About this role
Job summary
Healthier West Wirral PCN Ltd is seeking an experienced and competent Primary Care Healthcare Assistant to join its established PCN Nursing Team.
The successful candidate will already have strong experience working as a Healthcare Assistant within general practice or a comparable primary care environment and will be able to bring an established range of HCA clinical skills to the role. Phlebotomy will be a significant element of the post, particularly providing planned phlebotomy visits to patients who are housebound or otherwise unable to access practice-based services. The post is intended for an individual who is confident in their existing competencies and able to contribute effectively to service delivery from an early stage.
The working hours of this role can be structured flexibly to meet the needs of the right candidate, meaning this role may be of interest to those who have other work or family commitments.
Main duties of the job
An important element of the role will involve supporting patients with mental health needs to access appropriate physical health monitoring and preventative healthcare. This may include undertaking planned physical health checks and clinical observations within patients' homes or clinic settings to help reduce barriers to accessing routine physical healthcare.
Working under the leadership of the PCN Nurse Lead and alongside experienced registered nurses, the Healthcare Assistant will undertake delegated clinical activity within their competence and agreed scope of practice.
While significant previous experience is required, the role also offers an opportunity for an experienced HCA to develop beyond a traditional practice-based HCA role. Through structured support, exposure to wider PCN and MDT working, the postholder will have opportunities to broaden their professional view, develop confidence in community working and progressively work with greater autonomy within appropriate professional and organisational boundaries.
A key purpose of the role is to enable registered nurses within the PCN Nursing Team to work at the top of their professional competence by appropriately delegating activity, both clinical and none clinical that can be undertaken by an experienced HCA.
About us
Healthier West Wirral Primary Care Network is an ambitious and forward-thinking organisation serving over 70,000 patients across five GP practices on the west side of the Wirral Peninsula.
We are committed to delivering high-quality, patient-centred care by developing innovative services that meet the changing needs of our local population. Our focus is on providing proactive, integrated care closer to home, improving patient outcomes while supporting the sustainability of primary care.
Our multidisciplinary team includes GPs, nurses, clinical pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physician associates, care coordinators and social prescribers, all working collaboratively to deliver seamless care across our communities.
As the NHS continues its shift towards neighbourhood healthcare, we are proud to be developing new models of care and creating opportunities for clinicians to shape services, develop specialist interests and make a real difference. If you're looking for a role where you can innovate, collaborate and influence the future of primary care, we'd love to hear from you.
Job description Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
Community and Housebound Care
The postholder will:
Undertake planned clinical visits to patients in their own homes as part of the PCN Nursing Team's community caseload. Develop the ability to independently manage an allocated programme of visits within an agreed scope of practice. Undertake delegated clinical procedures, monitoring and observations during home visits. Apply existing primary care experience to recognise when findings are outside expected parameters or when a patient's presentation requires further clinical assessment. Provide a significant element of the PCN's housebound phlebotomy service, undertaking planned blood collection from patients within their own homes and other appropriate community settings. Promptly escalate clinical concerns to the PCN Nurse Lead, registered nurse, GP or other appropriate clinician. Support proactive and preventative management of the PCN's housebound and vulnerable population. Identify unmet health needs and opportunities for intervention during patient contacts. Work respectfully within patients' homes, maintaining dignity, confidentiality and professional boundaries. Follow lone-working procedures and undertake dynamic assessment of environmental and personal safety risks.
Clinical Duties
The successful candidate is expected to join the service with an established range of primary care HCA competencies. Depending upon existing training and demonstrated competence, duties are expected to include:
phlebotomy; blood pressure monitoring; pulse, respiratory rate, temperature and oxygen saturation measurement; height, weight and BMI measurement; urinalysis; capillary blood glucose testing; ECG recording; collection and processing of appropriate clinical specimens; collection of clinical information and observations required for chronic disease reviews; supporting NHS Health Checks and preventative healthcare activity; providing appropriate health-promotion and lifestyle information; supporting vaccination and immunisation programmes; and accurate recording of clinical activity within the patient's electronic record.
