Job summary
:
Working under the direct supervision of the 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:
1. Phlebotomy
2. Chaperoning duties
3. Processing and management of laboratory samples requested by GPs/nurses
4. Vaccine/cold chain storage, monitoring, and recording
5. Medical equipment and vaccine re-stocking and stock rotation
6. Clearing and re-stocking consulting rooms
7. Preparing and maintaining environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions, including assisting GPs during the performance of minor operations
8. Assisting in the assessment and surveillance of patients health and well-being
9. Undertaking specific clinical activities for named patients that have been delegated and taught specifically in relation to that individual
10. Helping to raise awareness of health and well-being and how it can be promoted
11. Assisting with the collection and collation of data on needs related to health and well-being
Confidentiality
12. 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
13. 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
14. 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
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):
15. Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
16. Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
17. 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
18. Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice, including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff
19. Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
20. Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
21. 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
22. Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
23. 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
24. 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.
25. Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal
26. 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
27. Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
28. 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
29. Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)
30. Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
31. Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
32. Spillage control procedures, management and training
33. Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
34. Maintenance of sterile environments
35. Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Equality and diversity
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
36. Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
37. Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
38. Behaving in a manner that is 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 this employment, such training to include:
39. Participation in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
40. Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
41. Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
42. Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
43. 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
44. Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
45. Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication:
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
46. Communicate effectively with other team members
47. Communicate effectively with patients and carers
48. Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
Contribution to the Implementation of Services:
The post-holder will:
49. Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
50. Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
51. Participate in audit where appropriate
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
52. -GCSE grade A-C in English and Maths
Desirable
53. -NVQ Level 2 in Health and Social Care or equivalent
54. -Phlebotomy accredited
55. -Immunisation and Vaccination accredited
Experience
Essential
56. -Experience of working directly in a healthcare assistant role, adult health and social care, learning support or public health/health improvement (including unpaid work)
Desirable
57. -Experience working within a GP Practice
58. -Demonstrates an understanding of Clinical Governance skill