Job description

Job responsibilities

Job description - Health Care Assistant, St Peters Health Centre

Job title

Healthcare Assistant

Line manager

Rebecca Pennefather, Nurse Manager

Accountable to

Practice Manager

Hours per week

Minimum 20 hours per week

Job summary

The HCA works within the organisation and supports the practice nursing and administrative teams in the delivery of clinical and administrative services. This role involves working as part of the practice multidisciplinary team, delivering care within their scope of practice to the entitled patient population.

Having completed the Care Certificate or equivalent qualification, the HCA will deliver and assist clinical staff in the provision of treatment, preventative care, health promotion, long-term condition management and patient education while also supporting the administrative team on an as-required basis.

The HCA will work under the supervision of a registered clinician while developing competencies in community-based care. The role is at Support Worker Level and as described in NHS Es Primary Care and General Practice Nursing Career and Core Capabilities Framework.

The post-holder will be an integral part of the general practice team.

Mission statement

To help our patients become happier and healthier

Primary key responsibilities

The following are the core responsibilities of the Healthcare Assistant in delivering health services. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent on factors such as workload and staffing levels:

a. Consult with patients and their families to undertake assessments of patient need

b. Deliver and assist clinical staff in the provision of treatment, preventative care, health promotion, long-term condition management and patient education

c. Be an integral part of the general practice team

d. Provide clinical support to registered Nurses and other healthcare professionals within the organisation

e. Deliver basic clinical care interventions under supervision, supporting continuity of care and patient safety initiatives

f. Act as a chaperone as required

g. Ensure specimens are recorded and ready for onward transportation

h. Provide support during minor operations as required

i. Ensure clinical waste is removed from clinical areas and sharps bins replaced in accordance with the organisations IPC Policy

j. Work within national and local protocols where these exist

k. Be aware of your duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to both PCN and practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children

l. Recognise the boundaries of your practice and know when and to whom patients should be referred

m. Support the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements

n. Support the administrative team on an as-required basis

o. Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes

p. Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance

q. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times

r. Attend a formal appraisal with your Manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed

Wider responsibilities

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Healthcare Assistant has the following wider responsibilities:

a. Participate in any audits as directed

b. Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care

c. Support and participate in shared learning

d. Complete opening and closing procedures in accordance with the duty rota

September 2026

Person Specification

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Ability to follow legal, ethical and clinical policy and procedure
• Knowledge of and ability to work to key policies and procedures
• Ability to use own initiative, discretion and sensitivity
• Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required
• Able to get along with people from all backgrounds and communities, respecting lifestyles and diversity
• Ability to work as a team member and autonomously
• Excellent communication skills and effective in communicating and understanding patient needs
• Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations
• Commitment to ongoing professional development
• Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
• High levels of integrity and loyalty
• Clear, polite telephone manner
• Flexible and cooperative
• Motivated

Desirable

• Good organisational skills
• Effectively utilise resources
• Demonstrate personal accountability, emotional resilience and work well under pressure
• Competent in the use of MS Office and Outlook

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of working in a healthcare setting
• Ability to undertake vaccinations
• Understanding of the principles of ECGs
• Ability to undertake patient medicals, including height, weight, BP, pulse and BMI, etc.
• Ability to work within own scope of practice and to understand when to refer to colleagues
• Clinical IT system user skills and the ability to record accurate clinical notes
• Understanding of safeguarding adults and children

Desirable

• Able to perform venepuncture
• Wound care/removal of sutures and staples
• Broad knowledge of clinical governance
• Chaperone procedure

Qualifications

Essential

• Has completed the Care Certificate or equivalent qualification, as detailed in CQCs GP mythbuster 57 Health Care Assistants in General Practice
• Retain proof of any courses or training qualifications commensurate with the post

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

St Peter’s Medical Centre

Address

Oxford Street

Brighton

BN1 4LA

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://stpetersmedicalcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Job description

Job responsibilities

Patient Care Advisor (PCA) Job Description

Responsible to: Patient Care Advisor Team Leader / Patient Care Advisor Manager Accountable to: Patient Care Advisor Manager / Practice Manager Hours: As agreed, with flexibility required to meet service needs.

The Patient Care Advisor (PCA) is the first point of contact for patients accessing the practice and plays a vital role in delivering an efficient, professional and compassionate service.

The post holder will provide high-quality reception and administrative support, ensuring patients are signposted to the most appropriate service while supporting the safe and effective operation of the practice. You will work collaboratively with the wider multidisciplinary team to provide an excellent patient experience and contribute to the smooth running of practice services.

Welcome patients and visitors in a courteous, professional and compassionate manner. Provide excellent customer service both face-to-face and over the telephone, dealing with enquiries sensitively and efficiently. Maintain patient confidentiality, manage difficult conversations calmly and professionally, and promote a positive image of the practice.

Answer incoming calls promptly and courteously, assess patient needs using agreed protocols and signpost appropriately. Book, amend and cancel appointments using SystmOne and manage appointment requests in accordance with practice policies and total triage processes. Take accurate messages and ensure timely communication with clinicians and colleagues.

Support patients who are unable to complete SystmConnect requests independently and complete requests on their behalf where appropriate. Promote and support the use of the NHS App, SystmConnect and other online services, ensuring sufficient information is obtained to enable appropriate clinical triage.

Book, amend and cancel appointments across clinical services, ensuring patients are booked into the most appropriate appointment type. Explain appointment processes clearly and escalate urgent clinical concerns in accordance with practice policy.

