This is an exciting opportunity to join our dynamic Outpatients Department, supporting our busy outpatient areas and delivering our ‘Bloods Closer to Home’ service across our satellite sites.
We are looking for a dedicated and compassionate Senior Healthcare Assistant to join our friendly community team working across Greater Manchester. This is an exciting opportunity to take on a rewarding role where you will support patients in community settings, helping to deliver safe, effective, and person-centred care.
In this role, you’ll be part of multiple MDTs, developing strong communication skills and enhancing your phlebotomy practice through hands on experience in our blood rooms. You’ll play a key part in delivering a safe, effective and compassionate service for our patients — often being the reassuring face they meet at an important moment in their care.
As a key member of our service, you will play a vital role in providing high-quality clinical care, supporting registered professionals, and promoting patient independence and wellbeing.
This position involves lone working and travelling across the Greater Manchester area — therefore, you must hold a full UK driving licence and have access to your own vehicle. Mileage expenses can be claimed in line with our policy.
What We Offer
- Full induction and ongoing support from experienced clinicians.
- Comprehensive phlebotomy training and opportunities for further development.
- Mileage reimbursement for travel across the community.
- Supportive and inclusive working environment.
- Opportunities to make a real difference in patients’ lives every day.
- You will automatically be enrolled into our christie care certificate module allowing you to gain further knowledge within oncology ensuring you are developed to the highest potential.
Key Responsibilities
- Provide holistic, person-centred care to patients in the community and onsite.
- Perform clinical tasks within your competence, including phlebotomy (full training will be provided).
- Follow Aseptic Non-Touch Technique (ANTT) and local infection prevention policies to maintain patient safety.
- Work closely with registered nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team.
- Accurately record and report observations, interventions, and outcomes.
- You will have the opportunity to work onsite (running outpatient clinics, working in our phlebotomy room as well as working in our bloods closer to home sites)
- Skills & knowledge you will obtain if successful at interview are (not limited to): NEWS2, venepuncture, CVADS, TVADS, Height & weights, AKI & sepsis, urinalysis, ECG’s, moving and handling, BLS & blood sugar monitoring.
- Manage your workload effectively while working independently in the community.
The Christie is one of Europe’s leading cancer centres, treating over 60,000 patients a year. We are based in Manchester and serve a population of 3.2 million across Greater Manchester & Cheshire, but as a national specialist around 15% patients are referred to us from other parts of the country.
We provide radiotherapy through one of the largest radiotherapy departments in the world; chemotherapy on site and through 14 other hospitals; highly specialist surgery for complex and rare cancer; and a wide range of support and diagnostic services. We are also an international leader in research, with world first breakthroughs for over 100 years.
We run one of the largest early clinical trial units in Europe with over 300 trials every year. Cancer research in Manchester, most of which is undertaken on the Christie site, has been officially ranked the best in the UK.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Clinical:
1. Assists with the care of patients by:
- Under the delegation of the Registered Nurse undertake care delivery, record the patient interventions carried out utilising the patients nursing records. These records must be countersigned by the Registered Nurse who delegated the duties.
- Demonstrate respect for the individual patient, ensuring religious, cultural and social needs are considered at all times and acknowledge their individual rights.
- Where required, assist nursing staff if they are conducting procedures or investigations.
- Assisting patients in gaining access to, and in the use of, appropriate toilet facilities including catheter care, measuring and recording body waste/fluid balance accurately.
- Ensure patient’s nutritional needs are met by assisting in the preparation of patients prior to meals and beverages, giving help and assistance in feeding/drinking as necessary. Record intake on food charts, where in place. Support nutritional monitoring by weighing patients.
- Assist, direct and escort patients/visitors where and when appropriate.
- Ensuring a clean and safe environment for patients and escalating any concerns.
- Fluid balance monitoring.
- Handling patient’s personal possessions, ensuring money and valuables are kept securely.
- Speciating one-to-one as appropriate.
- Carrying out of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation as required.
2. Complete all appropriate documentation relevant to care provided and update patient’s named nurse / shift coordinator where required.
3. Assist patients in maintaining their personal hygiene, grooming and dressing needs with specific concern for their religious, cultural and personal preference, ensuring privacy and dignity at all times.
4. Perform and record patient’s vital signs as directed - temperature, blood pressure, respiration and pulse, oxygen saturations, modified early warning scores, height & weight, urine testing (including Midstream Specimen, 24Hr urine collection, etc.) - as per Trust policy, reporting results to the Registered Nurse on duty, or in their absence to a Medic.
