Job Description
Job Title: Healthcare Assistant - Community Outpatient Clinics
Reports to: HCA Manager
Cohese Healthcare
Formally known as GP Care, Cohese Healthcare is an award-winning social enterprise working alongside the NHS and other providers to provide high quality diagnostics and short-term treatment within local communities.
We run Urology, Minor Surgery and DVT services in BNSSG (Bristol, North Somerset, South Glos) Gloucestershire and Swindon.
We are currently recruiting for a Healthcare Assistant to join us for part or full time hours in our community outpatient clinics. Whilst we aim to minimise travel, you will be required to work across all of our locations, you can find the full list on our website. Our clinics currently run between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday and 8am and 1pm on Saturdays.
Please contact us if you have any questions or would like more information.
We may close the advert earlier than advertised if a high volume of applications are received.
Job Purpose
As a Healthcare Assistant, you are a key member of our clinical team. Your role will include supporting the smooth running of clinics, providing support to patients and carers to ensure they receive a high quality experience of care and you will be working alongside the multidisciplinary team to undertake a range of procedures.
Working under direct and indirect supervision of registered nurses, medical consultants, GPs, sonographers, vascular scientists and other clinical staff you will be supported to gain competencies across the different services and then undertake a range of different procedures including bladder scanning, taking patient observations, urinary flow testing and other procedures as required.
You will work with the team to ensure the clinics are run in a safe and efficient manner, focusing on personalised approaches to care and enhancing the patient experience.
You will be supported to undertake any training required for the role.
Key Responsibilities Specific
· Assume responsibility for setting up (and sometimes transporting) portable medical and IT
equipment between clinic locations.
· Meet, greet, and reassure patients, undertaking initial screening checks as required.
· Ensure that the clinic runs smoothly, communicating with MDT colleagues and ensure patients, families and carers are kept informed of any delays in a professional and sensitive manner.
· Liaise with clinic location staff (practice or hospital staff) regarding patient arrival and ensure adequate signage to direct patients to our clinic rooms.
· Assisting the clinicians in sterile and non-sterile procedures e.g. positioning of patients, setting up trolleys and sterile equipment.
· Act as a chaperone and assist during intimate procedures where required.
· Maintain patient privacy and dignity for patients at all times and assist patients with dressing and undressing where required.
· Moving and handling of patients and equipment in line with risk assessments and company policy.
· Disposal of clinical, general and sharps waste in line with agreed policies and procedures at each clinic location.
· Maintain a clean, tidy, and safe working environment for patients, visitors and colleagues ensuring all equipment and stock is checked and restocked as necessary
· Clean and prepare examination couches and other equipment between patients in line with IPC guidance.
· Use the provided computer system to download data, print clinic lists, discharge patients (compile discharge report and email to referring GP) and arrange any rebooking, as required.
· Supporting the clinician in use of the computer system that records the patient consultations.
· Explain procedures to patients and provide any after care instructions
· Hand out patient satisfaction questionnaires and encourage patients to complete and feedback regarding their experience.
· Perform additional procedures following training as and when required e.g. bladder scanning, phlebotomy, observations, etc.
· Adhering to health and safety and infection control standards, in particular hand and clinic hygiene.
· To be able to act quickly in emergencies and following training, to be familiar with emergency procedures, including fire and basic life support.
Governance
· Maintain all confidential data and records in line with Information Governance requirements
· Report any incidents, complaints or compliments as outlined in Cohese Healthcare’s Incident
Reporting Policy
· Seek support for self and others following an untoward incident.
· Manage and maintain own competence by attending relevant training sessions and updates provided by the Company
· Understand your responsibilities and reporting mechanisims in relation to safeguarding
Communication
· Ensure effective communication with the team and your line Manager through regular 121s, team meetings and CPD events.
· Maintain a friendly, helpful, confident and professional manner at all times to both internal and external contacts.
· Engender a culture which ensures that Company values are recognised and maintained
· Communicate effectively with patients, families/carers, recognising there may be a need to utilise alternative methods of communication. Where there are barriers to understanding, arrange access to information, support, and other services to aid effective communication.
· Greet all patients and visitors to the department with courtesy and respect, being mindful of age specific body language and tone of voice. Demonstrate sensitivity and empathy.
Other
· Work flexibly as part of the Cohese Healthcare team to contribute to the business.
· Represent the organisation positively in all contacts both directly to the public and between health professionals and managers.
· Apply your best endeavours at all times to add to the service quality, reputation, influence and profitability of the organisation.
· Provide support in inducting new members of the team
· To wear uniform provided and adhere to company uniform policy.
· To perform such other tasks as may reasonably be expected to fulfil the duties for which you are employed
· Complete own time record and expenses claims using company software packages.
