It is very easy to assume a healthcare assistant and care assistant are the same. But, in fact there is a difference between them. We've come up with a way to easily define the two which will help you find the right job.

Knowing the difference between Healthcare Assistants and Care Assistants is extremely important when finding a job to tailor to your expertise.

Although the terms ‘care assistant’ and ‘healthcare assistant’ are used interchangeably by people and the duties of both roles are similar, they are usually in separate categories which helps to create some differentiation between social care and clinical/hospital care roles.

The ‘Care assistant’ sector on www.tltpcare.co.uk  is intended to be used for role that are community, care home or domiciliary. Whilst the job title and description may use the term ‘healthcare assistant’ or ‘HCA’ to refer to the role, the difference in skills between a social care setting and a hospital or clinical setting is, in our opinion, too great to have all the jobs lumped in together in a single sector. 

On www.tltpmedical.co.uk we have a sector called Primary Care where the role of a ‘Healthcare Assistant’ falls into. It is intended for hospital and clinical roles. Healthcare assistants can be found in hospitals or GP surgeries. They can also be known as ‘healthcare support workers’ or ‘auxiliary nurses’, particularly when working in a hospital setting.

Find out more about healthcare assistants and carers https://www.tltpmedical.co.uk/healthcare-assistants-and-carers including how you can progress within the role.

What about qualifications?

Typically, any care assistant or healthcare assistant role will require candidates to have a vocational qualification; NVQ or an equivalent. QCF or NVQ Level 2 or 3 diplomas in Health and Social care or equivalent are a typical requirement for care assistants. Whilst there is no formal requirement regarding qualifications for care assistant or HCA roles, it is common for care assistants and HCAs to undertake additional training whilst they are employed.  

An enhanced DBS is also required to work any healthcare setting, which any reputable agency, like TLTP Medical, can process for you along with providing the necessary training required. The DBS and training must be renewed and kept up to date.

Latest Healthcare Assistant and Care Assistants Jobs

TLTP Medical work with several NHS Trusts across the UK, as a result we have a wide range of healthcare roles available that are flexible and rewarding. Visit https://www.tltpmedical.co.uk/job-search/browse/healthcare-assistants-carers/jobs for the latest jobs and apply today.

Don’t worry if you cannot find what you are looking for as we have new roles arriving daily. Register your details so you’ll never miss out on the latest opportunities.

For those who have recovered from Covid-19, the road to recovery is long and tedious. Once the brilliance of ICUs disappears from the public eye, it will be the turn of rehabilitation services. 

Physiotherapists are not only part of multidisciplinary teams that save lives. They are also part of the multidisciplinary teams that give people their lives back and ensure they are as independent and meaningful as possible.

Covid-19 is testing processes and every skill of those working in the medical and healthcare field. It affects each patient very differently. People with milder cases have tiredness, loss of appetite and decreased stamina, while others are so impacted they cannot sit on the edge of the bed without the physical support of four physiotherapists. Something like this can take up to 12 months for patients to recover from. 

Spending time in bed, not moving, can also result in a significant decline in muscle mass and strength and this has been linked to falls, functional decline, increased frailty and immobility, all of which increases the risk of pressure ulcers and subsequent infection. This needs to be addressed and online physiotherapy can play a key role here as face to face appointments are not currently possible during the lockdown.

Online physio services also address the issues of travel distance and lack of care resources which can be a frequent barrier to accessing care. For many patients, it is also convenient, particularly if fatigue is an issue which is a key feature of Covid-19 along with breathlessness. With this in mind tolerance to exercise will need to be in short bursts, paced to individual needs and take place several times a day. Resilience building this will need to be at their own pace and will benefit from support to progress to self-management.

This could involve a variety of bed-based exercises to increase joint mobility and strength, to chair exercises, to standing which will include balance work and repetitive more advanced exercises. If breathlessness is an issue then some breathing exercises will need to be given. Pacing is essential and patients must be encouraged to listen to their body

The key to recoverment is movement and patients will need to be encouraged to engage in a rehab programme and gently increase activity levels and set goals. 

