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Wellbeing

Healthcare assistant

Healthcare assistants look after patients in hospitals or sometimes at a patient's home.

Annual Salary

£24,000 to £26,000

Average UK salary in 2023 was £34,963
(source Office for National Statistics)

Working hours

37 to 40 a week

You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota

5.4%
Future employment

There will be 5.4% more Healthcare assistant jobs in 2027.

Day to day tasks

In this role you could:

  • help patients shower and get dressed
  • help people eat
  • make beds
  • use equipment to lift and move patients
  • talk to patients and reassure them
  • help patients to use the toilet
  • tidy the ward or patients' homes
  • take patients' temperature or pulse
  • attend meetings with other healthcare professionals

Working environment

You may need to wear a uniform.

You could work in an NHS or private hospital, at a client's home, at an adult care home or at a hospice.

You can get into this job through:

  • a college course
  • an apprenticeship
  • working towards this role
College

You could do a college course, which may help you when looking for work. Courses include:

  • level 2 Diploma In Preparing for Further Study in Health, Social Care and Social Work
  • level 2 Diploma in Health and Social Care
  • level 3 National Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care
  • T Level in Health

Most health and social care courses include work placements which is a good way to get experience.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • funding advice|https://www.gov.uk/further-education-courses/financial-help
  • guide to T Levels|https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/
  • search for courses|/find-a-course
Apprenticeship

You can get into this job through an intermediate apprenticeship as a healthcare support worker.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
For more information
  • equivalent entry requirements|https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-levels
  • guide to apprenticeships|https://www.gov.uk/apprenticeships-guide
Work

You could work as a trainee care assistant in a residential home or care home while you complete a qualification.

Volunteering and work experience

You'll find it useful to get some paid or voluntary experience in care. This will help when you apply for jobs or training.

You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.

Requirements and restrictions

You'll need to:

More information

Career tips

When you apply for jobs, you'll need to show an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.

Professional and industry bodies

You may find it useful to join the Royal College of Nursing to find professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about becoming a healthcare assistant from Health Careers.

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Healthcare assistant roles can be a stepping stone to other health careers.

With training, you could become an assistant practitioner in chiropody or podiatry, occupational therapy, radiography or physiotherapy.

With experience you could train new healthcare assistants.

You could also apply to train as a nurse, radiographer, dietitian, midwife or social worker.

Health Careers has information about careers in all areas of health.

Skills required and how your skills match up

What skills are required?

You'll need:

  • patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
  • sensitivity and understanding
  • to be thorough and pay attention to detail
  • the ability to work well with others
  • the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
  • the ability to work well with your hands
  • excellent verbal communication skills
  • customer service skills
  • to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
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