Meet our Healthcare Support Workers: Lisa

Posted 12th July 2021

Healthcare Support Workers (HCSWs) are hugely important to ensuring our patients at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre receive the best care. We’re going to be recruiting a number of people to fill this kind of role soon - to help you understand what this rewarding job involves and the type of people we’re looking for, we’re profiling some of the people who have become HCSWs at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre.

Lisa, 42, works as a HCSW on the Haematology-oncology Unit at our hospital in Liverpool. She joined the team six months ago, having been drawn to this new career path because of her love of caring for and helping people.

Lisa said: “Before I got the job at Clatterbridge, I was a hairdresser for more than 25 years. When I saw this role being advertised, I thought it would be great to be able to put some of the people skills I had developed over the years in hairdressing to good use in a new environment.”

Lisa’s daily tasks include observations, administrative duties, and talking to patients and making sure they are comfortable. She is also training to be able to carry out phlebotomy work, to take patients bloods.

“I’ve even been able to use some of my hairdressing skills at the hospital,” Lisa said. “A few times, when a patient is struggling with hair loss because of treatment, I’ve offered to cut it for them and they’ve said it’s really helped.”

Although she has been able to transfer many of her skills from hairdressing to healthcare, Lisa says it’s the new things that she is learning which are the most valuable.

“From starting to take bloods to doing basic life training, I’m learning all the time, which I love to do. I’m really excited for the future.”

Read our recruitment leaflet here. If you would like further information regarding the role of a HCSW and the application process, you can contact natalie.woolley@nhs.net or ccf-tr.recruitment@nhs.net.

Update - Friday 23rd July 2021 - please visit this link to apply for the role of Health Care Support Worker. The closing date is Thursday 5th August 2021. Please note, we reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier than the specified closing date, should we receive an overwhelming response of applications. We therefore encourage applicants to apply early if you wish to be considered for this post.