Health Care Support Worker​/Health Care Assistant

We are seeking to recruit an experienced Health Care Support Worker/Assistant (HCSW/HCA) to support our friendly nursing team consisting of a Nurse Practitioner Manager, 2 practice nurses and an HCA. The successful candidate will possess a professional, positive and welcoming manner and will be reliable, caring and enthusiastic. There will be opportunities to support other clinical professionals and provide health support and advice directly to patients and in turn will be supported by an experienced, supportive and sociable practice team.

Duties will include (all dependent on qualifications and experience):

• Phlebotomy (venepuncture)
• ECGs
• Blood pressure, height, weight and BMI measurements
• NHS Health Checks
• Diabetic foot checks
• B12 injections
• Near patient POCT for warfarin monitoring
• Assisting with QOF based administration and recalls
• Maintaining clinical equipment and infection control standards
• Stock management and ordering of clinical supplies
• Accurate clinical record keeping using our Systm One clinical system
• Supporting clinicians in delivering safe, effective patient care, including assisting in minor operations and Telederm clinics
• Working to practice policies, procedures, and clinical protocols

There will also be an opportunity to train in and carry out PCN Teledermatology, which involves photographing skin lesions and forwarding the images for specialist review, as well as training to carry out Feno testing to support the Nurse Practitioner in respiratory clinics.

The Lodge Surgery is a medium sized training practice in a semi-rural setting on the outskirts of Chippenham. Our purpose-built practice serves around 8500 patients and is at the heart of our local community. We are part of a successful Primary Care Network of 5 practices. We have worked hard to develop a friendly and supportive environment at Lodge and we are a close-knit team with regular practice meetings and informal daily coffee breaks, taken in our garden when the weather permits.

We focus on staff wellbeing and hold social events including Christmas and summer parties.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide safe, high quality clinical support to registered nurses, GPs and other healthcare professionals, ensuring delegated tasks are completed within required timescales and assessed competence.
• Undertake basic clinical care interventions once trained and assessed as competent, including phlebotomy, blood pressure monitoring, height, weight and BMI measurements, ECGs, NHS Health Checks, suture removal, basic wound care and near patient point of care testing, including warfarin monitoring.
• Play a key role in vaccination and immunisation programmes, including administration of vaccines and injections where appropriately trained, assessed as competent and legally authorised, in accordance with national guidance and practice protocols.
• Record observations, lifestyle information and clinical activity accurately and promptly in the patient record, using appropriate coding and practice documentation standards.
• Support health promotion and prevention activities across the practice and PCN, including smoking cessation, weight management, lifestyle interventions, healthy living advice and self care education.
• Contribute to the care of patients with long term conditions, including hypertension, diabetes and respiratory disease, undertaking delegated observations, reviews and follow up activity within competence.
• Support work aimed at reducing health inequalities and improving access to preventative care, working with the multidisciplinary team to identify and engage patients who may benefit from additional support.
• Support continuity of care and patient safety initiatives, including call and recall activity, follow up work, QOF related administration and escalation of concerns to the appropriate clinician.
• Assist clinicians with examinations, minor operations and other procedures, including patient preparation, chaperoning and support within teledermatology clinics.
• Handle patient enquiries professionally by telephone, email and face to face, recording information accurately and escalating clinical concerns appropriately.
• Support safeguarding processes by recognising and escalating concerns promptly and documenting information in accordance with practice policy.
• Maintain clinical rooms to the required standard, including infection control measures, equipment checks, stock rotation, safe storage, correct use of PPE and preparation…