Job responsibilities
-Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective way.
- To provide efficient and effective administrative support to the Doctors and Practice Manager. - To work in conjunction with all other practice staff to create a good environment for the patients.- To carry out all duties in an accurate and meticulous manner and in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
- To maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
- To comply with GDPR and information governance regulations.
- Greet and receive patients or visitors promptly and courteously who enter the practice. Ask visitors to sign the Visitor Book.
- Answer the telephone promptly with Good morning/Good afternoon Shaftesbury Medical Centre. How can I help you?
- Always identify the patient (name,address) and check surgery has correct and up to date telephone contact details.
- Maintain patient confidentiality at all times. Do not disclose any patient information to 3rd Party caller as per 3rd Party Protocol.
- Patient consent needed (verbal or written preferred via 3rd Party Consent Form) before being able to speak to any relative/representative.
- Establish patient needs and deal with their requirements effectively and quickly. This may involve asking reason for appointment regardless of who they see i.e. GP, Nurse etc.
- Give the patient information clearly and explain practice processes where relevant and taking into account individual needs.
- Avoid negative jargon such as saying no or unable.
- Where appropriate offer choice of appointment dates in routine advance booking with same clinician or alternative clinician or offer telephone consultation or direct patient to online consultation. Initials of receptionist to be recorded in appointment slot with possible reason where possible.
- Online consultation requests especially for sick note requests, test results and referral enquiries.
- Offer on the day appointment with any clinician for urgent patient needs, unwell child or unwell adult.
- Follow Emergency Care Protocol and direct patient to either call 999 or attend A+E
- To assist with checking in of patients on arrival for appointment if unable to access self -check in system or if there is a fault with the self -check in.
- To check with clinician if patient more than 15 minutes late or rebook appointment. If patient more than 10minutes late for HCA then to check with HCA or rebook.
- Deal with aggressive or awkward patients in a calm and professional manner.
- Record adverse patient interactions in Incident book and inform Practice /Service Manager.
- Seek help from colleague or Senior Manager if patient is abusive or threatening. With significant threat or risk of safety then the Police need to be called.
- Book telephone consultation/message for clinician on the EMIS appointment screen with patients name and contact details, date and initials of receptionist taking the message. Avoid giving a specific time frame of when clinician will return the call. Inform patient to allow up to the next working day for all routine requests.
- Record request for visit on Appointments timetable with reason for visit. Any visit requests after 1pm needs to be discussed with Duty GP before accepting. Home visits to be shared between clinicians present on the day.
- New Mums (Postnatal Check) and New Baby Check appointments with GP and 8 weeks vaccines with Nurse.
- Adhere to Filtering Emails protocol with monitoring of the practice email. Especially processing prescription requests, appointment requests, transport booking requests, online registration forms requests or new patient registration requests.
- Adhere to Patient Death Protocol and manage Death Register and sending condolence letters. Internal notification of death to all Practice Staff. Add patient details to Red Duty slot to both Duty GP and Manager.
- When relevant inform patient of private medical fees (refer to practice policy). Ask patient to complete the Private Non NHS Request Form then date stamp and pass onto Reception Administrator to process.
- Issue a receipt to patient for any money taken over the counter and record in invoice/receipt book.
- Filing of all scanned correspondence that need to be retained as a paper copy as per protocol.
- Shredding of scanned correspondence as per protocol.
- Booking patient transport requests for hospital appointments via email.
- Scanning ,photocopy or emailing correspondence where appropriate.
- All incoming correspondence received by reception to be date stamped and placed into scanning tray.
- Directing patients to online access to access tests results with checking patient details to ensure patient confidentiality maintained. Practice Policy to avoid providing printed copy of results.
- Support clinician when requested to chase test results or clinical correspondence.
- Change of patient address requires request to be made in writing from the patient before being able to amend patient contact details on system unless authorised via Partner /Manager. Partner authorisation is needed if patient has moved outside the catchment area before the address change is accepted. Copy goes to Administrator to be scanned.
- Change of name requires proof from patient with a copy made for scanning into patient notes before being able to amend patient notes.
- Obtain completed Consent forms to communicate with patient via text as appropriate.
- Manage the Gift Register and sending Thank you letters.
- Other specific tasks can include processing non NHS private letter requests/insurance reports and EMIS appointment books
- Process repeat prescription requests via EPS so that prescription can be issued to the patient within 72 working hours as per practice protocol.
- Prescriptions may be requested by the patient in writing or via Patient Access Online.
- Bulk of prescriptions to be managed and sent electronically except for External Suppliers as per practice protocol.
- Telephone prescription requests only accepted for housebound patients or select vulnerable patients for repeat items otherwise to be managed as a patient query for Duty GP to action.
- Acute item requests or de novo requests to be given to duty GP and dealt with as prescription query. Receptionist not authorised to print.
- Outpatient prescription requests to be date stamped and then to be photocopied and original placed in scanning tray. Photocopied version to be kept in prescription basket to be actioned by Duty GP.
- Reminder letters to be issued to patient with relevant code inserted in patient notes for overdue medication reviews. Patients to be contacted via phone, text or letter to book medication reviews.
- District Nurse prescription requests or other external health professional request needs to be emailed to the surgery and not accepted over the phone.
- Reception to assist with new registrations as per practice protocol.
- Proof of identity and proof of address and residing in practice boundary or within Harrow Borough as per protocol required.
- New patients not to be turned away but to be welcomed and relevant information provided.
- New Patient registration pack to be given to patient includes health questionnaire, practice leaflet and practice newsletter and online registration form. All to be completed in full.
- Newly registered patient health check appointment with HCA to be booked unless declined by patient.
- Linking all household contacts especially parents and their children.
- Opening of premises and deactivate alarm and getting surgery ready to receive patients in the morning.
- Restore telephone services at opening times.
- Divert telephone services to answering system or OOH at closing time or during practice monthly meetings.
- Reception and waiting room area to be kept tidy at all times. Report any faults or items needing repair or missing items to Manager via internal email.
- Security check and lock up of premises at end of evening surgery. All doors to be locked, rear shutters closed, lights and computers switched off. Activate alarm if last to leave premises
- Record or check patient up to date telephone contact detail opportunistically with each contact with the patient.
- Assist with Smear recalls in ringing patients and booking appointments with Nurse.
- Assist with child vaccines recall for appointments with Nurse.
- Assist with any required data collection such as smoking status when requested by the practice.
- Activate reminders to patient of their appointments via EMIS Web NHS texting service.
- Use of appropriate software such as telephone, text, email or letter in contacting the patient to obtain data or recall for health related appointments.
1. Holiday/Sickness internal cover of Reception Team Colleagues as per practice policy.
2. Participate in rota for Reception cover of Extended Hours such as evening surgery, Saturdays or early mornings as required.
3. Mandatory attendance of monthly practice team meetings and reception team meetings (usually every 2 weeks).
4. Make tea/coffee for clinicians or visitors when required.
5. Any other reasonable task required.
Flexible
Hardworking
Good Communication Skills
Good Customer Care Skills
Team Player
Manage workload and time efficient
IT skills Windows, Email
Awareness of Data Security
Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
Maintain professional behaviour.
Adhere to all Practice Protocols and Staff Handbook.
Polite and respectful.
Basic Life Support training.
Awareness of Adult and Child Safeguarding issues.
Participate with in-house staff annual appraisals.
Participate in any mandatory or additional training.
Participate in Practice Development Plan.
Attend the Practice Staff Meetings and contribute to Practice
Development.