Health Care Assistants and Assistant Practitioners

Health care assistants (HCAs) and assistant practitioners (APs) are hugely valued members of the RCN and the nursing team. Although there are a wide range of titles used to describe these roles, we have chosen to encompass all of these under the titles HCA and AP.

Welcome to RCN North West

Over 1000 of our members in the North West region are HCAs and APs. As our HCA and AP membership continues to grow across the region, we created this new page specifically to help keep you up-to-date and informed about the RCN and what it's doing for you.

It's cheaper than ever to join the RCN

Membership of the RCN now costs just £4.06 per month for HCAs and APs for the first year. Why not tell your colleagues about this fantastic offer and the huge range of benefits that come with being a member of the RCN?

The RCN Health Care Assistant (HCA) and Assistant Practitioner (AP) Network

The network was set up to give you the opportunity to get your voice heard and share best practice. It's free to join, and its aim is to establish good communication links between members and the RCN, to provide a voice for HCAs and APs, and enable HCAs and APs to get involved in opportunities such as reviewing resources and engaging in relevant surveys.

On joining, you will receive a welcome pack with lots of useful materials for you and your colleagues. Find out more.

North West Representative on the RCN Health Care Assistant (HCA) and Assistant Practitioner (AP)Committee

The RCN HCA and AP Committee works to address issues around recognising the support, interests and needs of HCAs and APs. The Committee considers issues which are important to HCAs and APs, promotes activities to keep members abreast of change, and contributes to the promotion of high standards of nursing practice, including opportunities to attend conferences.

The HCA/AP committee is made up of 12 members from each of the countries and regions.

Richard Holtby

Richard Holtby is the North West's Representative (Rep) on the Committee. He currently works for St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, in the Emergency department of Whiston Hospital. Richard started his career in 2004 in the community private sector, where he worked as a HCA, Senior HCA and, before leaving, as a Care Co-ordinator. Richard has been in his current post fo two years.

Contact Richard at: richard-holtby@blueyonder.co.uk

Upcoming events in the North West

At the Heart of Caring Conference - Thursday, 14 February 2013, 10am-4pm; Lecture Theatre Education North, Manchester Royal Infirmary, M13 9WL

Get more involved with the RCN

If you would like to find out how to become more active with the RCN, perhaps becoming one of our Activists, then please contact Jane Boag-Munroe in the RCN Bolton office at Jane.Boag-Munroe@rcn.org.ujk