The NHS is launching Your Covid Recovery for people suffering with the long-term physical and mental impacts of the virus. In the coming months tens of thousands of the most seriously affected coronavirus survivors will be offered online recovery services. Everyone will be able to access advice about recovering from the virus via the portal from later in July, and a second phase of personalised services for those who need specialist rehabilitation will be launching later this summer. 

Patients will be able to speak with nurses and physiotherapists over the phone, join a survivors’ community, follow exercise tutorials to help regain muscle strength and lung function, and access mental health support through the portal. 

This comes after the first centre to provide rehabilitation services for Covid-19 survivors, as well as non-coronavirus patients, the NHS Seacole Centre in Leatherhead, Surrey, began treating patients in late May.

Announcing the launch of the rehabilitation service on the NHS’s 72nd anniversary, the institution’s chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said Covid-19 has been “the biggest challenge in the NHS’s history”. He said: “As we celebrate the birthday of the NHS and look ahead to the next phase of our response, while in-person care will continue to be vital, the health service is embracing the best that new technology can offer us to meet the significant level of new and ongoing need."

“Rolling out Your Covid Recovery, alongside expanding and strengthening community health and care services, is another example of how the NHS must bring the old and the new together to create better and more convenient services for patients.”

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the Government has invested millions of pounds into coronavirus research and will support the NHS to deliver long-term rehabilitation. He said: “We are learning about this disease all the time, and increasingly know that for some people, Covid-19 has debilitating lasting effects.”

He added: “The new research will help us understand how to prevent and treat the long term complications suffered by some." “I suffered from coronavirus first-hand so I know the impact it can have. I’m determined to ensure we have the best possible treatment for coronavirus, both to save lives, and to help anyone suffering from the aftershocks.”

As the UK begins to emerge from lockdown, buiness leaders have backed one last 'huge' applause to thank key workers on the 72nd anniversary of the NHS. 

People are being asked to come out and clap at 5pm on Sunday 5th July on the 72nd anniversary of the NHS to say thank-you to all the NHS staff who have worked during the coronavirus crisis.

Weekly claps became the norm in the first few months of lockdown with streets of neighbours heading out to their doorsteps, back gardens and windows to give thanks for the effort of healthcare workers during the Covid-19 crisis. The last clap took place on 28th May, after the woman who came up with the idea claimed the show of gratitude had "had its moment" and risked being politicised.

But this Sunday, it will come back as a one-off, with NHS bosses hoping to make it an annual event for the anniversary. Public buildings will be lit up in blue, including the Royal Albert Hall, Blackpool Tower, the Shard and the Wembley Arch, the health service said. As a mark of respect broadcasters will also suspend transmissions for a moment.

People are also being encouraged to put a light in their windows the night before to remember all those who have died from COVID-19, the same day pubs, hairdressers and restaurants will be allowed to open for the first time.

 The Clap for Carers initiative started on 25th March by Dutch-born Londoner Annemarie Plas. The weekly tradition was often accompanied by the banging of pots and pans. It was Ms Plas herself who called for the tradition to end after its 10th week and she expressed her hope that it could instead become an annual event.

 NHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens says he hopes the public will use the anniversary as an opportunity to "say a heartfelt thank-you" to hospital staff.

Sir Simon said: "This year has been the most challenging in NHS history, with staff displaying extraordinary dedication, skill and compassion to care for the 100,000 patients with COVID-19 who needed specialist hospital treatment and many others besides."

"During this testing time our nurses, doctors, physios, pharmacists and countless more colleagues were sustained by the support of the public, not least through the weekly applause for key workers."

"No health service, not even the NHS, could have coped alone with this coronavirus pandemic. From bus drivers and teachers to care staff and food retailers and, of course, the public who took action to stay at home to stop infection spreading, everyone played their part."

A coronavirus vaccine is not yet available, however when it is frontline key workers in the health and social care sectors and those with heart and kidney disease, and the over 50s will be given priority, the health secretary has announced. He said he will priorotise those people for vaccinations who are at higher risk of getting COVID-19.

