Clinical Assistant

**WHO ARE WE?**

Newmedica is one of the leading providers of NHS-funded ophthalmology services in England.
- Our Purpose is to make a positive difference to people’s lives
- Our Vision is to change lives through better sight and eye health
- Our Promise is to use our expertise and compassion to help people feel special, reassured and cared for

We provide services for NHS CCGs, NHS Trusts and Foundation Trusts, and other providers of NHS funded services. We deliver over 125,000 patient interactions annually, including outpatient appointments, diagnostic testing and eye surgery. Our services are delivered through a variety of models including Managed Services and Ophthalmology Joint Venture (OJV) Partnerships.

**ROLE SUMMARY**

Clinical Assistants hold significant contribution to the successful operation of the clinic. They are responsible for performing clinical tests and supporting the clinical assessment of each patient and for ensuring that all patients understand their treatment. The Clinical Assistant will conduct pre-assessment clinics and be able to assist in Theatre, where required. They are also responsible for ensuring the smooth and efficient administration of the clinic, including ensuring that appointments are booked and that clinics are full, retrieving patient notes, recording and filing clinical outcomes and utilising Newmedica’s electronic patient records.

Combining a friendly and accessible personal manner with advanced clinical testing skills, they pride themselves in delivering a great patient experience and their ability to work within small teams to maintain and enhance processes to maximise quality and efficiency. It is expected that the company’s growth plans will provide ongoing challenges for the post-holders as well as appropriate career development opportunities.

**KEY RESPONSIBILITIES**

**Clinical Duties and Responsibilities for Clinics**
- Managing the relationship with the patient and the provision of appropriate information to them, ensuring that exceptional customer service is delivered.
- Working with other clinic staff, including clinicians to ensure optimal patient flow, including assisting them if required.
- To accurately record patient history relevant to the clinic.
- To perform a comprehensive range of diagnostic procedures and clinical assessments in order to provide the Consultant with the relevant information for diagnosis and treatment.
- To ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times.
- To ensure that evidence based clinical standards of care to patients are achieved.
- To ensure the delivery of agreed quality standards, taking any necessary action to remedy shortcomings in services that contribute to patient care.
- To be responsible for ensuring the safe use of specialist equipment.
- To assist in theatre in the treatment room when required
- To support cataract pre-assessment clinics
- To support the continuous quality improvement of all clinical aspects of the service including the appropriate escalation of process, clinical, equipment, quality or infection risk issues.
- Performing, verifying and recording results of clinical testing with absolute integrity.

**Administrative Duties**
- Management of patient data; ensuring availability, required accuracy and confidentiality.
- To keep accurate patient health records, updating electronic patient records or completing handwritten clinical notes.
- Undertaking administrative tasks as required to ensure the smooth running of the clinic.

**Professional Duties**
- Promote a professional and happy environment conducive to high patient and staff morale, achieved by leadership, personal example and direct involvement in the activities of the department environment.
- Committed to continued professional development and clinical governance, including participating in appraisal process, completion of mandatory training and clinical audits and research as required.

**THE INDIVIDUAL**

EDUCATION & QUALIFICATION
- Theatre training /substantive experience required.
- 1+ years or more eye service experience expected.
- A good level of general education or with equivalent experience
- GCSE Maths and English

EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE
- Proven customer service skills with a passion for customer care.
- Previous experience of working with patients or carers would be desirable although not essential.
- Ability to build a working knowledge of eye physiology and treatment. Previous experience would be desirable although not expected.
- Fully computer literate - comfortable with Microsoft Office products and the ability to learn new patient record systems.

SKILLS & PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
- Enjoys the routine and rhythm of a process driven environment.
- Ability to work within a dynamic team environment
- Adaptability to work across ophthalmology services
- Able to balance working independently with appropriate escalation and delegation.
- Committed to deliver consistently high standards of care to patien