Job description

Job responsibilities

Cambs GP Network are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic Healthcare Assistant to support the practice nursing team in the delivery of nursing services, working as part of the practice multidisciplinary team, delivering care within their scope of practice to the entitled patient population.

The healthcare assistant will deliver and assist clinical staff in the provision of treatment, preventative care, health promotion and patient education.

Job RESPONSIBILITIES:

Clinical Responsibilities:

The following are the core responsibilities of the healthcare assistant. There may be on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks; this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

• Undertake new patient and NHS health checks
• Support and deliver the provision of health promotion programmes
• Carry out baseline observations such as pulse oximetry, blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate and accurately documenting these
• Facilitate routine and 24-hour BP monitoring, providing appropriate advice in line with practice and national policies
• Undertake basic wound care, suture removal and dressings and other clinical tasks as required
• Support the practice nurse with the management of chronic disease clinics
• Carry out BMI checks as directed
• Act as a chaperone as required
• Undertake venepuncture
• Administer flu vaccinations and other injections (Ie B12), under PSDs
• Carry out ECGs as requested
• Carry out ABPIs as requested
• Ensure specimens are recorded and ready for onward transportation
• Ensure all clinical rooms are adequately stocked and prepared for each session
• Ensure fridges are checked and cleaned regularly, in line with current schedules
• Undertake stock checks on expiry dates and quantities whilst ensuring stock is appropriately rotated
• Ensure clinical waste is removed from clinical areas and sharps bins replaced in accordance with the practice IPC policy

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 patients needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Quality Assurance:

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

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

Team Working:

• Work as an effective and responsible HCA, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working
• Delegate appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence of nursing team

Confidentiality:

• While 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, CGPN staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to CGPN 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 CGPN may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with CGPN 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 CGPN Health & Safety Policy, to include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to CGPN guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• 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

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 recognises the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with CGPN 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.

This role description is intended as a basic guide to the responsibilities of the post and is not exhaustive and may be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent (The Care Certificate)

Desirable

• NVQ Level 3 or 4 in Health and Social Care or equivalent

Other

Essential

• Valid UK Driving License
• Flexibility
• Enthusiastic
• Team player

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working as a health care assistant
• Trained and competent in Venepuncture
• Trained and competent in ECGs
• Taking and documenting vital signs (Ie Pulse/BP/BMI)
• Wound care including suture/stitch removal
• Trained and competent in Urinalysis
• Understand the requirements for PSDs and associated policy
• Understanding of vaccine cold chain and temperature monitoring
• SystmOne User

Desirable

• Experience of working as a health care assistant in a general practice setting
• Trained and competent in carrying out NHS health checks
• Trained and competent in carrying out ABPIs
• Administering injections under patient specific directions (PSDs) Ie flu
• Trained and competent in carrying out Diabetic foot checks

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Excellent communication skills
• Strong IT skills
• Effective time management
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• Polite and confident
• Motivated and forward thinking
• Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure
• Commitment to ongoing professional development

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

Cambridgeshire GP Network Ltd

Address

Maple Surgery

Hanover Close

Bar Hill

Cambridge

CB23 8EH

United Kingdom

Employer's website

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