Human trials began on a second potential vaccine being developed at Imperial College London this week, while production has already started on another possible inoculation at Oxford with the aim of building up stockpiles to be ready for deployment if it is approved for use in the autumn. He said "AstraZeneca has struck a deal for the manufacture of the Oxford vaccine. They’re starting manufacturing now, even ahead of approval, so we can build up a stockpile and be ready should it be clinically approved.”

Speaking at the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing, Matt Hancock said his approach to vaccines was ”to throw everything at it as fast as we can” in order to have inoculations ready to use as soon as they are deemed safe. 

Millions will have to wait their turn as demand for protection from Covid-19 is high. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) issued interim advice that jabs should go first to frontline health and social care workers and those at increased risk of serious disease and death because of age and underlying health factors. Mr Hancock said that work was under way to see whether black, Asian and minority ethnic people should be added to the list because of research showing that they make up a disproportionate share of cases and deaths. 

The health secretary said: "As we learn more about the virus we will continue to take into account which groups may be particularly vulnerable, including, for example, those from ethnic minority backgrounds so that we can protect the most at risk first, should a vaccine become available, and get this country back on our feet as soon as we possibly can." “In the long run, the best way to defeat this virus is of course the discovery of a vaccine. And since the start we’ve been supporting the most promising projects."

In deciding who comes first in the queue for the vaccine, Matt Hancock said ministers will be “guided by the clinical science, prioritising those in most need”.  

During these challenging times TLTP Medical have been working extremely hard through safe measures to ensure patients continue to be looked after and their care needs are met. 

All of our frontline healthcare workers have shown immense dedication and have gone above and beyond their duty of care throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. In particular two of our healthcarers Monica and Alexandre who have been supporting the NHS East Kent Home Support Team for some time, responded to an incident whilst on duty last Tuesday 6th May. 

They witnessed a road traffic accident whilst they were driving to their evening patient visit. An individual swerved off the road and hit a pole. Monica and Alexandre stopped along with a taxi driver and called 999. They found the driver of the vehicle unable to breath and then he stopped breathing altogether.

  
Alexandre - Healthcare Assistant                           Monica - Healthcare Assistant

The 999 operator told them to get the man out of the car, lay him flat and to start CPR until the ambulance arrived. They duly followed the advice and Alexandre completed CPR for approximately 10 minutes until the ambulance crew arrived and took over. The gentleman was defibrillated and took him into the ambulance breathing.

After providing a statement to the police who attended the incident, they then carried on to their last patient visit who was receiving end of life care. Given the shock they were both in, they were extremely brave and kept calm throughout the situation. They both composed themselves together and proceeded with taking care of their patient.

Staffing Manager, Jane May said 'You should and I know that you will be incredibly proud of Monica and Alexandre and both the service and KCHFT are both grateful and impressed by their actions.'

Lisa Camp, Managing Director for TLTP Medical responsed 'Our frontline staff have worked so hard and to hear that they have done that and gone the extra mile makes me exteremly proud. We are very lucky to have staff who care so much, are reliable, passionate and dedicated.'

Lisa Camp - TLTP Medical Managing Director

She concluded to say 'It's not a just a job to them, It's the satisfaction they feel knowing they have helped and cared for their patients, bringing a smile to their faces and brightening up their days just by saying hello'. 

TLTP Medical are recruiting for healthworkers for various NHS projects across the UK, if you are interested in finding out more information please call the Primary Care team on 020 8709 6553. Alternatively register your details here www.tltpmedical.co.uk/user/registration.

View the latest healthcare jobs 

Working within healthcare is a highly rewarding role, yet at the same time it can be demanding especially during challenging times. It is important to create a strong relationship with your patient so that the very best care can be achieved. Building a good rapport will have such a positive impact not only on your career, but also on your experience with the patient and on the overall satisfaction.

We've put together 6 helpful tips to build a good relationship with your patients. 