Following appointment, additional clinical competencies may be developed according to service need, the individual's development objectives and appropriate governance arrangements. The postholder will not undertake clinical diagnosis or activities requiring registered professional judgement outside their agreed scope of practice.
Chronic Disease and Preventative Care
A significant element of the role will involve supporting the PCN Nursing Team with chronic disease monitoring and preventative healthcare. The postholder will:
Undertake defined elements of long-term condition monitoring in accordance with agreed templates and protocols. Obtain appropriate clinical observations and information to support subsequent review by registered clinicians. Recognise results or information requiring escalation rather than attempting to independently interpret matters outside the HCA scope of practice. Identify opportunities for health promotion and prevention during routine contacts. Support appropriate NHS Health Check activity. Promote vaccination and screening uptake. Provide brief lifestyle advice within competence. Support the identification of patients who may benefit from other PCN, practice or community services.
Vaccination and Immunisation
The HCA will be an active member of the PCN's vaccination programmes, including community and housebound delivery. Responsibilities may include:
supporting seasonal vaccination campaigns telephone calls supporting vaccine preparation, stock management and cold-chain processes. accurately recording vaccination activity. providing approved information to patients and carers about vaccinations. escalating clinical questions or concerns to an appropriate registered clinician. Where service requirements change in the future, administering appropriate vaccines may form part of the role, but only where the postholder has received the required training, has been assessed as competent and the appropriate legal, consent and clinical governance arrangements are in place.
Developing Autonomy
This role provides an opportunity for an established Primary Care HCA to further develop their practice within a supportive nursing team. The postholder will be encouraged to progressively take greater responsibility for planning and managing their own delegated workload, particularly within the PCN's housebound and community nursing programme. Development will be supported through:
regular access to the PCN Nurse Lead and registered nursing colleagues. structured induction to PCN and community working. clinical supervision. competency assessment. continuing professional development. opportunities to develop additional clinical skills; and exposure to a broader range of patients and services than may ordinarily be available within a single general practice.
Clinical Governance and Patient Safety
The postholder will:
work within their demonstrated competence and agreed scope of practice. maintain accurate and contemporaneous clinical records. recognise their professional boundaries and seek registered clinical advice when required. comply with infection prevention and control procedures. follow medicines and vaccine-management procedures relevant to their role; recognise and escalate safeguarding concerns. comply with lone-working arrangements. report incidents and near misses appropriately. participate in learning arising from incidents, complaints and patient feedback. maintain confidentiality and comply with information governance requirements.
Person Specification
Qualifications Essential
Experience Substantial and recent experience working as a Healthcare Assistant within general practice/primary care. Demonstrable experience of independently undertaking a range of established Primary Care HCA clinical procedures. -Experience supporting chronic disease monitoring. -Experience of phlebotomy. -Experience undertaking routine clinical observations including blood pressure, pulse, weight/BMI and other appropriate measurements. -Experience of ECG recording. -Experience using GP clinical systems and maintaining accurate electronic patient records. -Experience communicating directly with patients and carers. Knowledge and skills -Strong understanding of the Primary Care HCA role and its professional boundaries. -Ability to work confidently within established protocols and competencies. -Good understanding of chronic disease monitoring within general practice. -Understanding of preventative healthcare and health promotion. -Ability to organise and prioritise an allocated clinical workload. -Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. -Understanding of safeguarding, confidentiality, information governance and infection prevention and control. -Good IT skills and experience of primary care clinical systems. Personal attributes -An experienced and confident HCA who can contribute effectively from an early stage following appropriate local induction. -Compassionate and patient-centred. -Motivated to develop professionally and expand existing competencies.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details Employer name Healthier West Wirral Primary Care Network
Address 156 Common Field Road
Woodchurch
Birkenhead
CH49 7LP
United Kingdom
Employer's website https://healthierwestwirralpcn.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)