NHS health check - practitioner qualifications

[Knotty]

Today, at my GP surgery, I booked an NHS health check (considering heart disease amongst other conditions) and was told this would be carried out by a health care assistant.

The last time I had one of these checks, it was led by a nurse. I'm wondering about the qualifications of a health care assistant - is it someone with a Level 2 qualification?

I'm not worried but considering a nurse practitioner at this practice prescribed my late husband antibiotics when his symptoms were of a brain tumour (and he was dead two months later), I do wonder.

Anyone had experience of someone with health care assistant as their job title carry out one of these checks? Was it just a tick-box exercise and handing out leaflets?

[Purpled]

Yep it’s a tick box. Blood pressure check weight etc. If you are overweight, drink alcohol or smoke they will tell you about damage they are doing. Finger prick for sugar. They may even suggest statins if you have enough risks of heart attack on their heart score calculator.

[Knotty in reply to Purpled]

And conducted by a Healthcare Assistant rather than a Nurse? Other than the finger prick blood test, all one need do is easy to do at home, so I suppose someone with a GCSE level training is more than qualified.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Knotty]

Healthcare assistants do have training however they are not registered healthcare professionals like a nurse or doctor.

[Calliope153 in reply to Milkfairy]

My health check was done by a health care assistant. She was a nurse who decided as she was over 60 she wanted an quieter job. 40 years as a nurse..... never jump to conclusions....

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Calliope153]

I have received some very good care from Healthcare assistants too many are trained nurses from abroad who are unable to register with the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

Healthcare assistants are legally restricted in what they can do as they are not registered nurses.

[Knotty in reply to Milkfairy]

Thanks. I think the NHS uses the title of Health Care Support Worker, it was my GP practice who said HCA. Some of the HCAs I have worked with have had very rudimentary training but as long as they can follow a flow chart, I guess that's OK. (I've also been put off by the antibiotics to cure a brain tumour experience.)

[Hidden]

My annual GP healthcare check is done by an HCA. She does my feet (sensation and Doppler) BP, height and weight. She is also phlebotomy trained and takes the bloods I have checked annually.

[Knotty in reply to Hidden]

I think I would go on to an annual check when I reach 75 (if I live that long). They may also say I don't qualify for this NHS check-up (which is a five-year one) because the practice records show I had a heart attack in 2015 despite Harefield Hospital saying I didn't. (Certainly earlier this year my GP couldn't use the computer model to check my likelihood of such an event because of that negative note on my file.)

[Hidden in reply to Knotty]

All patients in our practice in active treatment have an annual review.