Healthcare assistant in general practice
About a healthcare assistant:
Healthcare assistants are valuable members of the primary care team, working alongside healthcare professionals to provide supportive care and assist with minor clinical duties under their guidance.
They play a crucial role in observing, monitoring, and recording patients’ conditions, contributing to the delivery of coordinated care.
Services provided by healthcare assistants
While unable to prescribe medication, healthcare assistants can perform a variety of tasks within general practice, including:
- Blood pressure checks
- New patient health checks
- Health promotion (e.g., obesity clinics, smoking cessation, BMI calculations)
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) readings
- Spirometry tests
- Phlebotomy (taking blood samples)
- Removal of sutures
- Applying simple dressings
Benefits for GP practices
Healthcare assistants help free up time for practice nurses and GPs, allowing them to focus on more complex patient needs.
Their involvement:
- Reduces patient waiting times
- Improves access to appointments
- Contributes directly to health promotion and disease prevention efforts
Accessing healthcare assistant services
Patients can be booked for appointments with a healthcare assistant by the practice team.
These appointments take place in a private room within the surgery, similar to consultations with GPs or practice nurses.
By incorporating healthcare assistants into the primary care workforce, practices can:
- Enhance efficiency
- Improve patient access
- Promote preventive care measures
Ultimately providing better support for the community’s healthcare needs.