Rheumatology Clinical Support Worker and Data Administrator

Job overview

We are recruiting for a Rheumatology Clinical Support Worker and Data Administrator who shares our vision to be trusted to provide consistently outstanding care and exemplary service to our patients.

Our Rheumatology department is seeking a skilled and motivated Clinical Support Worker to join our specialist multidisciplinary team. This role is ideal for someone looking to develop their career while supporting patients with long-term rheumatology conditions.

The successful candidate will undertake a range of delegated clinical and administrative duties within the Rheumatology department, working within agreed competencies and under the supervision of registered staff.

You will work alongside consultants, nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists and administrative colleagues to support the ongoing care of patients with long-term rheumatology conditions.

You will be involved in managing the Rheumatology advice line, to support patients requiring advice between their outpatient appointments.

The role will also involve working in the Rheumatology Infusion Clinic, including taking observations, performing urinalysis, undertaking cannulation once trained and assessed as competent, and supporting registered nurses with delegated clinical tasks as required. Further training and supervision will be provided.

You will also maintain local and national audit databases. The postholder may also be required to support data collection, analysis and reporting activities across any service within Care Group 3, Chronic Conditions, in line with service priorities.

At the heart of everything we do are our core values: Include, Respect, and Improve. We encourage you to embrace these values throughout the recruitment process and in your role with us.

Main duties of the job

Assist with managing the rheumatology advice line, with the support of the rheumatology nursing & allied healthcare professional team.

Maintain local and national audit databases and data returns, by accurately transcribing clinical information and liaising with clinical team members.

Support registered nursing team to run the rheumatology infusion clinic by accurately documenting patient observations and recognise and escalate abnormal observations.

Support the service by working closely with pharmacy, ensuring patient medication arrives on time, to prevent delays in care.

Working for our organisation

At East and North Hertfordshire Teaching NHS Trust, we are proud of the range of general and specialist services we provide and our 6,000 or so dedicated staff ensure our patients get the best care. Our ability to be flexible and innovative in the way in which we work and deliver our services to our catchment has never been more important than it is now.

We run the following hospitals:

• The Lister Hospital, Stevenage
• New Queen Elizabeth II (New QEII), Welwyn Garden City
• Hertford County, Hertford
• Mount Vernon Cancer Centre (MVCC), Northwood

We have ambitious plans to become an outstanding, patient-led Trust where dedicated staff provide high-quality, compassionate care to our patients. We continue to undergo significant transformation and our staff and patients are at the heart of delivering this ambitious agenda.

We are committed to a positive work life balance for our employees. This means that any employee is entitled to seek to work flexible working patterns and we are committed to listen and consider all requests. Such requests, of course, have to be made and considered formally, and will need to be balanced against service needs, but our starting point will always be to find ways to support making them happen.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification applicant pack for further detailed information regarding this role.

Person specification

Qualifications / Training

Essential criteria

• Numeracy (GCSE Maths at grade C or above, or equivalent)
• Literacy (GCSE English at grade C above, or equivalent)

Desirable criteria

• Care certificate
• Phlebotomy certificate / qualification / previous training

Previous Experience

Essential criteria

• Previous experience in a healthcare setting

Desirable criteria

• Rheumatology experience

Skills

Essential criteria

• Willingness to develop Venepuncture and cannulation skills
• IT skills
• Written & verbal communication skills
• Able to take measurements using a tape measure and carry out basic maths

Desirable criteria

• Venepuncture and Cannulation skills
• Phlebotomy
• Carry out rheumatology specific assessments (DAS28, BASMI)
• Able to understand and interpret data

Knowledge

Essential criteria

• Understanding of long term health conditions and the impact on a patient’s holistic care needs

Other Requirements

Essential criteria

• Understanding of, and commitment to, equality, diversity and inclusion
• Role model our Trust values every day