The Assistant Practitioner post is an exciting opportunity for someone looking to start or develop their career in healthcare science.
The Assistant Practitioner supports the delivery of sleep diagnostic services by preparing, downloading, and managing sleep study data. The role involves setting up equipment and patient study packs, ensuring accurate configuration of sleep monitoring devices, and providing clear instructions to patients on their use.
Key responsibilities include downloading and securely storing study recordings, checking data quality and completeness, and organising files in line with departmental protocols. The post holder will liaise with clinical staff to flag any issues with recordings, maintain equipment readiness, and contribute to the smooth running of the sleep service.
This role requires strong attention to detail, good organisational skills, and the ability to work with clinical systems and digital data while maintaining patient confidentiality and high standards of care.
If you are flexible and enthusiastic with a drive to help people then you may be the person we are looking for.
Additional working pattern details: Working hours 0900-1700 hrs (30m Lunch break 1215-1245)
The post holder will receive on the job training on what is involved in a range of diagnostic sleep equipment:
Prepare and configure sleep study equipment and patient packs in line with clinical protocols
Provide clear instructions and guidance to patients on the use of sleep monitoring devices
Download sleep study data promptly and accurately from recording devices
Check recordings for completeness, signal quality, and technical issues
Organise, label, and securely store patient data within clinical systems
Maintain accurate records and documentation for each study
Identify and escalate poor-quality or incomplete recordings to clinical staff
Clean, maintain, and ensure readiness of equipment between uses
Monitor stock levels of consumables and report shortages
Adhere to data protection, confidentiality, and information governance standards
Support the wider sleep service with administrative and operational tasks as required.
Once competent you will be expected to undertake independent working, within agreed limitations, with remote oversight from a clinical team colleagues.
Your time in the department will be mainly at the respiratory diagnostic centre at Gloucestershire’s Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC), located at Quayside House, Gloucester, although additional opportunities for working at Cheltenham General Hospital Lung Function hub will also be expected subject to service requirements
We are committed to providing high-quality, safe, and patient-centred care across our services, including Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Cheltenham General Hospital and the community diagnostic centre.
We pride ourselves on delivering services that are compassionate, innovative, and responsive to the needs of our local community.
As part of the Lung Function and sleep team you will be working within a supportive and forward-thinking environment that values teamwork, continuous learning, and professional development. The Sleep Service plays a vital role in diagnosing and managing sleep disorders, contributing to improved patient outcomes and quality of life.
We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace where staff are respected, valued, and empowered to contribute to service improvement.
Employees benefit from access to training opportunities, in this role there is potential for a level 2 Respiratory and sleep qualification wellbeing support, and the chance to be part of a Trust that is focused on excellence in care and staff experience.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
1. Provision of Clinical Services/Clinical Responsibilities
You will be expected to undertake the following tests in accordance with local, national and professional guidelines.
- Set up and issue overnight pulse oximetry & sleep studies for home use
- Arrange collection/posting of CPAP consumable parts to patients.
- Maintain accurate patient database and health record entries
- Unload, organise and store consumables appropriately
- Telephone message response to support the clerical team
2. Equipment maintenance
Responsible for appropriate use, upkeep and maintenance of highly specialised and expensive equipment ( >£6K)
Calibrate and clean daily
Undertake routine maintenance and troubleshooting, fault finding to maintain service delivery
If problems arise that cannot be solved advising a senior member of staff
Monitor stock levels of disposables / chemicals and advise as necessary
Maintain logbook for each machine
3. Administration / Clerical role
- To assist with the transferring of messages from answerphone to e-message book; knowing when to escalate to senior members of staff.
- To accurately log all individual activities performed within Lung Function & Sleep service, to help achieve up to date statistics allowing for service development future audits within the department.
- Booking/Re-scheduling/Cancelling appointments
- Dealing with patient queries
4. Training
The HCS Assistant practitioner will be taught the skills through practice to:
Work safely in a healthcare environment and to follow quality procedures.
Follow regulatory requirements of the healthcare industry and role, operating in accordance with Good Scientific Practice.
Technical skills to fulfil their role.
Take responsibility for patient care.
Apply a range of techniques for infection prevention and control.
Deliver high quality technical clinical procedures in the investigation/management and patients.
5. Communications and Working Relationships
- Patients may have specific needs i.e. hearing difficulties, physical, learning, language difficulties, tests may need to be performed through an interpreter, or they may be anxious or upset following diagnosis.
