Lowther Medical Centre
Healthcare Assistant
The closing date is 06 December 2026

Job summary
We currently have the opportunity for caring and driven healthcare assistants to join our Copeland team at North Cumbria Primary Care. In a healthcare assistant role within the Copeland area, you will play a vital part in the provision of services within our community, supporting the clinical team to deliver high quality patient care.

Main duties of the job
Working within our GP surgeries, our healthcare assistants support our practice clinical team to deliver prescribed programmes of patient care including: phlebotomy, NHS Health Checks, QOF long term condition management, blood pressure checks, urinalysis, weight management checks, diabetes foot checks, simple dressing, ECG recording, chaperoning duties, processing and management of laboratory samples and vaccinations etc. For a more comprehensive list of duties, please see the job description.

About us
NCPC (North Cumbria Primary Care) was established in August 2019 in response to an increasingly fragile general practice provision within North Cumbria. NCPCs vision is to bring practices together to develop a sustainable, fully integrated primary care- built locally and delivered together.

The Copeland NCPC area consists of 3 major practices, Fellview Health Care, Lowther Medical Centre and Seascale Health Center as well as a shared PCN (Primary Care Network) which delivers services to patients across all 3 practices.

We are a not-for-profit company with all money we receive in funding and other business activities going towards supporting the organisation, our staff, and our services.

Details
Date posted: 06 November 2026
Pay scheme: Other
Salary: £25,412.17 to £26,929.57 a year
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time
Reference number: A0658-26-0008
Job locations: 1 Castle Meadows, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 7RG, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities
Healthcare Assistant
Location: Copeland
Hours: Negotiable, Various available
Salary: Dependant on experience
Responsible to: Lead Nurse for Copeland

Job Summary
Working under the direct supervision of the senior practice nurse and strictly in accordance with specific practice guidelines and protocols, the healthcare assistant will assist the practice clinical team in the provision and delivery of prescribed programmes of patient care. They will work collaboratively with the general practice team to meet the needs of patients, following policy and procedures.

Clinical & Administrative duties:

• Phlebotomy
• NHS Health Checks: to carry out calibration of Health Check Machine in line with national protocol. Liaison with Practice Manager
• QOF long term condition management: working alongside Practice Nurse for patient reviews, any areas of QOF appropriate to role and at discretion of Practice Nurse, GP & Practice Manager
• Blood-pressure checks
• Urinalysis (dip stick urines in line with our urines policy liaising with Practice Nurse/GP)
• Weight Management checks (where felt appropriate by GP/Practice Nurse/Dietician)
• Diabetes Foot checks as part of annual Diabetes Reviews
• Simple dressings (supported by Practice Nurse)
• ECG recording
• Chaperoning duties
• Processing and management of laboratory samples requested by GPs/nurses
• Sterilising, cleansing and maintenance of surgical equipment
• Vaccine/cold chain storage, monitoring and recording
• Surgical equipment and vaccine re-stocking and stock rotation
• Clearing and re-stocking consulting rooms
• Preparing and maintaining environments and equipment before, during and after patient care interventions, including assisting GPs during the performance of minor operations/joint injections where appropriate
• Assisting in the assessment and surveillance of patients health and well-being
• Undertaking specific clinical activities for named patients that have been delegated and taught specifically in relation to that individual
• Helping to raise awareness of health and well-being and how it can be promoted
• Assisting with the collection and collation of data on needs related to health and wellbeing
• Any other clinical or administrative duties in line with your individual skill set and felt appropriate to this role
• Vaccinations
• NHS Health Checks

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 implement and lead on a full range of promotion and management of their own and others health and safety and infection control 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 (but will not be limited to):

• Using personal security systems within the workplace according to practice guidelines
• Awareness of national standards of infection control and cleanliness and regulatory / contractual / professional requirements, and good practice guidelines
• Responsible for the correct and safe management of the specimens process, including collection, labelling, handling, use of correct and clean containers, storage and transport arrangements
• Management and maintenance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the practice, including provision, ordering, availability and ongoing correct usage by staff
• Responsible for hand hygiene across the practice
• Ownership of infection control and clinically based patient care protocols, and implementation of those protocols across the practice
• Active observation of current working practices across the practice in relation to infection control, cleanliness and related activities, ensuring that procedures are followed and weaknesses / training needs are identified, escalating issues as appropriate
• Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks across clinical and patient process
• Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills, and initiate and manage the training of others across the full range of infection control and patient processes
• Monitoring practice facilities and equipment in relation to infection control, ensuring that provision of hand cleansing facilities, wipes etc are sufficient to ensure a good clinical working environment. Lack of facilities to be escalated as appropriate.
• Safe management of sharps procedures including training, use, storage and disposal
• Using appropriate infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy, clean and sterile, and safe way, free from hazards. Initiation of remedial / corrective action where needed or escalation to responsible management
• Actively identifying, reporting, and correction of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
• Keeping own work areas and general / patient areas generally clean, sterile, identifying issues and hazards / risks in relation to other work areas within the business, and assuming responsibility in the maintenance of general standards of cleanliness across the business in consultation (where appropriate) with other sector managers
• Undertaking periodic infection control training (minimum twice annually)
• Routine management of own team / team areas, and maintenance of work space standards
• Waste management including collection, handling, segregation, container management, storage and collection
• Spillage control procedures, management and training
• Decontamination control procedures, management and training, and equipment maintenance
• Maintenance of sterile environments
• 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 colleagues. Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and right.

Personal/Professional Development
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include participation in an annual individual performance review. Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work.

Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision. 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 and 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; participate in audit where appropriate; and anything else deemed appropriate to the role of Health Care Assistant.

Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential: Care Certification
Experience
Essential: Experience of working as a Health Care Assistant; ability to provide quality care; good interpersonal and communication skills; good organisational skills; good team working skills; effective time management skills; ability to work independently following verbal or written instructions; adaptable to change; computer literate.
Desirable: Knowledge in EMIS clinical systems; skills in Phlebotomy, ECGs, Patient Health Checks, Blood Pressures.
Must be personable, polite and approachable. Must be a team player. Must be adaptable to change. Must be aware of their own professional boundaries and highlight any concerns or areas of required development. An understanding, acceptance and adherence to the need for strict confidentiality. Able to work on own initiative. Able to work under pressure and remain calm. Flexible and adaptable. Aware of own limitations. Keen to develop. Provide cover for absence of other HCAs when required.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details
Employer name: Lowther Medical Centre
Address: 1 Castle Meadows, Whitehaven, Cumbria, CA28 7RG, United Kingdom
Employer's website: https://www.lowthermedical.co.uk/

Employer contact details
For questions about the job, contact: HR Administrator, Louise Cann, louise.cann@nhs.net

Supporting links
NCPC Website; Privacy notice; Lowther Medical Centre's privacy notice.