Job summary
Working for Cheltenham Peripheral Primary Care Network (PCN), you will be based at one of our 5 GP Practices who collectively care for 54,000 patients. Our GP Practices wrap around the edge of Cheltenham town extending in the south from Leckhampton around to Bishops Cleeve and Winchcombe.
The PCN is determined to meet the challenges of modern primary care by working innovatively and growing our multi-disciplinary team to provide a holistic approach to our patient population. The PCN team already includes; Social Prescribing Link Workers, Care Co-ordinators, Clinical Pharmacists, Phyiscian Associates, Pharmacy Technicians and a Mental Health Nurse.
The PCN is looking to recruit a team of innovative GP Assistants who will be deployed to work alongside the team in our busy practices. This is an exciting new role that is designed to support our GP's and the smooth running of clinics. Successful post holders will be supported to complete an accredited Health Education England training programme and achieve a formal certification.
Main duties of the job
A GPA will support the GP(s) smooth running of clinics by performing
the more routine administration and clinical tasks on behalf of the GP freeing
up their time to focus on the patient.
The main responsibilities and duties of the GP Assistant role will be tailored based on level of skill and experience and may include all or some of the duties listed in the job description.
This role is new and provides an opportunity to work with GP's to develop this role and improve the experience for both the patient and Staff members in a busy clinic. It may call on the use of both clinical knowledge and efficient administrative skills enabling a smoother more efficient pathway.
Experience and a strong desire to work in primary care is essential.
About us
Cheltenham Peripheral PCN is made up of Cleeveland Medical Centre, Leckhampton Surgery, Sixways Clinic, Stoke Road Surgery and Winchcombe Medical Centre.
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary
The role of GP assistant may include some or all of these duties depending on the exprience and skills of the individual.
Duties
Sorting
all clinical post and prioritising for the GP in terms of actions. Signposting some post to others such as
clinical pharmacist etc.
Extracting
all information from clinical letters that needs coding and adding to notes
Arranging
appointments, referrals, tests and follow up appointments of patients
Completing
basic (non-opinion) forms and core elements of some forms for the GP to
approve and sign such as insurance forms, mortgage, benefits agency forms etc
Explaining
treatment procedures to patients
Helping
the GP liaise with outside agencies e.g. getting an on call doctor on the
phone to ask advice or arrange admission while the GP can continue with their
consultation(s)
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
Equality
and Diversity
- Acting
in a way that recognizes 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.
- Acting
in a way that recognizes 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
- 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
- Attend
all relevant annual updates
- Inform
the lead GP of any concerns regarding GPA role and any professional
development needed
- Be
aware of own professional boundaries and what to do when you have
reached them
Quality
The post-holder
will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:
- Alert
other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Work
to practice protocols
- 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
- Be
familiar in all mediums of communications such as email, tasks,
telephone etc
- Communicate
effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise
peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond
accordingly
- Communicate
effectively to outside agencies
- Communicate
clearly with their lead GP
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
Job description
Job responsibilities
Job Summary
The role of GP assistant may include some or all of these duties depending on the exprience and skills of the individual.
Duties
Sorting
all clinical post and prioritising for the GP in terms of actions. Signposting some post to others such as
clinical pharmacist etc.
Extracting
all information from clinical letters that needs coding and adding to notes
Arranging
appointments, referrals, tests and follow up appointments of patients
Completing
basic (non-opinion) forms and core elements of some forms for the GP to
approve and sign such as insurance forms, mortgage, benefits agency forms etc
Explaining
treatment procedures to patients
Helping
the GP liaise with outside agencies e.g. getting an on call doctor on the
phone to ask advice or arrange admission while the GP can continue with their
consultation(s)
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
Equality
and Diversity
- Acting
in a way that recognizes 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.
- Acting
in a way that recognizes 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
- 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
- Attend
all relevant annual updates
- Inform
the lead GP of any concerns regarding GPA role and any professional
development needed
- Be
aware of own professional boundaries and what to do when you have
reached them
Quality
The post-holder
will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:
- Alert
other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Work
to practice protocols
- 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
- Be
familiar in all mediums of communications such as email, tasks,
telephone etc
- Communicate
effectively with patients and carers
- Recognise
peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond
accordingly
- Communicate
effectively to outside agencies
- Communicate
clearly with their lead GP
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
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in general practice/primary care.
- Administrative experience and good organisational skills.
- Knowledge of Clinical Coding,
Desirable
- Experience of System One or other Primary Care Patient System
- Knowledge of referral processes within primary care
Qualifications
Essential
- Grade A-C in GCSE Maths & English, or equivalent.
- Ability to understand the need to always maintain confidentiality and data security.
- Ability to work in a team as well as being comfortable working independently.
- Excellent communication skills and empathy with patients.
- Demonstrates values and behaviours that promote collaborative working.
- Able to apply confidentiality, tact and diplomacy in conducting the duties required of this role.
Desirable
- Care Certificate.
- Competence in full Health Care Assistant Duties.
- Qualified to NVQ level 3 in Administration or Health Care
Person Specification
Experience
Essential
- Experience of working in general practice/primary care.
- Administrative experience and good organisational skills.
- Knowledge of Clinical Coding,
Desirable
- Experience of System One or other Primary Care Patient System
- Knowledge of referral processes within primary care
Qualifications
Essential
- Grade A-C in GCSE Maths & English, or equivalent.
- Ability to understand the need to always maintain confidentiality and data security.
- Ability to work in a team as well as being comfortable working independently.
- Excellent communication skills and empathy with patients.
- Demonstrates values and behaviours that promote collaborative working.
- Able to apply confidentiality, tact and diplomacy in conducting the duties required of this role.
Desirable
- Care Certificate.
- Competence in full Health Care Assistant Duties.
- Qualified to NVQ level 3 in Administration or Health Care
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.