condition
-
Understand the responsibility of self and others
regarding the Data Protection Act and confidentiality
Confidentiality
-
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. 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 Alliance may only be divulged to authorized persons in
accordance with the Alliances 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 Alliances Health & Safety
Policy to include:
-
Identifying the
risk involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that
manages those risks.
-
Ensuring that all
accidents or dangerous accidents are reported and investigated and follow up
action taken where necessary.
Equality and Diversity
The
post-holder will support the quality, 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 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-judgemental and
respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights.
Quality
The
post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Alliance, 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 enhanced 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.
-
Recognise peoples
needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
Job description
Job responsibilities
-
To work in a supported learning environment to
develop the skills and knowledge required for a Healthcare role in General
Practice.
-
To develop skills to assist medical and nursing
staff in the care of practice patients to include treatment, preventive care,
screening and patient education. The
post will include administrative duties as part of the role.
-
Working under the indirect supervision of a
qualified nurse and strictly in accordance with specific practice guidelines
and protocols, undertake tasks and duties delegated by the General Practitioner
or qualified nurse.
-
To attend the relevant courses and study days
required to fulfil the role.
-
To gain knowledge and skills whilst working
alongside an experienced nurse mentor
-
To provide nursing treatments to patients
independently or in participation with nurse colleagues and general
practitioners with reference to agreed protocols and guidelines.
-
To provide general and specific health screenings to the practice
patients (within agreed protocols and guidelines) with referral to general
practitioners or other health professionals as necessary
Clinical Practice
-
To provide phlebotomy as required in accordance to
training and procedure
-
To take ear, throat and skin swabs as directed by
the practice nurse or GP
-
To take physiological measurements for patients
including blood pressure, pulse rate and rhythm, temperature, height and weight
(body mass index), visual acuity, urinalysis and ECG in the surgery and or at
home (if required)
-
Undertake new patient health checks, peak flow
measurement, spirometry, FeNO assessment, suture and clip removal (as per
practice policy) change simple dressings and carry out other tasks for which
you have received appropriate training.
-
To fit 24 hours BP machine as directed and in
accordance with training and procedure
-
To provide adult immunisations such as Flu
Pneumonia Vit B12 in accordance to training and procedure
-
Assist as per practice policy GPs undertaking minor
surgery
-
Prepare and maintain environments and equipment before, during and after patient
interventions
-
Clearing and restocking of consulting/treatment
rooms, including timely order of stock items under your control
-
Assist in raising awareness of health and
well-being by participating in patient health promotion
-
Give accurate and appropriate information within
own competence
-
Ensure that anomalies are reported to a senior
member of the clinical team
-
Notify the Practice nurse or GP of any significant
patient issues
Communication
-
Demonstrate sensitive communication styles to
ensure patients are fully informed, understand and consent to treatment and
intervention
-
Communicate sensitively and support patients who
have received bad news
-
Communicate effectively with patients and carers,
recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome
different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of
communicating
-
Anticipate barriers to communication and take
action to improve communication
-
Establish and maintain effective and timely
communication with individuals and groups within the practice environment and
with external stakeholders
-
Act as an advocate when representing patients and
colleagues
Delivering A Quality Service
-
Recognise and work within own competence
-
Prioritise, organise and manage own workload in a
manner that maintains and promotes quality
-
Work with the team to deliver care according to
NICE guidelines, evidence-based care and local policy
-
Assess effectiveness of care delivery through self
and peer review, shared learning and formal evaluation including annual
appraisal and revalidation
-
Be aware of NHS policies and initiatives relevant
to areas of practice and work with the practice team to respond to these and
develop patient services
-
Engage in the use of the audit cycle and patient
feedback mechanisms as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self
and the team
-
Understand responsibilities and legal requirements
relating to confidentiality and data protection; these are outlined in the
practice policy on confidentiality and must be adhered to at all times
-
Be aware of Duty of Candour and appropriate
behaviours regarding this within the practice
-
Understand and apply policies that support the
identification of vulnerable children and adults, being aware of statutory
child/vulnerable adult health procedures and local guidance on Safeguarding
-
Work within policies regarding domestic violence,
vulnerable adults, substance abuse and addictive behaviour
-
Manage and assess risk within the areas of
responsibility, ensuring adequate measures are in place to protect staff and
patients
-
Monitor work areas and practices to ensure they are
safe and free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security
legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines
Leadership, Development and Training
-
Take responsibility for own development and
performance; assessing own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate
-
Make effective use of learning opportunities within
and outside the workplace, evaluating their effectiveness and feeding back
relevant information to the wider practice team
-
Participate in planning and implementing changes
within the areas of care and responsibility
-
Provide an educational role to patients, carers and
families
-
Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance
and provide information in an acceptable format to all patients, recognising
any difficulties and referring where appropriate.
