Job description

Job responsibilities

St James Practice

Job Description

Health Care Assistant

Title: Health Care Assistant

Line Manager: Practice Manager / GP Partners

Purpose: To assist the GPs and practice nurse team in the service delivery and management of patients.

Overview of responsibilities

• Establish and maintain communication with a range of people on a range of matters in a form that is appropriate to them and the situation.
• Monitor and maintain health, safety and security of self and others.
• Contribute to the improvement of services.
• Maintain quality in own work and encourage others to do the same.
• Support equality and value diversity, identifying when own or others behaviour undermines equality and diversity.

• Plan, develop, implement and assess approaches to promote health and well-being
• Recognise and report situations where there might be a need for protection

Specific Responsibilities

Clinical Skills

• Undertake record and follow guidelines for the tasks for which you have received appropriate training.
• Urinalysis and preparation of specimens for investigation by the pathology laboratory.
• Measuring and recording:- blood pressure pulse rate and rhythm temperature height and weight

Body mass index

- NHS Health Check

- Diabetic foot checks

• Prepare and maintain environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions.
• Ensure GPs rooms and clinical treatment rooms are clean and well stocked.
• Undertake 2nd dressing procedures following local recommendations, complying with infection control principles and practice.
• Give accurate and appropriate information to patients and groups within own competence.
• Checking calibration Cleaning of equipment.
• Plan, develop and implement ways of raising and promoting awareness of health and well-being, keeping records of what has been done.
• Provide support and encouragement to patients to self manages their conditions as appropriate.
• Administer influenza, pneumococcal and Vitamin B12 vaccinations ( once training completed )
• Remove sutures and clips.
• Weight management after training and competence assessment
• Pre diabetic reviews.
• Undertake foot checks for people with diabetes after full training and assessment of competence.
• Assist GPs in clinics when requested.
• Act as a chaperone, when requested.
• Record information and activities undertaken with patients and carers in an accurate and timely fashion using manual or computer systems and Read codes.

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 must 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 and Security

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, to 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.

• Be able to identify the risks of health of microbiological and chemical hazards within the working environment according to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health.

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.

Reporting potential risks identified.

• Understand apply the principles of the cold chain
• Ensure safe storage, rotation and disposal of vaccines and drugs within area of responsibility.
• Know the general principles of first aid and resuscitation to be able to undertake initial actions as appropriate.
• Be aware of statutory child health procedures, statutory local guidance and referral criteria.

Communication

The post-holder should recognise 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.

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.
• Demonstrate 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.

Equality and Diversity

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:-

Acting a way that recognises 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.

N.B. This job description is a reflection of the current position and the post holder should expect that it may be subject to variation from time to time.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working within a nursing and HCA team
• Experience of dealing with vulnerable patients.
• Clinical
• - NHS Health checks.
• -Vaccinations
• - ECG
• - Diabetic Foot checks
• - BP check/ BP monitoring
• - Height/weight monitoring
• - New patient health checks in accordance with the practice procedure
• - Vaccinations (under instruction of Medical Practitioner).
• - Wound Care Management.
• - Community based referrals and health promotion strategies.

Desirable

• Experience of working in primary care and using EMIS WEB
• Experience of working in a GP practice

Qualifications

Essential

• HCA EXPERIENCE MUST BE IN A GP PRACTICE
• Ideally you will have the HCA Care Certificates, HCA skills and competency in ECG, NHS Health Check and working with patients with long term condition such as diabetes, although training will be offered to the right candidate.

Desirable

• NHS HEALTH CHECKS
• Diabetic Foot Checks
• Qualified in Phlebotomy
• Qualified to NVQ level 3
• GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths
• Qualified to NVQ level 2 in Health and Social Care

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

St James’s Practice

Address

138 Croydon Road

Beckenham

Kent

BR3 4DG