Healthcare Assistant

**Job Summary**:
The purpose of the post is to assist the GPs and nurse team in the delivery of safe, high quality primary care services to the practice population. The post holder will undertake delegated tasks and duties under indirect supervision of members of the practice nurse team.

The post holder will work within clear parameters and lines of accountability after appropriate training and assessment of competence. The competence requirements of the post are linked to the Band 3 of the District and General Practice Nursing Service Education and Career Framework (Health Education England).

**Responsibilities**:
**Clinical care delivery**
- Working within guidelines and protocols, undertake and record:

- Urinalysis and preparation of specimens for laboratory analysis
- Temperature, pulse and respiratory rate
- Weight, height, waist circumference and Body Mass Index-Measurement of legs for compression hosiery
- ECGs, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
- Near patient testing e.g blood glucose, lipids and INR-Doppler ultrasound measurement working with registered nurse
- Measurement of airway function (peak expiratory flow rate and spirometry)
- Obtain venous blood samples from individuals for investigation.
- Administer selected vaccines in accordance with the national schedule and legal authorisation.
- Administer medications by injection with the appropriate legal authorisation.
- Remove wound closure materials including sutures, clips and staples.
- Assist clinicians carrying out minor surgical procedures.
- Facilitating NHS Health Checks

**Administrative/service support**
- Assist with management of clinical supplies e.g monitoring stock levels, ordering, re-stocking of clinical areas and maintenance of equipment.
- Participate in quality improvement e.g audit, development of protocols and new services.
- Attend practice/clinical meetings and contribute to the agenda in the development of the nursing service and where appropriate wider practice systems.

**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 outlines in their Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to the 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 person 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 practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:

- Use practice security systems according to practice guidelines.
- Identify risks in work activities and report to registered nurse or practice manager.
- Maintain work areas in a tidy and safe manner.
- Communicate effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet people’s needs.
- 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.

**Equality and Diversity**

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

- Act in a way that recognises people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies and current legislation.
- Respect the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues.
- Behaving in a manner which his welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

**Personal/Professional Development**

The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of its employment, such training to include:

- Complete statutory training/updating and mandatory training as specified by the practice policy.
- Achieve competence in the 15 standards of the Care Certificate Framework within three months of appointment.
- Complete skills specific training and regular updating
- Participate in an annual individual performance review including maintaining a record of own personal and professional development.
- Take responsibility for own development, learning and performance and identify gaps in knowledge and skills
- Inform practice manager or registered nurse if unable to perform any aspect of role competently.
- Participation in an ann