- Ensure the patients are provided with adequate patient information and the procedures are clearly explained
- Undertakes annual individual performance and development reviews and agrees a personal development plan which compliments both departmental and trust strategic objectives
- Attend regular team meetings to ensure department procedures and requirements are regularly reviewed
- The post holder will need to have contact with:
Patients
General Public
Colleagues locally and nationally
Consultants of several specialities across the trust
GP Practises
Medical secretaries
Booking office
Procurement department
Medical engineering department
Estates department
I.T. Department
Allied Health professionals
Portering department
Equipment manufacturers and suppliers
6. Expectations for the Post holder
- Develop wider sector-related knowledge to underpin occupational competence in the role of a healthcare science associate. This includes knowledge and understanding of the requirements of the NHS constitution and good scientific practice for person-centred care and support, involving individuals and the public in HCS and in making choices about their care, good mentoring practice, legislation and policies in HCS and quality management
- Develop a positive attitude to following Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and codes of practice, and professional behaviours such as developing practice and performance, working within the limits of own role, respecting the rights of others and working collaboratively and safely, mentoring and the delivery of high-quality service outcomes and continuous improvements.
- When working within the Physiology team, you are to provide an effective and evidenced based service through assessing, planning and implementing treatment programs including a full explanation to the patient of the tests carried out and their purpose.
- To deliver diagnostic and therapeutic interventions using the principles of treatment in an integrated and patient-centred approach supported by good clinical practice.
- Lead, educate and encourage patients in required test techniques, explaining the need for full co-operation and maximum effort in performing these tests by demonstrating the same physical effort and enthusiasm.
- To use clinical reasoning skills to agree functional goals and develop and evaluate the treatment plan. To implement and progress treatment programs in order to promote physical / functional independence. To include the instructing of patients on how to undertake the diagnostic tests and issuing of equipment.
- To use verbal and non-verbal communication tools to communicate effectively with patients/carers. This may include education, motivation, persuasion, and empowerment. This will include patients/carers who may or may not have barriers to communication through cognitive or physical impairment e.g. dysphasia, deafness, blindness, learning difficulties, and mental health issues.
- Conduct oneself in a professional manner and be a role model to less experienced new staff at all times
- Ensure the rights, privacy, dignity and confidentiality of all patients are protected at all times
- To go above and beyond, creating the absolute best experience for patients visiting the department
- Draw on theoretical knowledge and practical experience to decide on the most appropriate course of action. Assess each patient in terms of the appropriateness/ potential risks of performing the requested tests and acting accordingly.
7. Service development
Keep updated with research/new developments within the specialities and the potential effect on the service
Assist with the implementation of service change and development of new services
Participate in the monitoring of any changes or developments using a variety of techniques; clinical audit, user questionnaires etc.
Contributes to proposed changes to department and procedural policies
8. Professional and educational responsibilities
Responsible for developing and extending own knowledge, clinical skills and professional awareness by undertaking further professional qualifications, self-learning, attending courses, conferences and meetings
Promote and maintain an effective learning environment to facilitate effective teaching and supervision of students and allied health professionals
9. Research and development responsibilities
Assist with development and promotion of local protocols in line with relevant research and new developments within the speciality
Assist with audits within the department to monitor service progress and development
Participate in and contribute to research and development programs within the department
10. Quality and risk management responsibilities
Completion of detailed patient information and records utilising a variety of databases and PC packages.
Responsible for assisting with risk assessments for general areas
Identify potential risks for staff, patients and visitors and take appropriate action
Provide and maintain a clean and safe working environment
Contribute to the monitoring and review of service delivery to maintain the quality of customer care and test procedures
Ensure that all departmental activity is recorded accurately and timely
11. Mental, physical and emotional effort and working conditions
Regular independent working with patients
Frequent, prolonged periods of concentration required to undertake all diagnostic procedures
Management of an unpredictable workload and pattern, requirement to remain flexible in work undertaken
Requirement for speed, accuracy and judgement in relation to the highly specialist test procedures
Daily movement of patients in wheelchairs (generally >70kg)
Occasional maneuvering of reasonably heavy equipment (AK size gas cylinders 51kg)
Regular exposure to patient body odours, fluids and secretions; handling of used/unwashed face masks and headstraps for CPAP/NIV circuits, removal of used mouthpieces etc
Infrequent exposure to distressing conditions i.e. cystic fibrosis patients or newly diagnosed cancer patients.
