Job responsibilities
COLTISHALL MEDICAL PRACTICE
JOB DESCRIPTION
Medical Receptionist
Responsible to: Practice Manager and Partners
**IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS POST**
This is a fast paced, complex, multi-tasking reception role. A great deal of motivation, initiative and common sense required.
We are a very busy medical practice, providing NHS care to just less than 9,000 patients. We are looking for someone to join our frontline reception team. You must have an excellent telephone manner, strong communication skills, the ability to learn quickly and be able to deal with challenging/demanding/fast paced situations. Team work is key in this role. Attention to detail and fast/accurate keyboard skills are essential. This is a very active role. Full training and support provided in-house.
Act as the first point of contact for patients and other outside agencies such as the hospitals, ambulance service, pharmacies and internal staff. Helping to maintain a close and efficient working relationship between all as appropriate, whilst adhering to GDPR (data protection) and confidentiality. Assist with appropriate management of patient appointments into a variety of doctor, nursing and external clinics, deal with enquiries, signposting where appropriate to other NHS services, process new patient registrations and other administrative duties. You will work as part of a team providing integral support to the Practice.
Main Duties
- To ensure efficiency of appointment system and monitor flow of patients into consulting rooms
- Ensure that patients without appointments but who need urgent consultations are seen in a logical and non-disruptive manner
- Explain practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover, ensuring associated procedures are completed
- Ensure reception and work area is kept neat and tidy and ready for use by incoming colleagues, together with information about any unresolved or urgent matters
General Duties
- Open premises, check heating and ventilation and restore the telephone service
- Answer telephone and deal appropriately with enquiries within limits of knowledge, confidentiality and experience only
- Being aware at all times which Doctor is on call, his whereabouts and knowing which Doctors are actually working at any given time
- Book appointments ensuring the correct patient is booked on the appointment screen
- Enter requests for home visits onto computer, referring late calls to duty doctor
- Ensure that notification of deaths procedure is followed and interested parties notified
- Taking of repeat prescriptions over the telephone whilst working at branch surgery
- Opening and distributing post
- Scanning and disposal of scanned correspondence after 6 months
- Take telephone messages for all members of the practice team
- Ensure patient and practice confidentiality is maintained at all times
- Maintain and update computer with special attention to registering new patients, temporary residents, change of address/names etc.
- Using computer to access, extract and enter patient information
- Preparing INR results to be checked by nurse and informing the patient
- Ensure computer security is preserved when not at your screen and maintaining password security at all times
- Updating notice boards
- Making tea/coffee and participate in washing up
- Reporting any problems, through the Office Manager, to the Practice Manager
- Securing of premises at the end of the working day, ensuring the building is totally secured in accordance with the Practice protocol
- Follow Practice and reception protocols.
ANY OTHER DUTIES AS REQUESTED BY PARTNERS, PRACTICE MANAGEROR DEPUTY
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:
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
- 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:
The post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by thePractice 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 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 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