1. Take time to get to know patients
First and foremost, no patient likes to feel as if he or she is being rushed through an appointment. A big part of ensuring that a patient is comfortable is addressing him or her like an individual, as opposed to a medical condition. While asking someone questions, you should try making it more of a discussion rather than a strict Q&A. Also, introductions are key, so don't forget to introduce yourself and your role on the clinical team is important for building a positive patient relationship. It shows your patient that you want them to know exactly who you are and what you’ll be doing to care for them. Remember your patients' names. Whenever you can, address them by their first names, even if it's something like, "OK, Helen, I will go ahead and schedule your MRI".

2. Be prepared for appointments
It's good practice to review patients' reports before you see them in person. It can be a waste of time to ask for information already in their files. Also, if you discuss the reason for their last visit, you'll come across as observant and interested in the patient's individual needs.

3. Active Listening
Active listening is an essential holistic healthcare tool. It is a non-intrusive way of sharing a patient’s thoughts and feelings. The goal of active listening is to reflect the feeling or intent behind their words. You should listen to understand, not to respond. To practice active listening, follow these steps:

• Listen to what the patient is saying.
• Repeat what you heard to the patient.
• Check with the patient to ensure your reflection is correct.

By becoming a good listener you are increasing the chance of better understanding your patient and give him the best advice. In addition to that, listening demonstrates appreciation and value. By asking, looking, observing and listening to the patient, you can learn what is important for the patient as a human being and how to help him. The language you are using should be simple and conversational.

4. Keep your word
Keeping your word is one of the most effective ways to build rapport with patients. If you tell them you will do something, do it. If your ability to complete a task changes, communicate this with the patient. Don’t over-promise and under deliver. Keeping your word with patients not only builds rapport, it also builds trust.

5. Maintain eye contact and body language
Besides words, the key is to speak calm and to use the appropriate body language. Maintaining eye contact communicates care and compassion. It can also show empathy and interest in your patient’s situation. Eye contact and social touch connects you to your patients and communicates understanding. Your movements should be smooth, rhythmic and purposeful. You should always explain to your patient what you are doing. 

6. Predict and anticipate their needs

Anticipation means looking ahead at what might happen with your patient and determining what he might need. Furthermore, verbalize your thoughts and don’t forget to ask questions. If you are able to predict and anticipate your patient’s needs, you will gain order, control and trust. Anticipating their needs will show them that you do care and that you are doing all that you can to provide them with the best care plan

There isn’t a manual on how to build rapport with patients. Some techniques will come easier to you than others. Practice each of these 7 ways to build rapport and choose the ones that come most naturally to you in your daily practice.

The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) has called for the government to ensure that temporary and locum staff working in the NHS and the care sector are provided with equal access to PPE and COVID-19 testing kits. Half (48%) of specialist recruiters have flagged this as a major concern in the fight against Coronavirus. 

These agency health and social care staff are vital in the fight against Coronavirus, and they must be able to carry out their duties as safely as their colleagues who are permanent staff. This call comes as part of a four-point plan from the REC to help bridge staffing shortages and ensure that we harness the expertise of specialist health and social care recruiters during this pandemic. The manifesto, ‘Backing the NHS and care sector at a time of crisis’, also sets out how government can work with the recruitment sector to:

• build agile and sustainable recruitment supply chains; compliance checks and hiring processes must remain effective but must be sped up to meet demand for staff;
• set the right standards for recruitment by developing a formal partnership agreement with the Department for Health & Social Care; and
• take a lead on longer-term workforce planning by launching a review of future NHS and care sector workforce strategy and reviewing immigration policy.

Tom Hadley, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the REC, said: “We want to work with the NHS and care sector to ensure that all workers, including temporary and locum staff who are providing crucial frontline support, are kept safe at work. Looking at the longer-term, 70% of healthcare recruiters would welcome a post-crisis review of how flexible staffing can best be harnessed. The NHS already had 100,000 unfilled vacancies prior to the pandemic – we want to build a genuine partnership approach with government to pre-empt and address both immediate and future workforce challenges.