5. Provide a clinical phlebotomy service demonstrating expertise according to Phlebotomy guidelines and ensure that the samples and specimens are forwarded to appropriate laboratory services. Perform venous cannulation. Carry out central venous catheter bloods and central line care as per trust policy. Have a basic understanding of normal and altered blood values and escalate results as appropriate to the Registered Nurse or in their absence a Medic.
6. Perform electrocardiograms (ECG) in line with Trust policy and reporting to the Registered Nurse and/or medical staff once completed.
7. Prepare individual patients and the environment to ensure effective movement and/or handling procedures. Assist patients in their mobility requirements; provide assistance to patients moving from stretchers, wheelchairs and toilets. Assist patients to improve and maximise their mobility, utilising equipment as directed by the multi professional team.
8. Assist in meal service as required in line with Trust hygiene and food handling policy.
9. At the delegation of the Registered Nurse transfer the patient/client from one care area to another, i.e. outpatient’s environment to discharge lounge/ward/other department. Chaperone the patient as required ensuring appropriate support.
10. Welcome and orientate patients, visitors and others to the unit/department/site and ensure that all communications result in effective customer care.
11. Assist in the correct procedure of duties relating to last offices for deceased persons. Ensure that all religious and cultural wishes, obligations are adhered with, in line with Trust policies and procedures.
12. Communicate well within the team at all times. Demonstrate a pleasant and approachable manner and help create and promote a good team working relationship, by being fully involved, committed and participative to achieving full potential. Proactively help patients and carers to take an active role in care delivery. Develop personal awareness of others’ perceptions, acknowledging and changing behaviour in response to any constructive feedback.
Clinical Support:
1. Where appropriate, to answer queries promptly and courteously, taking appropriate actions according to the mode of enquiry or the information required. As appropriate, inform or refer enquiries or problems to the relevant qualified staff.
2. Assist the Registered Nurse in the process of undertaking clinical risk assessments e.g. recording height and weight, updating the nurse on any changes to a patient’s condition/ circumstances. Responsibility for undertaking the risk assessments lies with the Registered Nurse.
3. Appropriately record and monitor dietary intake of patients, informing relevant staff of progress and/or any difficulties relating to dietary/fluid intake.
4. Assist in providing conditions to meet the patient’s need for rest and sleep.
5. Actively support and assist in alleviating distress and anxiety of patients or carers, consistent with their personal beliefs and preferences.
6. Prepare trolleys for specific clinical procedures in line with trust policy utilising aseptic non touch technique practices.
7. Recognise and report abusive behaviour to an appropriate member of staff, documenting the same.
Environmental Support:
1. Be responsible for self and others through identifying risks and undertaking work activities in a safe manner.
2. Maintain cleanliness in the work environment, ensuring a clean and safe environment for patients, adhering to infection control policies and guidance in line with Trust health and safety policies.
3. Prepare and maintain environments for clinical procedures.
4. Contribute to the general tidiness and cleanliness of the clinical environment including the correct disposal of waste.
5. Assist with the checking of clinic/department linen stock, where required. Contribute to the supply and maintenance of materials and equipment to ensure the efficient running of the clinical environment.
6. Assist with the checking and recording of deliveries to the clinical areas against original orders. Ensure stock rotation is undertaken to minimise the risk of equipment becoming out of date.
7. Assist in the transfer of materials and equipment as requested, including the maintenance of equipment as appropriate.
8. Report faults on the clinic/unit/department as necessary.
9. Reports all accidents and complaints according to the agreed policy to shift coordinator or senior staff.
10. Contributes to the continuous improvement of services. May be required to demonstrate and assist more junior staff to gain clinical experience, skills and knowledge.
11. Undertake all training required to perform duties effectively to the requirements of the post, including but not limited to attending all required mandatory training courses.
12. Maintain own professional portfolio in accordance with personal development plans.
13. Demonstrates the agreed set of values and accountable for own attitude and behaviour.
Administration:
1. Assist in preparing patients notes, relevant charts, nursing documentation, etc. and ensure that patient notes are available within the clinic/department and secure at all times.
2. Undertake clerical duties as directed by the Registered Nurse in relation to all verbal and written communications, ensuring messages and communications are passed to other team members, storage of patient information and retrieval of such information.
These duties and responsibilities are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and staff may be required to undertake other duties and responsibilities consistent with the band.
