Vacancy: Minor Surgery Theatre Assistant

Accountable to:

• General Practitioners specialising in Minor Surgery  (for day-to-day matters)
• Practice or Assistant Manager (for all other matters)

Accountable to:

• Practice Partnership

Job Summary

The post holder must work as part of a team, have the ability to organise and prioritise their own workload on a day to day basis, and observe strict rules about confidentiality at all times. They must also know the limits of their own capabilities and seek direction from a Practice nurse, GP, or Manager.

Working under the supervision of the GPs specialising in minor surgery, and strictly in accordance with specific practice or national guidelines and protocols the post holder will be responsible for supporting and assisting the operating GP before, during and after minor operations.

Main Duties

The following are the core responsibilities of the Minor Surgery Theatre Assistant.  There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

• Supporting and working under GP surgeon supervision and following GP surgeon instructions
• Creating a positive experience by welcoming and assisting patients in a prompt, polite and appropriate manner as required
• Promoting patient safety by maintaining a clean and hygienic environment
• Guiding patients through the various procedures
• Answering enquiries from patients regarding minor surgery processes as required
• Communicating with doctors and team members accurately and efficiently
• Assisting with preparing patients for minor surgery
• Preparing recovery room including recovery couch
• Cleaning and preparing the minor surgery operating couch and trolleys
• Checking Oxygen tank and sign off 
• Preparing for administrative tasks i.e. prescriptions, care sheets
• Maintaining stock levels
• Logging on to EMIS/Systmone and opening up appointments
• Opening patient consultations and printing off patient labels
• Booking appointments
• General assistance during minor surgery procedures
• Preparing all equipment in a sterile manner
• Identifying patient, procedure, allergies and anti-coagulants
• Assisting with suturing and applying of dressings
• Disposing of equipment in a safe and sterile manner and in the correct bins
• Working according to the sterile principles, infection control & hygiene
• Assisting with post-operative patient care
• Maintaining patient confidentiality at all times
• Maintaining efficient time keeping
• Clean couch and trolleys
• Remove bins safely
• Ensure that Medications/prescriptions/Control Drug key safely locked away
• Knowledge of medical emergency procedures, locations of anaphylactic kit and resuscitation trolley, use of the green button on the computer to call for help
• Notifying the GP/nurse of any significant patient issues
• Liaising with and assisting members of the administrative team
• Ensure clinical waste is removed from clinical areas and sharps bins replaced in accordance with the practice IPC policy
• To perform other tasks as trained and agreed to meet the needs of the practice.
• Organise and implement new systems/protocols as required for efficient, smooth running of minor operations team
• Attend and participate in team, staff meetings and other meetings as required
• Assist with mentoring/training new staff, as directed by Assistant or Practice Manager
• Any other ad hoc duties as required

Confidentiality 

• In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters.   They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately
• In the performance of the duties outlined in this job description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers.  They may also have access to information relating to the practice as a business organisation.  All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
• Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data

Health & Safety

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ health, safety and security as defined in the practice health & safety policy, the practice health & safety manual, and the practice infection control policy and published procedures. This will include:

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way, free from hazards
• Actively reporting health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general/patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job holder’s role 
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
• Reporting potential risks identified
• Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

Equality and Diversity:

The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:

• Acting in a way that recognises the importance of people’s rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
• Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleague
• Behaving in a manner that is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.

Personal / Professional Development:

• The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the practice as part of this employment, with such training to include:
• Participation in an annual individual performance/appraisal review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development and follow up any learning outcomes.
• Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work 
• Attend and contribute to Practice Learning Events. 

Quality

The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:

• Alert colleagues to issues of quality and risk, escalating to the Patient Services Supervisor or a clinician where appropriate
• Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision, ensuring that effective, high quality patient care is at the heart of all actions.
• Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the team’s performance
• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources

Communication

The post-holder should recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:

• Communicate effectively with other team members
• Communicate effectively with patients and carers
• Recognise people’s needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly

Contribution to the implementation of services:

The post-holder will:

• Apply practice policies, standards and guidance
• Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
• Participate in audit where appropriate

Person Specification

Classification	Essential attributes	Desirable attributes
Qualifications	Good standard of general education
Experience	Experience of working in minor surgery environment / theatre support Experience of working with the general public  Experience of working in a healthcare setting	Experience of working in a primary care environment
Clinical Knowledge & Skills	Ability to record accurate clinical notes
Skills	Excellent communication skills (written and oral)  Strong IT skills  Clear, polite telephone manner  Effective time management (Planning & Organising)  Ability to work as a team member and autonomously  Good interpersonal skills  Ability to follow clinical policy and procedure	Competent in the use of Office and Outlook  EMIS / SystmOne user skills
Personal Qualities	Polite and confident Flexible and cooperative Motivated Problem solver with the ability to process information accurately and effectively, interpreting data as required  High levels of integrity and loyalty  Sensitive and empathetic in distressing situations  Ability to work under pressure / in stressful situations  Effectively able to communicate and understand the needs of the patient  Commitment to ongoing professional development  Effectively utilises resources  Punctual and committed to supporting the team effort
Other Requirements	Flexibility to work outside of core office hours Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check  Occupational Health Clearance