Healthcare Assistants work within a variety of community settings, including GP surgeries. HCAs work under the guidance of a registered health professional, usually a Doctor, Nurse or Midwife, to provide help to the clinical team in improving patient care.
Some HCAs join the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and with additional training this role could lead to becoming a Senior Healthcare Assistant, Assistant Practitioner, a Registered Nurse or a Nursing Associate.
Your role may involve:
- Completing health checks
- Performing a range of diagnostic tests (eg, blood pressure, urinalysis)
- Phlebotomy
- Completing health promotion or health education work
You might be suited to a Healthcare Assistant role if you are:
- Caring, patient and understanding
- A good listener
- Good at working in a team and with the public
- Willing to take responsibility for a number of duties
- Able to adhere to patient confidentiality at all times
- Comfortable using a variety of medical terminology
Entry requirements and skills:
No set formal qualifications are required, but you will need to demonstrate:
- Good numeracy and literacy skills
- Strong IT skills, and/or relevant work experience
- Some senior HCA roles may require a healthcare qualification such as a BTEC or NVQ
New HCAs should complete the Care Certificate: skillsforhealth.org.uk
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What candidates say about this role…
What do you enjoy most about working in primary care?
“I have my own clinics in my role as Healthcare Assistant, I run smoking cessation, diabetic and other chronic disease clinics and I get to build relationships with patients.”
What do you appreciate most about your work?
“Support from clinical and managerial colleagues. I have recently had the opportunity to start my nurse training which is being supported by my manager.”
What made you choose to work in your particular role?
“Plenty of nursing opportunities and career progression.”
What would you say to someone considering primary care?
“It offers fantastic job opportunities with plenty of scope to broaden your chosen career path.”