“The recruitment industry places more than a million people into temporary, contract and locum placements every day. We want to work with the government to harness the contribution of recruitment experts during this time of national emergency, and this manifesto sets out four priority areas that will help to make this happen.”

This guidance covers the donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) of personal protective equipment (PPE) in health and social care settings.

For the latest information please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-use-for-non-aerosol-generating-procedures

Further guidance on PPE and hand hygiene can found by following the video links below.

• Safe donning and doffing of PPE: https://youtu.be/3vdLKlNXoCs
• How to safely wear a face mask: https://youtu.be/M4olt47pr_o
• Hand washing guidance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXWA7TTop_w 

Being concerned about the news is understandable, but for many people this is taking its toll on people's mental health, particularly those already living with conditions like anxiety and OCD. 

People across the UK are now staying at home for long periods without the contact with friends, family and colleagues which would normally be part of everyday life. Some people may find the change easy to adapt to, but for others this will be a very difficult adjustment to make. It can make existing mental health problems worse.

Many are beginning to realise that this unique moment requires a focus on mental health as well as physical. 

So how can we ensure our mental health is protected during the Covid-19 lockdown? Here are some tips for minding your mental health during the lockdown .

1. Get dressed and set up a routine

Creating a routine will help bring a sense of purpose to your days. With nowhere to go or nobody to see, it may seem pointless to get dressed and showered, but you’ll feel untidy and dirty by the end of the day. So, by just starting with simply getting dressed will help make you feel fresh and more like yourself. Without doubt, this is the quickest, easiest thing you can do that reaps the most benefits.
Think of a few things you could do that would make you feel accomplished – like studying for an hour, cooking, gardening or doing a workout video – and a few things you want to do – like gaming, binging Netflix. Perhaps do work around the house that you haven’t got around to all these years due to a lack of time. Lists are super useful here and will help you to look back and see what you have achieved with your day.

2. Stay connected

Advances in mobile technology in particular mean that we can stay connected through calls, text, WhatsApp, email, social media etc. Use this time to get in contact with people.
Try to connect with people who you haven't heard from in a while or people in your community who are likely to be isolated right now. The additional time at home can bring tension but it can also be an ideal opportunity to reconnect and strengthen relationships within the family.
Remember you can always mute WhatsApp groups and Facebook groups if you’re finding them too overwhelming. You can also mute keywords and unfollow accounts on most social media platforms., which will help limit unwanted content on newsfeeds.

3. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

The negative impact of sleep disruption on mood is well-established. Without the structure of having to get to school, college or the workplace, it can be easy to fall into unhealthy sleep habits like going to bed later and getting up later. Changes to your sleep cycle now could go on to impact your mood in the weeks and months ahead.
Scheduling a balanced range of activities in your day including:
• Getting adequate and healthy sleep
• Daily routine of working and resting
• Eating nutritious food
• Exercising at home, there are lots of video on YouTube you can try out
• Practice meditation or try to relax when you can
• Do not be afraid to discuss your anxieties and fears with someone. It helps to ventilate and talk things out.

4. Working from home

If you find yourself working from home for the first time, it means figuring out how to stay on task in a new environment that may not lend itself to productivity. But there are ways to deliver results and avoid going stir-crazy, from setting up a good workspace to the way you talk to your team.

• Have a clear workspace is crucial for your state of mind, and not just in terms of being in a "working" mindset but also so you're able to turn off when the working day is over.
• Washing and dressing appropriately is very important when working from home. It will not only improve your state of mind, it will psychologically prepare you to start work. Likewise, changing out of work clothes when you clock off for the day helps your brain to understand that the working day is over.
• Remember to eat. With no access to a canteen or shops you most likely will have to make lunch. Try to plan ahead what you will make so that it is built into your schedule and it’s a healthy and nutritious meal.
• Taking breaks regularly is very important to avoid being burnt out. Overworking will only result in less productivity and frustration. Being cooped up inside can lead to fatigue, therefore even walking around the garden or even watering plants around the house will help keep your mind active and focused.
• Establishing boundaries is very important, especially if you're employed by a company, you'll probably have set hours of work, and it's important to stick to these when you're working from home. Be ready to start your day at the same time as you would normally arrive in your office or workplace, and finish your day at the same time. Setting a “to do list” will help you stay on track, organised and create order. Sharing this with your employer is also helpful so they are aware of your work.

