The key responsibilities of a qualified healthcare assistant in the practice who are able to work at a competent level to:
- Consult with patients and their families to undertake assessments of patient need
- Provide clinical support to registered nurses and other healthcare professionals within the organization.
- Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements.
- Deliver clinical care interventions, such as:
– Measurement of height and weight, blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and peak flow.
– Undertake venepuncture, ECGs, ear irrigation, and urinalysis.
– Ensure specimens are recorded and ready for onward transportation.
– Appointments for new patient health checks, NHS health checks, B12 injections, hosiery measurements, and smoking cessation
– Warfarin monitoring with INR star with support of a nurse prescriber
- Support vaccination clinics.
- Simple wound care and suture removal
Other clinical responsibilities:
- Recognize changes in the patients’ observations, which must be reported and acted on.
- Assist clinicians in emergency management of patients.
- Enable patients to access appropriate professionals in the practice team.
- Act as a chaperone.
- Appreciate the principles of healthy living.
- Provide relevant health promotion advice and literature for patients.
- Clearly present patients’ points of view to others.
- Recognize the boundaries of their practice and know when and to whom patients should be referred.
Care Management responsibilities
- Work within national and local protocols where these exist
- Ensure stock items are ordered, provided, and controlled in treatment rooms.
- Maintain emergency equipment.
- Maintain clinical equipment efficiently.
- Follow infection control standards. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times.
- Undertake fridge audits.
- Contribute new ideas to improve the services provided by the practice for patient care.
- Instruct patients in appropriate techniques or tasks.
Other responsibilities
- Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children
- Correctly manage e-mails and tasks received and send appropriate e-mails and tasks.
- Attend team meetings.
- Attend a formal appraisal with a manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed upon.
