Job responsibilities
JOB TITLE: RECEPTIONIST
BAND: 3
REPORTS
TO: RECEPTION MANAGER
Job
Summary:
Receive,
assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare
professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
Provide 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.
Job
Responsibilities:
- Ensure an effective and efficient reception
service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the practice.
- Deal with all general enquiries, explain
procedures and make new and follow-up appointments.
- Using your own judgment and communication
skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment but who need urgent
consultation are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner.
- Explain practice arrangements and formal
requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover and ensure
procedures are completed.
- Receive and make telephone calls as
required. Divert calls and take
messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery.
- When necessary, enter requests for home visits
onto the computer, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and
where necessary refer to Duty Doctor.
- Action repeat prescription requests and ensure
that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 hours.
- Advise patients of relevant charges for
private (non NHS) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.
- Enter patient information and appropriate
codes on to the computer as required.
- Monitor and complete clinical system tasks
as required by the Reception Supervisor, Practice Manager and GPs.
- Scan medical documents into clinical computer
system and redirect to GPs for action.
- Premises:
Open up premises at the
start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and make all necessary
preparations to receive patients.
When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure
that the building is totally secured, internal lights are off and the alarm
activated.
- Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the
post as requested by the Reception Supervisor or the Practice Manager.
- Attend team and practice meetings.
- Give results and/or information to the patient as directed
by the doctors.
- Accept and ensure all specimens are clearly labelled and
pass on to Healthcare staff for appropriate recording prior to collection
by hospital transport.
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, to 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.
- Reporting potential risks identified to the
Health and Safety Team immediately.
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.
- Attending
all training courses and sessions deemed as mandatory by the Practice
Manager.
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
recognise the importance of effective communication within the team and will
strive to:
- Communicate
effectively with other team members.
- Communicate
effectively with patients and carers.
- Recognise
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.