The role of the healthcare assistant

What is a healthcare assistant?

Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) work within a range of NHS hospital or community settings under the guidance of a variety of healthcare professionals. The nature of the role will vary depending upon the area of work. An HCA could be working alongside nurses in hospitals or midwives in maternity services or in mental health, community or General Practice (GP) surgeries, for example.

What is the role of a healthcare assistant?

Types of duties may include:

• observing, monitoring and recording patients' conditions by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weight
• communication with patients, relatives and carers
• assisting with clinical duties
• personal care including infection prevention and control, food, personal hygiene and overall reassurance, comfort and safety
• promoting positive mental/physical/nutritional health with patients
• checking and ordering supplies

Are there opportunities to progress?

There are opportunities to work as an Assistant Practitioner and to work towards an appropriate foundation degree. Experienced healthcare assistants working at a senior level (usually as an Assistant Practitioner or similar level) may be able to obtain a secondment from their current employer onto an appropriate pre-registration programme at university.

The formal route to Nursing or Midwifery is an option for HCAs to consider. Or, with further study, the Allied Healthcare professions could be worth exploring as there are so many fields to work in ranging from Art Therapy, Dietician, Radiographer, Speech and Language Therapist and many more. Go to the links below to explore further opportunities.