Job summary
Join Our Team at The Valleys - Practice Administration Assistant Wanted!
Are you an organised, friendly, and enthusiastic individual with a passion for great customer service? This is your chance to become a key part of our vibrant, patient-focused team at The Valleys.
We are currently recruiting for a Practice Administration Assistant to support our growing service. This is a permanent post, based at our Gosforth Valley (Dronfield) branch working 30.75 hours per week across 4 days. You'll be joining a supportive, professional team committed to delivering excellent care to our community. If you're reliable, motivated, and ready to make a real difference, we'd love to hear from you!
Main duties of the job
As a Practice Administration Assistant, you'll play a vital role at the heart of our busy, welcoming medical practice. Working closely with our Patient Administration Team Leader and under the direction of our Office Manager, you'll be part of a supportive and dynamic team, helping to keep our services running smoothly for both patients and staff.
Your day-to-day will include:
- Creating a welcoming and organised environment for patients, keeping our reception and waiting areas clean, calm, and professional.
- Managing and coordinating appointment bookings to ensure smooth patient flow.
- Handling patient enquiries with warmth, efficiency, and care - both face-to-face and over the phone.
- Supporting the team with a range of administrative tasks (mostly computer-based), ensuring everything is completed accurately and on time.
- Communicating effectively with all members of the primary healthcare team, helping to keep everything connected.
- Providing holiday and sickness cover for team members - contributing to a flexible and resilient service.
This is a busy, varied and rewarding role where no two days are the same - ideal for someone who enjoys being organised, working with people, and making a real difference.
About us
We are a successful Partnership made up of 6 GP Partners and one Pharmacist Partner, caring for a practice population of approximately 12,400 patients across two welcoming sites.
Rated 'Good' by the CQC, we are a patient-focused, high-performing practice, consistently achieving strong results in QOF. As a Level 3 Research Practic eand established training practice, we are proud to be at the forefront of innovative, evidence-based care - including a total GP-led triage model designed to ensure patients get the right care, first time.
At The Valleys, team well-being is at the heart of everything we do. We foster an open, inclusive, and supportive environment where every team member is encouraged to thrive. You'll have access to all the tools and encouragement needed to succeed - plus some great benefits, including:
- 30 days annual leave (plus bank holidays, pro-rata)
- NHS pension scheme
- Two fully funded team social events each year
- A culture that values your input, supports career growth, and prioritises work-life balance
Come join a team that's passionate about high-quality care - and just as passionate about looking after each other.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary
To work as part of the
Primary Health Care Team under the direction of the Assistant Practice Manager
in providing an administrative support service to the practice population.
The Practice Administration Assistant takes an
active role in providing administrative support services to the patients and
clinical team at the practice, including:
- The surgery premises are appropriately stewarded and
kept tidy.
- Administering of the appointments system.
- Enquiries from patients are efficiently and
courteously handled.
- The secretarial duties of the Practice, both paper
and computer-based, are undertaken efficiently and promptly.
- Effective communication with all Primary Healthcare
Team members.
- Holiday and sickness cover for absent Colleagues.
Key Tasks
The surgery premises are appropriately stewarded and kept tidy:
- Opening
the premises and checking heating, ventilation, and safety risks.
- Resuming
telephone services/setting answerphones.
- Ventilating
and tidying the waiting room.
- Ensuring
the reception area is always left tidy and ready for use.
- Closing the premises
and checking telephone answerphone on, lights etc. off and the building is
secure.
Administering of the appointments system:
- Receiving
and marshalling patients on arrival.
- Making
new and follow-up appointments.
- Receiving
and recording requests for home visits and telephone consultations.
- Collation of
appointment statistics as requested by the practice manager or partners.
Enquiries from patients are efficiently and courteously handled:
- Provision
of general information to patients.
- Answering
enquiries.
- Registering
new patients.
- Explaining
surgery procedures.
- Receiving
& processing requests for repeat (and acute) prescriptions.
- Completion
of relevant forms.
- Receiving &
processing patients payments.
The secretarial duties of the practice, both paper and computer-based, are undertaken efficiently:
- Accessing
and filing of patients paper records as requested by any clinician or the Practice
Manager.
- Updating
the computerised patient records as required.
- Return
of requested records (with computer print-out) to the Registrations Department.
- Typing
of letters and other documents as requested by any clinician or the practice
manager.
- Processing
referrals.
- The
provision of regular data to Primary Care organisations as requested.
- Administration
of patient recall systems.
- Issue
of invitations for health promotion activities.
- Administration
of office supplies stock.
- Photocopying.
- Filing.
- Help
with newsletter/poster campaigns.
- Computer entry of
summarised notes.
Communication with all primary healthcare team members:
- Receiving,
recording, and passing of messages for other Primary Health Care Team members.
- The
completion of all tasks allocated to you personally or to your team.
- Tasks that are not
completed should be delegated to a colleague at the change of shifts; that they
are provided with information about any unresolved or urgent matters.
Holiday and sickness cover for absence colleagues:
- Planned
cover for absent colleagues as per the contract schedule.
- Ad-hoc cover for
unforeseen circumstances.
