Healthcare Assistants (HCAs)
Healthcare Assistants
Healthcare Assistant assessment and interview days
- Interested in becoming a Healthcare Assistant? We hold regular Healthcare Assistant assessment days to help you access full and part time roles available at our hospital sites (Stoke Mandeville, Wycombe, Amersham) and within our community teams.
- No previous experience is needed.
- Email bht.recruitment@nhs.net for the latest dates.
About the department
Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) are an integral part of our nursing teams and support registered nurses across the Trust. HCAs are responsible for ensuring patients have as comfortable and stress-free an experience as possible.
What makes this a great place to work is variety and career development opportunities. Because Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is a combined Trust and our HCAs can choose to work in a hospital or in community care, which means the role is a lot more diverse than at other trusts and there are more opportunities to try different areas of healthcare if you want to.
About the role
You’ll work under the guidance of a healthcare professional such as a nurse and your job will vary depending on where you’re based. In a hospital, responsibilities include:
- washing and dressing patients
- serving meals and helping to feed patients
- helping people to move around
- making beds
- making patients feel comfortable
- monitoring patients’ conditions by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weight
It can also be an exciting stepping stone into many other NHS roles. As a Healthcare Assistant you’ll be supported with development opportunities to complete the national Care Certificate and work towards a Level 3 Diploma in Health and Social care. There are further opportunities to complete a foundation Degree or to become a Nursing Associate or Registered Nurse.
HCAs usually work standard hours of around 37.5 hours per week. However, part time options are also available. There could be shifts that involve nights, days, or a combination of both. HCAs are paid on the Agenda for Change pay system, starting at band 2.
Career routes
Starting as a Healthcare Assistant is simple. All you need to do is demonstrate you have (or able to achieve in an assessment) a Level 1 in numeracy & literacy (GCSE grade 4), a caring and understanding manner, and you’ll be well on your way.
If you enjoy the role, you can try different settings rehabilitation, acute (hospital) or community. It’s a great way to explore working in healthcare. If you want to progress within the clinical setting, you could apply to train as a nursing associate, which is a stepping stone to becoming a registered nurse. You could also consider many degree level professions such as Podiatrist, Midwife, or Occupational Therapist.
To be a Healthcare Assistant, you’ll need to be:
- caring and kind
- cheerful and friendly
- willing to be hands-on with patients
- willing to do personal care tasks (washing, toileting, etc)
- able to follow instructions and procedures
- able to work in a team but use their own initiative
You’ll also need:
- communication skills, including listening
- organisation skills
- observational skills
Mark Ferris
Healthcare Assistant
I became a Healthcare Assistant after I was made redundant after 30 years in the IT industry just as the COVID-19 pandemic started. I’d been thinking about a career change and looking after my elderly parents had made think about moving into care.
I took to the job on the wards at Amersham Hospital and was hooked from the very first day. I was paired up with an experienced senior colleague on the morning care round and quickly appreciated that the job is all about the patient and is really hands on. I help at mealtimes, help with washing and dressing, make beds, monitor temperature, pulse and breathing and just generally make patients comfortable.
There is lots of on job-the-job training and a great team spirit. Everyone’s been really supportive and I’m now in a position to make a real difference to people’s lives and feel really valued.
To be a HCA you need to be caring, compassionate and a good team player. These are definitely the best qualities for the job. You don’t need qualifications, but the HCA role is a good springboard to go on to other careers if that’s what you’d like – such as being a Nurse Associate or Registered Nurse.
Our Trust is very keen on developing our support workforce and encourages us to further our studies and personal development to obtain recognised qualifications and achieve our personal goals. We’re also given lots of support do to the nationally recognised Care Certificate, Level 2 Functional Skills and various apprenticeships to enable career progression, which is a fantastic opportunity.
The Healthcare Assistant role really is what you make it. It’s been one of the best moves I ever made.
