Job responsibilities
The duties and
responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the reception team may include
any or all of the items in the following list. Duties may be varied from time
to time under the direction of the Practice Manager, dependent on current and
evolving Practice workload and staffing levels:
Opening
up/locking-up of Practice premises and maintaining security in accordance with
Practice protocols
Maintaining and
monitoring the Practice appointments system - Patchs
Processing personal
and telephone requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and
ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional
Processing and
distributing incoming (and outgoing) mail
Taking messages and
passing on information
Filing and
retrieving paperwork
Processing repeat
prescriptions in accordance with Practice guidelines
Computer data
entry/data allocation and collation; processing and recording information in
accordance with Practice procedures
Initiating contact
with and responding to requests from patients, other team member and associated
healthcare agencies and providers
Clearing and
re-stock consulting rooms as required
Providing clerical
assistance to Practice and Trust staff as required from time to time, including
word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning
Ordering,
re-ordering and monitoring of stationery and other supplies
Dealing with
clinical waste
Keeping the
reception area, notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free
from
obstructions and clutter
Confidentiality:
In the course of
seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive
information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in
confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy
and act appropriately
In the performance
of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access
to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, Practice
staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information
relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from
any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
Information
relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business
of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with
the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the
protection of personal and sensitive data
Health &
Safety:
The post-holder
will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety
and security as defined in the practice Health & Safety Policy, the
practice Health & Safety Manual, and the practice Infection Control policy
and published procedures. This will include:
Using personal
security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines
Identifying the
risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that
manages those risks
Making effective
use of training to update knowledge and skills
Using appropriate
infection control procedures, maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and
free from hazards
Actively reporting
of health and safety hazards and infection hazards immediately when recognised
Keeping own work
areas and general / patient areas generally clean, assisting in the maintenance
of general standards of cleanliness consistent with the scope of the job
holders role
Undertaking
periodic infection control training (minimum annually)
Reporting potential
risks identified
Equality and Diversity:
The post-holder
will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and
colleagues, to include:
Acting in a way
that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way
that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current
legislation
Respecting the
privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
Behaving in a
manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and
respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal/Professional
Development:
The post-holder
will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part
of this employment, such training to include:
Participation in an
annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for
maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
Taking
responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating
skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
Quality:
The post-holder
will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:
Alert other team
members to issues of quality and risk
Assess own
performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under
supervision
Contribute to the
effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making
suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
Work effectively
with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
Effectively manage
own time, workload and resources
Communication:
The post-holder
should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and
will strive to:
Communicate
effectively with other team members
Communicate
effectively with patients and carers
Recognize peoples
needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
Contribution to the
Implementation of Services:
The post-holder will:
Apply Practice
policies, standards and guidance
Discuss with other
members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own
work
Participate in
audit where appropriate