Confidentiality
In the course of your duties you may have access to confidential material about patients, members of staff or other Cohese Healthcare business. In no circumstances must information relating to identifiable patients be divulged to anyone other than authorised persons, for example, medical, nursing or other professional staff, as appropriate, who are concerned directly with the care, diagnosis and /or treatment of the patient. If you are in any doubt whatsoever as to the authority of a person or body asking for information of this nature, you must seek advice from your manager. Similarly, no information of a personal or confidential nature concerning individual members of staff should be divulged to anyone without the proper authority having first been given. Failure to observe these rules will be regarded by Cohese Healthcare as serious or gross misconduct which could result in disciplinary action being taken against you.
Health and Safety/Security
Staff must be aware of and adhere to the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work Act and to ensure their own safety and the safety of colleagues and patients. Staff must also be aware of the action to be taken in the event of a fire. It is the duty of every employee to work in such a way that accidents to themselves and to others are avoided, and to co-operate in maintaining their place of work in a tidy and safe condition, thereby minimising risk. Employees will, therefore, refer any matters of concern through their respective managers. Similarly, it is each person’s responsibility to ensure a secure environment and bring any breaches of security to the attention of their manager.
Sustainability
It is the responsibility of all staff to minimise Cohese Healthcare’s environmental impact wherever possible. This will include recycling, switching off lights, computers, monitors and equipment when not in use. Helping to reduce paper waste by minimising printing/copying and reducing water usage, reporting faults and heating/cooling concerns promptly and minimising travel. Where the role includes the ordering and use of supplies or equipment the post holder will consider the environmental impact of purchases.
Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Children
Cohese Healthcare has in place a Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Children Policy, which places a duty upon every employee who has contact with vulnerable adults or children in their everyday work to safeguard and promote their welfare. In the event that you have concerns about possible harm to any vulnerable adult or child you should contact your Manager immediately or in their absence your Senior Manager. The Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Children Policy is located on the shared drive and you should ensure you are aware of, understand and comply with its terms.
Equality and Diversity
Cohese Healthcare has given its full commitment to the adoption and promotion of the key principles of
equal opportunities contained within current legislation and the Company’s Equality and Diversity Policy.
Cohese Healthcare positively encourages applications from all sections of the community and values equality and diversity in employment and in the services we provide.
All staff must demonstrate a positive attitude to equality and diversity in relation to colleagues, patients and members of the public and hold personal responsibility for the application of the Equality and Diversity policy on a day-to-day basis. They should not undertake any acts of discriminatory practice during the course of their employment and similarly have a responsibility to highlight any potentially discriminatory practice to their manager or to human resources.
Copies of the Equality and Diversity Policy are available electronically on the Company Server.
Quality
Cohese Healthcare’s overall quality objective is to ensure that we deliver a safe, consistent and sustainable level of service to our clients and patients, and our other organizational stakeholders.
We are committed to continuous improvement and implementing appropriate quality management systems and processes to enable us to achieve this objective.
We therefore:
· Work with our patients, clients, regulators and partners to develop our services to meet our mutual needs
· Conduct our business in a way that reflects our core values
· Create an environment that promotes continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across all stakeholders
· Ensure compliance with legal and other applicable standards
· Educate and train our people to support the delivery of a consistent and sustainable quality of service
We recognise the importance of monitoring and reviewing our quality management system and through continual monitoring and planned reviews we have the opportunity to identify improvements to our service and maintain compliance with legal and ethical standards. This will effectively provide our
customers with the confidence that the provision of service will be delivered consistently to predetermined standards.
Cohese Healthcare’s Quality Objectives are as follows:
· To consistently provide a safe, clinically robust service in line with the requirements of our regulators, patients and clients
· To consistently achieve our contractual KPIs
· To consistently deliver the expected patient experience
· To ensure high levels of service efficiency
· To ensure that our employees and sub-contractors have the appropriate skills, experience, training, equipment, systems and processes to deliver the service
· To ensure that our employees and sub-contractors are engaged and motivated to deliver the service as required
· To deliver our services in a financially sustainable manner
All employees have a responsibility within their own areas of work to help ensure that Quality is embedded within the whole of the company.
Location
You will travel between various clinic locations with some visits required to the Company’s Head Office, currently based at 160 Aztec West, Bristol BS32 4TU.
This job description may be reviewed in the light of changing service needs. Any changes will be fully discussed with the post holder. The post holder may also be required to carry out other work appropriate to the grade of the post.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Permanent
Pay: £26,651.25 per year
Benefits:
- Bereavement leave
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Free flu jabs
- Free or subsidised travel
- Health & wellbeing programme
- Life insurance
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Licence/Certification:
- full UK driving licence (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (preferred)
Work Location: In person
