Medical Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Receptionist

JOB DESCRIPTION

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.

Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within 48 hours, either on the computer or manually.

Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same.

Enter patient information on to the computer as required.

Reviewing medical records and producing an accurate summary of the patients medical history.

Clinical Coding the information into the practice clinical system

Extraction of necessary data from clinical correspondence and input into electronic patient Record.

Scanning of letters and relevant correspondence into patients notes.

Summarisation of patients notes when requested.

Patient notes and correspondence:

Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc. are actioned promptly, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen.

Ensure that all new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately

Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the partners or the practice manager.

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

Demonstrate due regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

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 that 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 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

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Good standard of general education
• GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths
• Experience in using own initiative
• Practical experience of EMIS computerised recording system

Desirable

• Emis Web experience
• Planning and organising
• Performing under pressure
• self motivated
• Flexibility

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Central Surgery

Address

Cleadon Park Primary Care Centre

Prince Edward Road

South Shields

Tyne and Wear

NE34 7QD

Employer's website

https://www.centralsurgerysouthshields.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)