Healthcare Assistant

Healthcare Assistants are important members of a practice team, making sure the patient experience is as comfortable and stress-free as possible.

About Healthcare Assistants

Within health centres and GP surgeries, Healthcare Assistants provide important support to members of the primary care team by undertaking tasks such as sterilising equipment, carrying out health checks and restocking consulting rooms. They also process lab samples and take blood samples an well as getting involved in health promotion and health education work.

There are no set entry requirements to become a Healthcare Assistant, but those in the role should be caring and kind, cheerful and friendly, willing to be hands-on with patients and able to follow instructions and procedures as well as using their own initiative.

There are opportunities for Healthcare Assistants to progress within the health service, it is a good route towards being a nursing associate or with the appropriate training and qualifications they could also work towards being a nurse, podiatrist, midwife or occupational therapist.