Miscellaneous
- Making
tea and coffee.
- Other duties, which
may be required, and which are consistent with the responsibilities of the post
as it now stands, and as it develops over time.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary
To work as part of the
Primary Health Care Team under the direction of the Assistant Practice Manager
in providing an administrative support service to the practice population.
The Practice Administration Assistant takes an
active role in providing administrative support services to the patients and
clinical team at the practice, including:
- The surgery premises are appropriately stewarded and
kept tidy.
- Administering of the appointments system.
- Enquiries from patients are efficiently and
courteously handled.
- The secretarial duties of the Practice, both paper
and computer-based, are undertaken efficiently and promptly.
- Effective communication with all Primary Healthcare
Team members.
- Holiday and sickness cover for absent Colleagues.
Key Tasks
The surgery premises are appropriately stewarded and kept tidy:
- Opening
the premises and checking heating, ventilation, and safety risks.
- Resuming
telephone services/setting answerphones.
- Ventilating
and tidying the waiting room.
- Ensuring
the reception area is always left tidy and ready for use.
- Closing the premises
and checking telephone answerphone on, lights etc. off and the building is
secure.
Administering of the appointments system:
- Receiving
and marshalling patients on arrival.
- Making
new and follow-up appointments.
- Receiving
and recording requests for home visits and telephone consultations.
- Collation of
appointment statistics as requested by the practice manager or partners.
Enquiries from patients are efficiently and courteously handled:
- Provision
of general information to patients.
- Answering
enquiries.
- Registering
new patients.
- Explaining
surgery procedures.
- Receiving
& processing requests for repeat (and acute) prescriptions.
- Completion
of relevant forms.
- Receiving &
processing patients payments.
The secretarial duties of the practice, both paper and computer-based, are undertaken efficiently:
- Accessing
and filing of patients paper records as requested by any clinician or the Practice
Manager.
- Updating
the computerised patient records as required.
- Return
of requested records (with computer print-out) to the Registrations Department.
- Typing
of letters and other documents as requested by any clinician or the practice
manager.
- Processing
referrals.
- The
provision of regular data to Primary Care organisations as requested.
- Administration
of patient recall systems.
- Issue
of invitations for health promotion activities.
- Administration
of office supplies stock.
- Photocopying.
- Filing.
- Help
with newsletter/poster campaigns.
- Computer entry of
summarised notes.
Communication with all primary healthcare team members:
- Receiving,
recording, and passing of messages for other Primary Health Care Team members.
- The
completion of all tasks allocated to you personally or to your team.
- Tasks that are not
completed should be delegated to a colleague at the change of shifts; that they
are provided with information about any unresolved or urgent matters.
Holiday and sickness cover for absence colleagues:
- Planned
cover for absent colleagues as per the contract schedule.
- Ad-hoc cover for
unforeseen circumstances.
Miscellaneous
- Making
tea and coffee.
- Other duties, which
may be required, and which are consistent with the responsibilities of the post
as it now stands, and as it develops over time.
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a customer-facing environment or care setting
Desirable
- Previous experience of working with SystmOne
- Previous experience of working within the NHS
- Previous experience of working within general practice
Qualifications
Essential
- A good standard of education is required, preferably to GCSE or higher level. Minimum grade C/level 4 in Maths & English language
Desirable
- Additional administrative qualifications
Other
Essential
- Ability to maintain a strict code of confidentiality at all times
- Reliable
- Positive attitude
- Resilient
- Interest in the work
- Good sense of humour
- Willing to comply with dress code/uniform requirements
- Commitment to our core values
Desirable
- Car driver with full use of car
- Able to work flexible hours
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Good keyboard skills
- Able to communicate effectively (written & verbal) at all levels
- Ability to multitask and prioritise workloads
- Able to remain calm under pressure
- Being assertive whilst appropriately empathetic
- Tact and diplomacy
- Work independently and as part of a team
- Self-confident
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Ability to recognise personal limits of competence
Desirable
- Solid computer skills to include Microsoft Office packages
- A basic understanding of General Practice
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience in a customer-facing environment or care setting
Desirable
- Previous experience of working with SystmOne
- Previous experience of working within the NHS
- Previous experience of working within general practice
Qualifications
Essential
- A good standard of education is required, preferably to GCSE or higher level. Minimum grade C/level 4 in Maths & English language
Desirable
- Additional administrative qualifications
Other
Essential
- Ability to maintain a strict code of confidentiality at all times
- Reliable
- Positive attitude
- Resilient
- Interest in the work
- Good sense of humour
- Willing to comply with dress code/uniform requirements
- Commitment to our core values
Desirable
- Car driver with full use of car
- Able to work flexible hours
Skills and Knowledge
Essential
- Good keyboard skills
- Able to communicate effectively (written & verbal) at all levels
- Ability to multitask and prioritise workloads
- Able to remain calm under pressure
- Being assertive whilst appropriately empathetic
- Tact and diplomacy
- Work independently and as part of a team
- Self-confident
- Ability to maintain confidentiality
- Ability to recognise personal limits of competence
Desirable
- Solid computer skills to include Microsoft Office packages
- A basic understanding of General Practice
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
