GP Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Medical Receptionist

RESPONSIBLE TO: Team Leader

Summary

Receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate services or healthcare professional in a courteous and efficient manner.

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.

Receptionists will receive instruction and be accountable to the Team Leaders and ultimately the Practice Manager or Partners.

It is important that all members of staff are prepared to take on additional duties or relinquish existing duties in order to maintain efficient running of the practice. The Partners reserve the right to redistribute duties and functions among members of staff from time to time, and requests for such changes shall not be reasonably refused.

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

· Good communication skills

· Ability to cope under pressure

· Reliable

· Understanding the need for confidentiality

· Patience

· Good with people

· Willingness to work within the structure of a Primary Health Care Team

· Ability to take accurate messages

Job responsibilities

Opening/securing of Premises

In accordance with instructions from Team Leader and following all security procedures and protocols.

Reception duties

· Prepare daily surgeries and clinicians rooms

· Receive/direct patients appropriately.

· Book computer appointment requests from patients either by telephone or in person

· Take and record accurate messages on the computer system.

· Deal with home visit requests.

· Report to manager matters affecting health & safety and any security issues.

· Liaise with outside organisations where necessary.

· Should a patient have cause to complain, to direct the patient appropriately following the in-house complaints procedures within the practice.

· To work in accordance with written policies, procedures and protocols

Clerical/Admin Duties

· Fax & photocopy as requested

· Computer target work as directed

· Scanning and coding of hospital letters if required

· Booking of hospital transport as required

· Extract and file patient medical records as necessary

· Process repeat prescription requests in accordance with practice guidelines

· Participate in any project or audit that the practice may do from time to time

· Any other admin tasks as delegated

Housekeeping Duties

· Ensure waiting room area is tidy and ready to receive patients

· Tidy consulting rooms if necessary after each clinic.

· Tidy and sort magazines and leaflets when necessary; discard old/damaged items.

You may be allocated any other tasks necessary towards the smooth running of the practice and falling within what might reasonably be considered to be receptionist's duties.

Education

· Attend practice meetings.

· Attend suitable educational courses outside the practice.

· Attend training sessions within the practice.

· Complete mandatory Bluestream modules annually.

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 holder’s 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 people’s 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, with 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 team’s 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 people’s 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

This job description will be reviewed at your regular staff appraisal.

It is the policy of Hetherington Group Practice that no job applicant or employee shall receive less favourable treatment than another on the grounds of sex, marital status, age, disability, race, religion, creed, colour, national origin or sexual orientation.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. You must therefore disclose all spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and final warnings.If you are offered the post we will need to obtain a satisfactory DBS disclosure for you.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working in a Health Care setting
• Good IT skills
• Excellent Customer Service skills
• A team player
• Good written and spoken English
• A flexible, can do approach to their work

Desirable

• Experience of working in a Primary Care setting
• Experience of working in a GP Practice
• Experience of working with EMIS Web

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

Hetherington Group Practice

Address

Pavilion Medical Centre

9 Brighton Terrace

Brixton

SW9 8DJ

Employer's website

http://www.hetheringtongp.co.uk (Opens in a new tab)