Job overview

University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is delighted to offer a fantastic opportunity to work with us. 

Job Title: Senior Healthcare Assistant Respiratory Centre Outpatients

Contract Type: Secondment: 
Fixed Term Contract End Date: 30/08/2027

Purpose for Fixed Term: 
Maternity  / Shared Parental / adoption Leave Backfill 

Under current Home Office rules, this role is not eligible for Skilled Worker visa sponsorship.

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if we receive a large number of applications.

If joining as a Band 2, this role requires a 9‑month training period, so applicants must already have the right to work in the UK for the full duration. If your current visa does not provide at least 9 months of remaining permission to work from the start date, we are unable to progress the application.

If you are joining as a band 2 this position is part of a development programme that supports you to grow into a band 3 role, with a pay increase upon successful completion. If you are already working in a Band 3 HCSW role in the NHS, we will assess your experience and responsibilities against the competencies required for this position. Where these competencies are met, we will match your current pay and banding.

This role requires acute hospital experience as a Healthcare Support Worker. It is most likely the successful candidate will already be working as a Band 3 HCSW.

This is an exciting opportunity to join our team, we are looking for a Senior Healthcare Assistant within our Respiratory Centre Medical Outpatients. 

Full time 37.5 hours 12 month secondment

We are seeking a motivated and compassionate Senior Healthcare Assistant who would like to  learn new skills and enjoy working as a part of an enthusiastic multi-disciplinary team.

The Respiratory Centre Medical Outpatients provides specialist care for patients with a wide range of respiratory conditions and also supports other medical speciality outpatients within the department. Working alongside Consultants, Specialist Nurses and Physiotherapists and the wider multidisciplinary team, you will play a key role in supporting the delivery of safe, effective and compassionate outpatient care.

As a key member of the outpatient team, you will help deliver high-quality, patient-centred care while supporting diagnostic investigations, health promotion and respiratory education.

There will be specific in house training available to develop specialised knowledge & skills such as clinical observations, urinalysis, inhaler technique, ECG, venesection, patient questionnaires. Support to achieve this will be given. The candidate needs to be motivated to maintain and develop competencies, with good communication skills to be able to put patients at ease and provide support throughout their outpatient journey.

The Senior Healthcare Support Worker will work within the respiratory centre medical outpatients supporting the range of respiratory and medical outpatient clinics. 

You will be required to work as part of a team and independently with patients and quality of care being priority. We are looking for someone who is professional and a positive role model within the team with good relationships with patients, staff, visitors and other departments.
Joining our Respiratory Outpatients team offers a fantastic opportunity to gain specialist experience, develop advanced healthcare assistant skills and contribute to improving outcomes for patients living with respiratory disease.

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care. 

 We support flexible working and will consider requests taking into account the needs of the service. UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

 Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 30% lower than London and 17 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

 We believe that using technology wisely shows strong time management and commitment to innovation. However, personalising your recruitment application to highlight your unique skills and experiences is crucial. Relying too heavily on generic, AI-generated content instead of drawing from your own strengths and accomplishments may lead to your application being rejected if multiple candidates present identical or similar information.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

In this role, your key responsibilities will include:

•    Undertake a range of clinical observations including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, oxygen saturations, height and weight measurements.
•    Perform ECGs, venepuncture and specimen collection following appropriate training and competency assessment.
•    Assist patients with respiratory assessments and inhaler technique education.
•    Support health promotion initiatives, patient education and self-management programmes.
•    Maintain accurate patient records using electronic systems.
•    Prepare clinical areas and equipment before, during and after clinics.

This is a full time 37.5 hour post across Monday – Friday working days. 

This secondment position will work supporting the respiratory centre medical outpatient clinics.