Healthcare Assistant
What is a career as a healthcare assistant in health and social care?
A healthcare assistant (HCA) supports nurses, doctors, and other healthcare professionals in delivering care to patients.
This role may also be known as: healthcare support worker, integrated care worker, clinical support worker, care assistant, support worker.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Tasks will vary depending where you work but can include:
- Delivering personal care.
- Providing clinical and medical support with taking and recording vital signs, assisting with wound care and dressings, collecting samples, and monitoring and reporting changes to patients condition to registered healthcare professionals.
- Supporting with emotional and social needs by providing companionship, encouraging mental wellbeing by engaging in activities, assisting with end of life care.
- Maintaining a safe and clean environment through changing bed linens and keeping patient areas clean, restocking medical supplied and equipment and following infection control procedures.
Martha’s Story:
Entry routes and pay
There are no set entry requirements but expect a good standards of English and Maths and some may ask for qualifications such as GCSEs, NVQs or equivalent.
A starting salary of £23,615 with opportunity to progress up to £25,674 with experience and additional training.
Where can you work?
Care Home
Community
Doctors’ Practice
Hospice
Hospital
Mental Health
