Health Care Assistant


Company:	NHS Jobs
Salary:	£29,000 to £33,000 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Woolwich, SE18 6PZ
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	10 Nov 2026
Closing date:	24 Nov 2026

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Summary

Supported by the nursing team within the practice, the Health Care Assistant (HCA) will deliver care within the boundaries of their role and in accordance with specific practice guidelines and protocols. Responsible for the care delivered, demonstrating critical thinking and skills in clinical decision making within the parameters of their qualifications and role requirements. They will focus upon supporting patients to be healthy by assessing their needs, providing HCA care, health education advice, screening activities, implementing care at the surgery, community or other settings, maintaining clinically accurate records and running clinics. They will work collaboratively with the general practice team to meet the needs of patients and support the delivery of policy and procedures, and providing HCA guidance as required. Participate in vaccination and immunisation programmes for adults. Review patient data to work with the nursing team, to achieve focused patient healthcare Active participation in achieving QOF and Enhanced Services targets and recall demands Able to perform the essential functions of the role safely and effectively and will be required to undertake moving and handling procedures with patients when carrying out clinical duties. Flexibility to work at different premises when requested is required as part of this role & the post holder may need to travel to patients homes for patients who are housebound. Full-time post holders will work a 37.5 hour week between the hours of 8.00am to 8:00pm Monday to Friday and from 09:00-17:00 Saturdays 3. MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Clinical Practice: The post holder will make professionally decisions, providing safe, evidence-based, cost-effective, individualised patient care. To include; Health Checks Blood Pressure, Height, Weight, BMI, Foot checks Referrals to weight loss services, health trainers, Live Well Greenwich and other community based services Phlebotomy Clinics & Patient Samples Undertake phlebotomy clinics in accordance with practice protocols and infection prevention and control procedures. Record and process blood samples accurately and ensure their safe transportation to the laboratory. Ensure samples are correctly labelled and ready for collection at designated time. Undertake urinalysis and document according in patients notes if clinically indicated, raising clinical concerns if necessary following agreed practice protocols Health and Well-being Assess, plan, develop, implement and evaluate programmes to promote health and well-being, and prevent adverse effects on health and well-being Support patients to adopt health promotion strategies and encourage principles of self-care Offer holistic service to patients and their families, developing where appropriate an on-going plan of care/support, with an emphasis on prevention and self-care Weight Management & Advice Chronic Disease management Undertake appropriate investigation, clinical observations and interventions following agreed guidelines for patients with chronic diseases CHD, Pre-Diabetes, Hypertension, asthma and COPD. Emergency Care Prioritise health problems and intervene appropriately to assist the patient in complex, urgent or emergency situations, including initiation of effective emergency care. Wound Management Removal of stiches and clips Meet the needs of patients presenting for wound care and use dressing formulary Mental health, adult and child safeguarding Undertake annual health checks for patient on the SMI register/ Recognise patients presenting with mental health needs in accordance with the National Framework (NSF) for Mental Health. Raise relevant information with the duty GP. Recognise adult and child safeguarding situations and act appropriately. Vaccination programmes Provide vaccination and immunisation programmes for Adults in accordance with agreed protocols Patient Profile Activities Review patient data to work with the nursing team, to achieve focused patient healthcare Active participation in achieving QOF and Enhanced Services targets and recall demands Contribution to the implementation of Services Deliver High Quality Service The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will; Effectively manage own time, workload and resources Reflect on own and team activities to identify risks, enhance performance and improve quality of patient care Work within own competence Produce accurate, specific and complete records of patient consultation Deliver care according to the NSF and the NICE guidelines and evidence based care. Understand and apply statutory procedure and local guidance regarding the identification of vulnerable adults and children, domestic violence, substance abuse and addictive behaviour This list of clinical skills is not exhaustive and the post holder will be given help to develop the required clinical skills for their particular role. Communication The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication and will strive to; Communicate effectively with patients and carers to ensure they are fully informed and consent to treatment Utilise effective communication skills to support patients Provide support, guidance and information in a format that meets the needs of the patients Communicate effectively with other team members and external stakeholders Act as an advocate when representing the patients and colleagues viewpoints to others Fully participate with team meetings, team activities and delivering the nursing agenda 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 recognises 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 which is welcoming, non-judgmental and respects circumstances, feelings priorities and rights Identify patterns of discrimination, take action to overcome this and promote diversity and quality of opportunity The post-holder will participate in any mandatory and statutory training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment. Actively participating in ongoing learning and development to include; 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 Understand own responsibilities and accountability in the delivery of HCA services to patients Disseminate learning and information to other team members in order to share good practice Provide educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues to facilitate learning Team WorkingThe post-holder will work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working. To include; Work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery. Ensure clear understanding and utilisation of referral mechanisms within the practice Accept delegation from other clinicians, prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management Participate in and support local projects as agreed with the practice management team Management of Risk Monitor work areas and practices to ensure that they are safe, free from hazards and conform to health, safety and security legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines. Apply infection control measures within the practice according to local and national guidelines Utilising and applying InformationThe post-holder will work effectively to accurately apply and utilise information including; Review and process data using accurate Read codes about patients in order to ensure easy and accurate retrieval for monitoring and audit processes. Understand own and others responsibility to the individual organisation regarding the Freedom of Information Act. Apply patient / clinical data searches to achieve clinical goals ConfidentialityThe post holder will work effectively to ensure confidentiality at all. To include consideration of; 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 & SafetyThe post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include: Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards Reporting potential risks identified

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