Healthcare Assistant

Job overview

Start Your NHS Career With Us — Your Future Begins at Royal Berkshire Hospital

If you’re passionate about helping others and ready to take your first step into a meaningful, long‑term career, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust wants to hear from you. We’re looking for enthusiastic, caring and motivated individuals to join us as Healthcare Assistants — and to grow with us through our exceptional apprenticeship pathways.

This is more than a job. It’s your opportunity to gain highly valued NHS experience, develop clinical skills, and build a career you can be proud of. Our Healthcare Assistants can go on to become Nursing Associates and Registered Nurses through our apprenticeship programmes -your journey could start right here.

You must have the legal right to work in the UK at the time of application. We are not able to offer sponsorship for this role.

Main duties of the job

Why begin your career with us

• A supportive environment where your learning and development truly matter
• Opportunities to apply for apprenticeship routes after probation, including:
• Structured progression for those who want to build a long‑term future in healthcare
• Hands‑on experience in a busy acute hospital — the perfect foundation for a clinical career
• A team that values compassion, communication and a willingness to learn
• **The Nursing Associate Apprenticeship and the Registered Nurse Degree Apprenticeship

What we’re looking for

You don’t need previous healthcare experience — just the right values. If you’re caring, reliable, eager to learn and committed to making a difference, you’ll fit right in. Good communication skills and a compassionate approach are essential.

Please note: this role requires full‑time working (37.5 hours per week) on a rota covering days, nights, weekends and bank holidays.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

What you’ll be doing

As a Healthcare Assistant, you’ll play a vital role in delivering high‑quality care under the supervision of Registered Practitioners. Your responsibilities will include:

• Always acting in the patients best interests
• Supporting patients with dignity, compassion and respect
• Providing personalised care to people from all backgrounds
• Noticing and reporting any changes in a patient’s condition
• Learning and performing clinical skills once trained, such as venepuncture and cannulation
• Offering enhanced support to patients who need closer supervision
• Guiding and supporting junior or less experienced colleagues

If you’re ready to start a career with purpose — one that offers real progression, nationally recognised qualifications and the chance to make a difference every day — we’d love you to join our team.

**To be eligible to apply for Nursing apprenticeships, you must meet the university’s academic entry requirements, and the relevant apprenticeship rules.**

Please note we are currently recruiting candidates who are able to work full time (37.5 hours per week) on a rota basis, 7 days a week (including bank holidays) on day and night shifts.

Applicant requirements

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.