Health Care Assistant - GP Practice

The HCA will regularly work without supervision on assigned tasks involving direct care in support of the registered nurses. These duties, working to agreed practice protocols, will include:

Aspects of new patient registration health checks and CVD risk assessment

Weight checks

Routine blood pressure monitoring

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Dealing with pathology samples either by sending to the pathology laboratory or testing in surgery as appropriate

Simple first aid

Influenza immunisations under Patient Group Direction

Dietary / lifestyle advice

INR monitoring

Assist and chaperone the doctors when required.

Phlebotomy (including paediatric)

Maintaining and ordering stock supplies

Assisting with data collection

Simple assessments eg. wheelchair assessments

Assisting with chronic disease call and recall systems

Assisting with audit

Ensure all appropriate information is entered on the patients computer record through the correct templates.

Assisting with claims for services relating to nursing and HCA care as required.

This role profile is intended to provide a broad outline of the main responsibilities only. Further possible patient care needs may arise for which the surgery will provide training for. The post holder will need to be flexible in developing the role to ensure business needs are satisfied.

JOB TITLE: HEALTHCARE ASSISTANT

REPORTS TO: SENIOR PRACTICE NURSE (Clinically)

PRACTICE MANAGER (Administratively)

HOURS: As per contract

LOCATION: Crown Street Surgery

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.

Duties and responsibilities (Clinical and Administrative) :

The HCA will regularly work without supervision on assigned tasks involving direct care in support of the registered nurses. These duties, working to agreed practice protocols, will include:

Aspects of new patient registration health checks and CVD risk assessment

Weight checks

Routine blood pressure monitoring

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring

Dealing with pathology samples either by sending to the pathology laboratory or testing in surgery as appropriate

Simple first aid

Influenza immunisations under Patient Group Direction

Dietary / lifestyle advice

INR monitoring

Assist and chaperone the doctors when required.

Phlebotomy (including paediatric)

Maintaining and ordering stock supplies

Assisting with data collection

Simple assessments eg. wheelchair assessments

Assisting with chronic disease call and recall systems

Assisting with audit

Ensure all appropriate information is entered on the patients computer record through the correct templates.

Assisting with claims for services relating to nursing and HCA care as required.

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

Ensure accurate notes of all consultations and treatments are recorded in the patients notes on the clinical computer system as appropriate.

Ensure accurate completion of all necessary documentation associated with patient health care and registration with the practice/s.

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 and local 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

Crown Street Surgery is a large busy diverse practice in the center of Acton W3.We are a training practice for GP registrars, medical students, nurses and pharmacists. We have approx 8,500 patients registered with our practice, and there is a diverse mixture of ethnic minorities. We have 4 partners, 4 salaried doctors and trainees, and our clinical software is Sytem One.

We pride ourselves on our fantastic balancing of fun and work.We work hard to support our patients on a daily basis and have a fantastic team. We plan a regular training session each month, and have a management team to support team members on a regular basis. We feel it is important to not only work hard but also have fun at work and we often arrange outings and fun half day activities

Qualifications

Experience

Other

Desirable: - Experience and interest in education within a primary care setting; - Able to do home visits if needed using own care