Health Care Assistant (HCA)

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.
• New patient health checks
• NHS Health Checks
• ECG recording
• Phlebotomy
• Dressings
• Chaperoning duties
• Processing and management of laboratory samples requested
• by GPs/nurses.

Sterilising, cleansing and maintenance of surgical

equipment.

Vaccine/cold chain storage, monitoring and recording.

Surgical equipment and vaccine re-stocking and stock

• rotation
• Clearing and re-stocking consulting rooms
• Preparing and maintaining environments and equipment
• before, during and after patient care interventions, including assisting GPs
• during the performance of minor operations

Assisting in the assessment and surveillance of patients

health and well-being

Undertaking specific clinical activities for named

patients that have been delegated and taught specifically in relation to that

individual.

Helping to raise awareness of health and well-being and

how it can be promoted.

Assisting with the collection and collation of data on

needs related to health and well-being.

Any other duties as deemed necessary for the successful

fulfilment of the role.

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 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.

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):

Using personal security systems within the workplace

according to practice guidelines

Awareness of national 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

Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum

twice annually)

Routine management of own team / team areas, and

• maintenance of workspace standards
• Waste management including collection, handling,
• segregation, container management, storage and collection.
• Spillage control procedures, management and training
• Decontamination control procedures, management and
• training, and equipment maintenance
• Maintenance of sterile environments
• 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 recognizes the importance of

peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice

procedures and policies, and current legislation.

Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of

• patients, carers and colleagues.
• 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:
• 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.

Quality

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

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.

Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of

communication and respond accordingly.

Contribution to the Implementation of Services

The post-holder will

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance.
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies,
• standards and guidelines will affect own work.
• Participate in audit where appropriate.