Band 3 Healthcare Assistant

Job summary

At Defence Primary Healthcare (DPHC) we are an inclusive, dedicated organisation working to provide outstanding care to our entitled personnel.

Are you a Band 3 Healthcare Assistant looking for an exciting role, which offers numerous benefits and opportunities, working alongside military and civilian healthcare professionals and the operational delivery team? If the answer is yes, then we are looking to appoint a professional and patient focused individual with a strong commitment to providing a high-quality service to work within our friendly and welcoming team at Sinton Medical Centre, Lisburn. The vacant post offers full time working of 37.5 hours per week. Part-time applicants will be considered (must be able to work as part of a job-share to cover full-time hours).

Could this be the role for you? If so, we’d love to hear from you!

Job description

To provide an important service for patients (personnel and their dependents), carrying out procedures and supporting patients to live healthier lives. This role supports the strategy and mission statement for Defence Primary Health Care (DPHC) to ensure optimum health and well-being for patients and maximum deployability.

An important part of the service is clinical care including taking blood samples to be sent laboratory for testing, wound care, and health promotion. The HCA also supports the delivery of the service by providing some administrative support, such as ordering clinical supplies.
They will demonstrate safe care for patients within the NI Combined Practice. They will work collaboratively with the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) to meet the needs of patients, supporting the delivery of policy and procedures.

The HCA will be expected to provide cross-cover when required at Holywood as part of the Northern Ireland Combined Medical Practice (NI CMP).

Person specification

The duties and responsibilities of the role include, but are not limited to:

• To deliver a high standard of patient care as delegated by a registered practitioner, work within own competence and keep up to date with relevant training highlighting any training needs or competency requirements to maintain role.
• To support resupply administration functions within practice, to maintain medical stores, ordering stock and resupplying clinical areas. Ensure practice equipment competencies and raise issues to the Practice Manager (PM).
• To undertake administration support as required.
• Offer a holistic service to patients, developing where appropriate an on-going plan of care/support, with an emphasis on prevention and self-care.
• Work with nursing, medical and health care assistant colleagues to ensure that National Health Service (NHS) Frameworks (i.e., diabetes, mental health) are being delivered.

Qualifications

National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in Health and Social Care

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• NHS Core – NHSC1 – Communication
• NHS Core – NHSC5 – Quality
• NHS Health & Wellbeing – HWB2 – Assessment & Care Planning
• NHS Health & Wellbeing – HWB5 – Provision of Care

Benefits

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• An NHS pension
• Free parking
• Access to gym, dining facilities and shop
• Eligibility for Defence Discount Card/Blue Light Card
• NI Recruitment and Retention Allowance (RRA) - £750 per annum

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

CV:

• Please ensure you demonstrate that you have the required skills, knowledge, experience, qualifications and memberships in the CV section of the application form.
• Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.

Experience:

• Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the Job Description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.

At interview you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Technical Skills:

• NHS Core – NHSC1 – Communication
• NHS Core – NHSC5 – Quality
• NHS Health & Wellbeing – HWB2 – Assessment & Care Planning
• NHS Health & Wellbeing – HWB5 – Provision of Care

The interview may consist of a mix of direct questions and clinical situation-based scenarios.

Please see the link to our YouTube channel for advice preparing your best responses with some hints and tips on answering behaviour-based questions. Hints and tips such as: Your behaviours can be based on situations from work, volunteering or home; match your situation to the behaviour requested and how to use your 250-word limit.

Are you applying for a job in Civil Service? - YouTube

NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework - https://www.msg.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/KSF-Handbook.pdf

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

Access to the NHS pension scheme is available to the successful candidate.

If found successful for this position, you will be required to provide evidence of your immunity to Hepatitis B. Please note that evidence of your vaccination is not a proof of your immunity, but your serology levels will be required. Failure to provide sufficient evidence may result in the offer of employment being withdrawn.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

There is no requirement to deploy as this is met by our uniformed personnel, but you will form the continuity of care required by our patients when based at home.

This post does not offer any assistance with relocation allowances.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans - GOV.UK

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact dbscivpers-sgdmsresourcing@mod.gov.uk.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Northern Ireland

For jobs based in Northern Ireland, applications are welcome from all sectors of the community, but members from the Roman Catholic community are particularly welcomed, as this group is currently underrepresented in our workforce.

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Roberta Wiltshire
• Email : Roberta.Wiltshire304@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-SGDMSResourcing@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information Document

Attachments

DPHCSNI_B3_HCA_LIS_30032403 Opens in new window (pdf, 234kB)Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 37kB)20250910-Candidate_Pack-compressed Opens in new window (pdf, 697kB)FAQs updated 28.11.2025 Opens in new window (docx, 48kB)