5. Maintain hygiene

Whilst it is important to maintain hygiene, do not be preoccupied with it all the time. Be mindful of washing hands, and not touching metal surfaces, do not cough or sneeze without tissue paper.

6. Limit social media usage

Whilst it’s important to stay digitally active, it is also important to carefully choose your news and media sources, particularly if some of the information you are receiving is leaving you feeling overwhelmed. Remember that some of the information online is driven by the views, opinions and agendas of individuals, and it may not be helpful for you to take those on as your own right now.
Choosing one or two well-informed sources and limiting yourself to set times during the day to check for ups for example at 9am and 5pm.
Try and share the positive stories you see: of people who have recovered or even a post on social media that made you laugh.

7. Understand the risk

Stay up to date on COVID-19 but only trust the information that comes from authentic sources.
From the government: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
From the NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Try not to be glued to the news 24/7
Do not believe every message or tweet circulated in social media

8. Be prepared

Make a list of helpful contact numbers and emails – such as for healthcare and keep enough supply of non-prescription medicines to last at least a month. Talk to family and friends nearby about how you can support each other, in case one household is quarantined. For example, dropping supplies outside the front gate. Use self-help tools. There is a list of clinically approved apps that have been put together by ORCHA – who’ve been set up to help regulate the safety and value of these apps and make sure people find the right app for the right reason. They have recommended Wysa to cope with stress or anxiety issues. Wysa has released free tool packs for everyone to cope with the stress of isolation and current health anxiety. They want to ensure that everyone has mental health resources during this crisis.

At this time, it is important that everyone gets the help they need – and this includes looking after yourself.

Please continue to follow NHS guidance, stay at home, protect the NHS, and save lives.

This evening the UK will come together for a national salute to honour the hardworking NHS staff and all carers working hard through the coronavirus outbreak.

In a gesture of thanks to the frontline healthcare heroes, everyone across the nation has been invited to join a mass round of applause from their doorsteps, gardens, windows and balconies on Thursday 26th March at 8pm.

Organisers of the "Clap For Carers" campaign - which started online - say it is being staged because "during these unprecedented times they [NHS staff] need to know we are grateful".

The person behind the campaign wrote on its website: "In Spain, France and the Netherlands they already did this. And being a Dutch Londoner, I want to pass this on in the country I feel so at home, and the NHS had been nothing but amazing to my family and myself!"

Landmarks such the Wembley Arch, the Principality Stadium, the Royal Albert Hall and Lincoln Cathedral are set to be lit up in blue during the salute. It is part of the #lightitblue campaign which has been organised by members of the events and entertainment industry as a way to say thank you.

In a statement, organisers said: "The events and entertainment industry finds itself in an unprecedented state of enforced inaction.” 

"The best thing we can do - apart from staying at home - is to use our skills and networks to say thank you to everyone who is supporting the NHS and risking their own health to help others during this pandemic."  

Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "Never have we owed so much to our brilliant and hardworking NHS staff. Just as they are caring for us, we need to care for them and give them every ounce of support they need. I welcome this fantastic initiative to encourage the public to show their appreciation to all our NHS workers." 

It comes as the total of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK since the start of the outbreak neared 10,000.
As health professionals battle the spread and tend to the patients, more than half a million people have also signed up to be NHS volunteers to support in the crisis.

Staying up to date

The government is continually providing updates. For the latest information and advice please visit Public Health England.

There is also guidance for health professionals on the NHS website www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Track confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK 

The coronavirus dashboard is now available to find out and track confirmed cases in the UK. 

Coronavirus Tracker - Mobile friendly guide

Coronavirus Tracker - Desktop guide

Symptoms of coronavirus & what to do

Coronavirus: Guidance for Health Professionals