Job description

Job responsibilities

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.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Phlebotomy Certificate
• Experience working as a Healthcare Assistant
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong organisational and IT skills
• Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team
• Commitment to delivering high-quality patient-centred care
• Understanding of confidentiality and information governance

Desirable

• Previous experience working within General Practice
• Experience using SystmOne
• Experience undertaking NHS Health Checks
• Compression and advanced wound care knowledge
• Care Certificate

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

High Street Surgery

Address

High Street

Lowestoft

Suffolk

NR32 1JE

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://highstreetsurgerylowestoft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Clinical Care

• Act as an emergency care practitioner, demonstrating advanced clinical competence and a knowledge base beyond those associated with conventional nursing roles.
• Undertake consultations within the surgeries or the community as an autonomous practitioner and using own clinical judgement to diagnose and treat patients.
• Make direct referrals to primary, secondary and social services within locally agreed pathways, guidance and protocols.
• Ensure that patients receive high quality clinical care, delivered in a timely manner.
• Supply and administer medicines as indicated to address patient need, where necessary working to Patient Group Directions or with reference back to registered GP as necessary.
• Ensure complete and accurate documentation of each and every patient contact.
• Provide clinical advice to Reception staff where required.
• Work as an autonomous practitioner and as part of multi-disciplinary and multiagency teams in order to ensure patients needs are met.
• Visiting patients at home or care homes where necessary

Professional

• Adhere to the HCPC Code of Professional Conduct and at all times work within scope of professional practice.
• Ensure that professional practice adheres to organisational and HCPC policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Maintain professional manner and act as a positive role model.
• Maintain confidentiality with regard to information pertaining to patients and staff.
• Ensure that the service interfaces with all other departments in a professional and productive manner, providing an effective service to partner organisations and other service providers.
• Where required provide supervision and mentoring to other staff in order to help them develop their knowledge, skills and abilities.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• You must be either a fully registered Paramedic - with HCPC Registration or a Advanced Nurse Practitioner - with a NMC registration

Desirable

• Independent Prescribing (V300): An independent non-medical prescribing qualification is highly required for primary care/surgery environments. This allows you to safely prescribe medications autonomously within your scope of practice.

Experience

Essential

• Primary Care & General Practice Experience:
• Autonomous Caseload Management: Proven experience working as an independent clinician managing an active caseload of patients with undifferentiated diagnoses.
• Triage & Signposting: Experience conducting initial clinical assessments, advising reception staff on triage, and directing patients to the correct care pathways.
• Home & Care Home Visiting: Experience conducting independent acute or chronic clinical visits to patients in their own homes or residential care facilities.
• Clinical Assessment & Diagnosis Experience
• Advanced Physical Assessment: Expertise in conducting comprehensive head-to-toe physical examinations on patients across all age groups (excluding infants, unless specifically trained).
• Minor Illness & Minor Injury Management: Hands-on experience diagnosing and treating common primary care presentations (e.g., respiratory tract infections, UTIs, rashes, abdominal pain, musculofascial injuries).
• Chronic Disease Awareness: Competence in identifying when a chronic or long-term condition (such as COPD, heart failure, or diabetes) has acutely exacerbated and requires intervention.

Desirable

• Prescribing & Treatment Experience
• Autonomous Prescribing/Supply: Experience safely prescribing medications as an Independent Prescriber, or supplying medicines under strict Patient Group Directions (PGDs).
• Multi-Agency Referrals: Experience working with secondary care (hospitals), social services, community nursing, and mental health teams to arrange safe, direct referrals.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

High Street Surgery

Address

High Street

Lowestoft

Suffolk

NR32 1JE

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://highstreetsurgerylowestoft.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)