Help patients access the most appropriate NHS or community service. This includes Pharmacy First, community pharmacies, NHS 111, urgent treatment centres, community services, social prescribing, mental health services, local authority services and voluntary organisations.

Process new patient and temporary resident registrations, update demographic information, verify identity where required and maintain accurate patient records.

Provide administrative support to the clinical team, including raising pathology and diagnostic test requests where authorised, booking interpreters, processing post, scanning and workflowing clinical correspondence and supporting wider practice administrative processes.

Maintain accurate and timely information within SystmOne, follow document management procedures and comply with GDPR and Information Governance requirements. Confidentiality must be maintained at all times.

Work collaboratively with clinicians and the wider practice team, support colleagues during busy periods and provide cover across reception positions. Participate in team meetings and contribute to service development and improvement.

Follow practice policies and procedures, report incidents and patient safety concerns and participate in audits and continuous improvement. Comply with safeguarding, infection prevention and Health & Safety requirements and promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

Participate in annual appraisal, complete mandatory training and maintain ongoing professional development.

This job description is not exhaustive and may be amended to meet the changing needs of the practice.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Previous experience in a customer service, reception, administrative or other public-facing role.
• Experience of dealing with people by telephone and/or face-to-face in a professional environment.
• Experience of using IT systems and accurately entering, retrieving and maintaining information.
• Experience of working effectively as part of a team.
• Experience of managing a varied workload and prioritising tasks in a busy environment.

Desirable

• Previous experience of working within General Practice or another NHS/healthcare setting.
• Previous experience in a busy GP reception or patient-facing environment.
• Experience of using SystmOne and/or SystmConnect.
• Experience of supporting patients to use the NHS App or other digital healthcare services.
• Knowledge or experience of patient navigation, signposting and NHS primary care pathways.

Qualifications

Essential

• Good standard of general education, including GCSE English and Maths (or equivalent).
• Good level of written and spoken English.
• Evidence of willingness to undertake training and continued learning relevant to the role.

Desirable

• Relevant qualification in customer service, business administration, healthcare or a related field.
• Previous training or recognised qualification relevant to working within a healthcare or patient-facing environment.
• Evidence of additional training in areas such as safeguarding, confidentiality, Information Governance or customer care.

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

St Peter’s Medical Centre

Address

St Peter's Health Centre

30-36 Oxford Street

Brighton

BN1 4LA

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://stpetersmedicalcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)

Job description

Job responsibilities

The following are the core responsibilities of the Practice Nurse in delivering health services:

a. Support the Infection Prevention Control (IPC) lead and work to the IPC Policy

b. Consult with patients and their families to undertake assessments of patient need

c. Support in the long-term condition management within the organisation, including being involved with quality improvement and assurance initiatives

d. Support the development ofan effective care management programme for the frail and housebound patients registered with the organisation working with the PCN team

e. Support public health and screening programmes, including immunisations, vaccinations, and cervical screening and also provide opportunistic health promotion advice

f. Embed population health management approaches within general practice, targeting health inequalities and improving access

g. As required, provide routine nursing care to patients in accordance with clinical based evidence, NICE and the NSF

h. Support new-to-practice nurses and other healthcare professionals within the organisation

i. Teach and advise patients and their families on how to manage their condition

j. Participate in clinical audits and research projects and implements changes as required, including supporting with the development, and updating of practice protocols/guidelines and procedures locally

k. Work within national and local protocols where these exist

l. Recognise the boundaries of their practice and know when and to whom patients should be referred

m. Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements

n. Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children

o. Participate in the management of patient complaints when requested to do so and participate in the identification of any necessary learning brought about through incidents and near-miss events

p. Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes

q. Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance

r. Support the practice team with the reviewing and implementation of practice policies and protocols, ensuring conformance to extant legislation

s. Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed

t. Lead on public health campaigns (e.g., flu clinics)

u. Provide travel advice services St Peters also has a private travel clinic and there is an expectation that the post holder will work in this area as well.

v. Provide wound care (ulcer/Doppler, etc.) to patients

w. Maintain accurate clinical records in conjunction with extant legislation ensuring that SNOMED CT codes are used effectively

x. Contribute to practice targets (QOF, etc.), complying with relevant guidance

y. Maintain chronic disease registers and implement an effective call/recall system

z. Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times

aa. Chaperone patients where necessary

bb. Support the team in dealing with clinical emergencies

cc. Liaise with external services/agencies to ensure the patient is supported appropriately (vulnerable patients, etc.)

There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks, this will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels

Wider responsibilities

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Practice Nurse has the following wider responsibilities:

a. Develop, review and implement nursing protocols in conjunction with the partners

b. Participate in local initiatives to enhance service delivery and patient care

c. Support and participate in shared learning in order to improve patient care

d. Coordinate the nursing team rota, ensuring sufficient staff are available to meet patient needs

e. Support with the planning and implementation of changes within the nursing team, enhancing the provision of services to patients

f. Support in the coordination of the nursing team rota

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Registered Nurse Nursing and Midwifery Council

Desirable

• Mentor or teaching qualification
• Family planning qualification

Experience

Essential

• Broad knowledge of general practice and experience of working as a Practice or Community Nurse
• Experience with chronic disease management
• Experience of working autonomously
• Experience of infection prevention and control measures

Desirable

• Experience of quality initiatives eg benchmarking
• Experience of managing elderly and housebound patients
• An appreciation of the NHS landscape including the relationship between individual organisations, PCNs and the commissioners

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.

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

St Peter’s Medical Centre

Address

Oxford Street

Brighton

BN1 4LA

United Kingdom

Employer's website

https://stpetersmedicalcentre.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)