-
Undertake mandatory and statutory training
requirements
-
Promote the role of the HCA in the provision of
care
Team Working
-
Understand own role and scope, and identify how
this may develop over time
-
Work as an effective and responsible team member,
supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working
-
Ensure clear referral mechanisms are in place to
meet patient need
-
Participate in team activities that create
opportunities to improve patient care
-
Participate in and support local projects as agreed
with the practice management team
Utilising Information and IT Systems
-
Use technology as an aid to management in planning,
implementation and monitoring, presenting and communicating information
(EMISWEB, NHS Mail and local intranet system)
-
Review and process data using accurate Read codes
and local templates to ensure easy and accurate retrieval for monitoring and
audit processes
-
Manage information searches using the internet and
local library databases, for example, the retrieval of relevant information for
patients on their condition
-
Understand the responsibility of self and others
regarding the Data Protection Act and confidentiality
Confidentiality
-
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. 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 Alliance may only be divulged to authorized persons in
accordance with the Alliances 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 Alliances Health & Safety
Policy to include:
-
Identifying the
risk involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that
manages those risks.
-
Ensuring that all
accidents or dangerous accidents are reported and investigated and follow up
action taken where necessary.
Equality and Diversity
The
post-holder will support the quality, 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 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-judgemental and
respects their circumstances, feelings, priorities and rights.
Quality
The
post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Alliance, 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 enhanced 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.
-
Recognise peoples
needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to maintain clear, concise records
- IT skills Microsoft based
Desirable
- Experience of working as a HCA in a primary care environment
- Working with EMIS
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ 2 in Healthcare or Health associated equivalent qualification
- Literacy and Numeracy Grade C or above
- Relevant qualification in venepuncture
Desirable
- NVQ 3 in Healthcare Care Certificate
- Immunisations certificate
- NHS Health Check Training
- Ear Irrigation Training
- Smoking Cessation Training
Motivation and Skills
Essential
- Effective time management
- Reliable
- Ability to work as part of a team and autonomously
- Ability to follow clinical policies and procedures
- Caring and compassionate approach to patient care
- Ability to work flexibly
Other
Essential
- Disclosure Barring Service Check
Desirable
- Car driver with appropriate license
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in a healthcare setting
- Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to maintain clear, concise records
- IT skills Microsoft based
Desirable
- Experience of working as a HCA in a primary care environment
- Working with EMIS
Qualifications
Essential
- NVQ 2 in Healthcare or Health associated equivalent qualification
- Literacy and Numeracy Grade C or above
- Relevant qualification in venepuncture
Desirable
- NVQ 3 in Healthcare Care Certificate
- Immunisations certificate
- NHS Health Check Training
- Ear Irrigation Training
- Smoking Cessation Training
Motivation and Skills
Essential
- Effective time management
- Reliable
- Ability to work as part of a team and autonomously
- Ability to follow clinical policies and procedures
- Caring and compassionate approach to patient care
- Ability to work flexibly
Other
Essential
- Disclosure Barring Service Check
Desirable
- Car driver with appropriate license
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.
