Job responsibilities
Job summary:
The
purpose of the role is to:
Offer
general assistance to the practice team and project a positive and friendly
image to patients and other visitors, either in person or via the telephone
Receive,
assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare
professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way
Undertake
a variety of administrative duties to assist in the smooth running of the practice
including the provision of secretarial and clerical support to clinical staff
and other members of the practice team
Facilitate
effective communication between patients, members the primary health care team,
secondary care and other associated healthcare agencies
Duties and responsibilities:
The
duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by members of the practice
administration 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 senior receptionist/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
- 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 staff as required from time to time,
including word/data processing, filing, photocopying and scanning
- Provision
of refreshments for staff and visitors as required; loading and emptying
the dishwasher and keeping the kitchen area clean and tidy
- Keeping
the reception area, notice-boards and leaflet dispensers tidy and free
from obstructions and clutter
- Any other delegated duties
appropriate to the post
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 recognises 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