Health Care Assistant - ITU/HDU/POCCU

Job summary
An exciting opportunity has occurred to recruit Band 3 Healthcare Assistants for Critical care. If you have a caring and compassionate approach, and wish to join a motivated, friendly and supportive team, we are keen to hear from you.

Critical Care healthcare Assistants play a pivotal role in contributing to the assessment, care and recovery of those patients who experience critical illness. Assisting and supporting the Registered Nurse with providing high quality patient centred care.

We require staff with a genuine interest in working within Critical Care and caring for critically ill patients as part of a multi-disciplinary team. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are essential.

We provide a comprehensive learning package for which you will be supported by the Critical Care educators and team to complete Critical Care competencies.

Due to current service demands, we are only able to consider applicants who have relevant UK experience. Candidates must also be available to commence employment immediately or within a very short timeframe. We regret that we cannot progress applications that do not meet these essential requirements.

Main duties of the job
To work with all members of the multi-disciplinary team to deliver the Trust's vision and values providing safe, high quality, compassionate, person-centred care.

To undertake personal care duties for patients within the care setting accessing supervision from a registered healthcare practitioner, whilst maintaining privacy, dignity and utmost confidentiality.

To accurately record observations and ensure escalation to registered nurse.

To maintain safe, accurate levels of stock vital to the effective running of Critical Care and contributing to ensuring a safe, healthy working environment.

To maintain and further develop your own skills and knowledge through development and learning activities.

Please view our webpage:

About us
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust serves a population of over 600,000 with a workforce of over 10,500 dedicated and skilled staff across 21 sites.

Our services:

Acute Care
Providing emergency and maternity services at Whiston, Southport and Ormskirk hospitals, and medical and surgical specialties across all our sites.

Primary Care
Providing primary care services at Marshalls Cross Medical Centre situated in St Helens Hospital.

Community Services
Providing adult community services for St Helens and a wheelchair service in Chorley, South Ribble, and West Lancashire. Our inpatient unit at Newton Community Hospital is where patients needing acute hospital beds can continue rehabilitation. We also provide urgent care at our Urgent Treatment Centre located in St Helens town centre.

Specialist Regional Services
We provide the Mersey Regional Burns & Plastic Surgery Unit at Whiston Hospital and the Spinal Injuries Unit at Southport Hospital to more than 4 million people across the whole of Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, Isle of Man and North Wales.

Achievements:

• Rated Outstanding by CQC Inspection August 2018
• Top 100 places to work in the NHS (NHS Employers & Health Service Journal)
• National Preceptorship Accreditation (2023) for Nursing & AHP Preceptorship Programme.

Job responsibilities
Please ensure you have read through the attached Job Description and Person Specification before submitting your application.

Advertising date: 28th September 2026
Closing date: 11th October 2026
Shortlisting date: 16th October 2026
Proposed Interview date: TBC

Please note, this post may close earlier than advertised if a sufficient number of applications are received.

Person Specification
Values
Essential

• We are kind
• We are open
• We are inclusive

Qualifications
Essential

• NVQ level 3 Health and Social Care or equivalent experience
• Care Certificate (equivalent to level 1)
• Literacy and numeracy functional skills level 2 or equivalent

Knowledge
Essential

• Knowledge of personal care and related procedures
• Demonstrable experience of working in a patient care/health related role
• Knowledge of relevant legislation related to healthcare
• Experience of working in a team

Skills
Essential

• Ability to communicate effectively in both verbal and written formats
• Good interpersonal skills
• Able to work within a team
• Experience of supporting junior staff and learners
• Able to accept direction and guidance
• Aware of own limitations
• Flexible in working hours
• Able to prioritise own workload and manage time effectively
• Flexible, adaptable and responsive to change
• Reliable and professional
• Ability to cope in stressful and challenging situations
• Inclusive and non-judgmental
• Punctual, motivated and committed
• Effective role model demonstrating Trust values
• Basic IT skills

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.