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Healthcare assistants look after patients in hospitals or sometimes at a patient's home.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; on a rota
There will be
5.4% more Healthcare assistant jobs in 2027.
In your local area
In this role you could:
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:
You could do a college course, which may help you when looking for work. Courses include:
Most health and social care courses include work placements which is a good way to get experience.
You'll usually need:
You can get into this job through an intermediate apprenticeship as a healthcare support worker.
You'll usually need:
You could work as a trainee care assistant in a residential home or care home while you complete a qualification.
You'll find it useful to get some paid or volunteering experience in care. This will help when you apply for jobs.
You could contact the voluntary services co-ordinator at your local NHS trust for advice about opportunities.
You can also find volunteering opportunities through The National Council for Voluntary Organisations and Do IT.
You'll need to:
When you apply for jobs, you'll need to show an understanding of how NHS values apply in your work.
You may find it useful to join the Royal College of Nursing to find professional development and training opportunities.
You can find out more about becoming a healthcare assistant from Health Careers.
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.