Job summary

The HCA plays a vital role within the Emergency Department, supporting the multidisciplinary team to deliver safe, compassionate, and efficient care to children and young people. The role includes undertaking patient observations, personal care, supporting clinical procedures, obtaining specimens, preparing and stocking clinical areas, and helping to ensure patients and families have a positive experience throughout their visit.

This role requires an individual who is caring, adaptable, resilient, and able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, a child-centred approach, and a genuine passion for supporting children, young people, and their families during what can often be a stressful time.

Bolton's Paediatric Emergency Department is a dynamic, supportive, and rewarding place to work. Our team is committed to delivering high-quality emergency care while maintaining a family-centred approach that puts children and their carers at the heart of everything we do. We foster a positive team culture where staff are valued, supported, and encouraged to develop their skills and knowledge.

Working in Paediatric ED offers the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and families every day.

Main duties of the job

The HCA will support the nursing and medical teams in delivering high-quality, safe, and compassionate care to children, young people, and their families. Responsibilities include

• Undertaking and recording patient observations, including temperature, pulse, respirations, blood pressure, and oxygen saturations.
• Assisting with patient assessments and supporting nurses and clinicians during examinations and procedures.
• Collecting and processing specimens in line with departmental procedures.
• Supporting children with personal care needs whilst maintaining dignity and respect.
• Providing reassurance and emotional support to children and families.
• Preparing patients and equipment for procedures and investigations.
• Assisting with patient transfers and escorting patients safely within the department.
• Maintaining clean, safe, and well-stocked clinical areas, ensuring equipment is available and fit for purpose.
• Supporting infection prevention and control measures, including cleaning equipment and clinical environments.
• Reporting concerns regarding a patient's condition promptly to a registered nurse.
• Contributing to a positive patient and family experience through compassionate, child-centred care.

The HCA will be an integral member of the Paediatric Emergency Department team, helping improve patient flow and experience while enabling registered nurses to focus on complex clinical care and decision-making.

About us

We have a long and proud history of caring for generations of local people and can trace our roots all the way back to 1814 with the first hospital in Bolton - the Bolton Dispensary in the town centre.

Bolton NHS Foundation Trust was formed in 2008 and, in 2011, we became an integrated provider with community health services joining the trust. Covering a catchment area that also incorporates parts of Bury, Wigan and Salford, we deliver hospital and community based services from the Royal Bolton Hospital in Farnworth and from 20 health centres across Bolton, to a catchment population of 310,000+ people.

The Royal Bolton Hospital is a major hub within Greater Manchester for women's and children's services and is the busiest single ambulance-receiving site in Greater Manchester. We're structured in four clinical divisions - Community Services, Families and Diagnostics, Medicine, and Surgery and are led by a Board of Directors. As an NHS Foundation Trust we're accountable to our members and have a Council of Governors to represent the views of patients, public, staff and partners.

Buildings, names and models of care have changed over the centuries, but one thing has remained constant and is prevalent among our 6,718 staff members: the enduring commitment to providing the best health and care for the people of Bolton.