Maternity Care Assistant

JOB OVERVIEW

Working as a Maternity Care Assistant (MCA) in a maternity scanning department is a deeply rewarding role that blends administrative efficiency with high-level emotional intelligence. You are essentially the "glue" that holds the clinic together, ensuring the clinical team can focus on the scans while the patients feel seen, heard, and supported.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

PATIENT CARE & ADVOCACY:

* The First Interface: You are often the first person a woman sees. Your job is to welcome patients, manage their anxiety, and explain the flow of the appointment. * Chaperoning: You will frequently act as a chaperone during intimate ultrasound examinations to ensure the comfort and safety of both the patient and the sonographer.

CLINICAL SUPPORT:

* Room Readiness: Ensuring scan rooms are stocked with necessary supplies (couch roll, gel, gloves, clinical wipes) and that equipment is cleaned between patients. * Basic Observations: You will be expected to take "observations," such as blood pressure, height/weight (BMI), and urinalysis. * Flow Management: Keeping the sonographers on schedule by ensuring the next patient is prepared and the previous patient’s paperwork is handled.

ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES:

* Record Keeping: Updating patient records on hospital systems (Badgernet).

MAIN DUTIES OF THE JOB

CLINICAL & TECHNICAL SUPPORT

* Chaperoning: Attending scans to provide a witness for the clinician and a support person for the patient, ensuring dignity and modesty are maintained. * Clinical Observations: Performing and recording routine checks such as:

• Urinalysis
• Blood pressure monitoring.
• BMI calculations (measuring height and weight).
• Venepuncture

PATIENT & EMOTIONAL MANAGEMENT

* Managing News: Escorting patients to "quiet rooms" following a difficult scan result and staying with them until a midwife is available. * Information Sharing: Giving out relevant literature on screening, nutrition, and next steps in the maternity journey.

ENVIRONMENT & INFECTION CONTROL

* Aseptic Cleaning: Strictly following infection control protocols to deep-clean ultrasound probes and couches between every single patient. * Stock Control: Monitoring and ordering specialised supplies like ultrasound gel, thermal paper for scan photos, and clinical gowns.

DOCUMENTATION

* Data Entry: Accurately inputting scan measurements and findings into maternity software systems. * Liaising with Teams: Communicating with the Antenatal Clinic, Community Midwives, and Delivery Suite to ensure seamless care if a woman needs immediate admission. * Result Tracking: Ensuring that screening bloods are correctly labelled and sent to the lab promptly to avoid delays in results.

WORKING FOR YOUR ORGANISATION

OUR POPPY’S PROMISE COMMITMENT

We believe that compassionate care sits at the heart of everything we do. Every member of our team — clinical or non-clinical — plays a vital role in ensuring that patients, families, and colleagues are treated with dignity, empathy, and respect at all times. We expect all staff to demonstrate compassion not only through their words, but through their actions: by listening attentively, communicating clearly and kindly, and recognising individual needs, feelings, and circumstances of those in our care. Effective communication is central to safe and high-quality healthcare. We value colleagues who take the time to understand others, explain information in a meaningful way, and respond to concerns with patience and understanding. By joining our team, you are committing to uphold these values — ensuring that every patient feels heard, respected, and valued, and that compassion is embedded in every interaction, every day.