Senior Healthcare Assistant - Endoscopy Unit

Job overview

Band 3 Healthcare Assistant – Endoscopy Pre-Assessment Support

An exciting opportunity has arisen at Princess Royal University Hospital (PRUH) for a Band 3 Healthcare Assistant to join our expanding Endoscopy Service.

As a Healthcare Assistant, you will provide essential support to the nursing team, assisting with patient preparation, clinical observations, and administrative tasks. You will work closely with nurses, consultants, anaesthetists, and the wider multidisciplinary team to deliver safe, effective, and patient-centred care.

Key responsibilities include supporting patients during telephone and face-to-face pre-assessment appointments, helping with basic investigations, ensuring documentation is accurate, and assisting with the smooth running of the GA pathway. This role provides an excellent opportunity to develop your clinical skills within a busy, nurse-led service.

Main duties of the job

You will be a part of an experienced team delivering individual care to patients undergoing both diagnostic and complex therapeutic procedures. Our Healthcare Assistants play an important role supporting both the registered nurses and the doctors in Endoscopy to ensure that patients receive high quality care while they are in the Endoscopy unit.

Duties will include

• Setting up Endoscopy equipment in the procedure rooms ready for procedures.
• Assisting in the delivery of nursing care during procedures, admissions and recovery under the supervision of registered nurses.
• Ensuring all procedure rooms are restocked appropriately.
• Escorting patients to and from the ward for their procedures as required.
• Supporting the endoscopy pre-assessment team.
• Assisting with the completion of audits.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Clinical Responsibilities

You will be able to perform the following:

• To assist patients with activities of daily living whilst encouraging independence, as appropriate.
• Demonstrate encourage and assist patients in undertaking therapeutic activities within parameters of agreed care plans and under guidance of registered practitioners.
• To monitor and record patient’s clinical observations, escalating appropriately to a registered nurse as required.
• To assist with patient nutritional needs – eating, drinking, menu selection, meal delivery and special diets according to the individual patient’s needs.
• To assist in the maintenance of up to date, comprehensive and accurate records in accordance with current legal requirements both written and digital.
• To assist in the admission and discharge of patients including any necessary risk assessments.
• To escort patients and families to other departments within the hospital as required.
• Undertake electrocardiogram (ECG) recording and point of care testing (e.g. blood sugar, urinalysis).
• After appropriate training, to assist in the collection of specimens including blood samples (including fixed central lines and established arterial lines – specialist areas only).
• After appropriate training; insert, secure and remove female catheters; empty drainage bags and accurately measure and record urinary output.
• After appropriate training assist in the implementation of advanced wound care (e.g. skin closure using adhesive sutures, wound drainage care).
• To participate in maintaining standards of hygiene, cleanliness and infection control, reporting problems as appropriate.
• To ensure that equipment is clean at all times, stored safely when not in use and report faults as appropriate.
• To assist in setting up and preparing patient areas appropriately to the clinical area (this may include the set up and calibration of devices e.g. ventilators, pumps – (after appropriate training).
• To ensure that stock levels of linen, sterile supplies and stationery are maintained at all times in conjunction with the senior sister/ward receptionist.
• To assist in the maintenance and safekeeping of patients property in line with Trust policy.
• To assist ward staff with general collection/delivery of items necessary to ensure effective operational management of ward/department.
• To assist in performing the last offices as requested.
• To ensure that all patients and relatives are welcomed and orientated to the ward environment.
• To assist with the care of distressed or bereaved relatives.
• To demonstrate an awareness of the different cultural, ethnic and religious needs.
• To participate effectively in multidisciplinary case conferences as required .

Administrative Responsibilities

• To assist with clerical and ward administrative duties, including data management, photocopying, transporting of equipment/data/ paperwork to other departments, booking patient transport, sending referrals and administration of appointments.
• To provide clear and effective information and communication, both verbally and in writing. Promptly referring enquiries to the relevant person.
• To maintain confidentiality at all times, in and out of the hospital environment .

Education and Training

• To be able to identify with support your own development needs, completing a competency document and learning objectives within a specified time frame and as agreed by manager.
• To ensure own attendance at mandatory study days and training (BLS, manual handling etc.) as required by ward/departmental manager.
• To update skills and knowledge as required by the Trust.
• To actively participate in annual individual performance review.
• Sign off HCA’s for Care Certificate.
• Once assessed as competent in a specific skill to demonstrate those skills to less experienced staff, providing practical training and basic assessments under oversight of senior registered colleagues.

Leadership

• To adhere to, and work within the National Code of Conduct for clinical support workers at King’s College Hospital
• To manage an agreed workload with supervision and support from colleagues and senior staff.
• To work within and support the multidisciplinary team, contributing ideas toward future developments.
• To act as a role model and advisor to less experienced staff demonstrating and promoting the Trusts Values and Behaviours.
• To provide day-to-day supervision and co-ordination of junior staff (e.g. healthcare assistants (band 2), apprentices, work experience) supporting their local induction.
• Take personal ownership in giving and receiving feedback.
• To participate in reflection and or clinical supervision sessions as provided.
• To observe personal and collective responsibility for resource management.
• To be responsible with others for any specific risk management associated with the post, reporting and taking appropriate actions as necessary.

Research and Service Development.

• Assist with audits, surveys and research and developmental activities as instructed.
• Provide care to patients taking part in clinical trials as directed by registered healthcare professionals in line with relevant research protocols.
• To act as a liaison with specialist teams and services as a link practitioner enhancing communication and collaborative working by attending meetings and disseminating relevant information (via face to face teaching and written/digital briefings).

General

• The post holder has a general duty of care for their own health, safety and wellbeing and that of work colleagues, visitors and patients within the hospital, in addition to any specific risk management or clinical governance accountabilities associated with this post.
• To observe the rules, policies, procedures and standards of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust together with all relevant statutory and professional obligations.
• The post holder will uphold the Trust values – Kind, Respectful, Team at all times. The post holder will be aware of the Trust BOLD strategy and know how their role fits within this.
• The post holder will wear their uniform correctly, according to Trust policy, attend shift on time and present themselves to others in a professional way in regards to appearance and communication.
• To observe and maintain strict confidentiality of personal information relating to patients and staff.
• To work within own level of assessed competence and to be responsible, with management support, for their own personal development and to actively contribute to the development of colleagues.
• This job description is intended as a guide to the general scope of duties and is not intended to be definitive or restrictive. It is expected that some of the duties will change over time and this description will be subject to review in consultation with the post holder.