Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

Post :

Receptionist

Accountable To:

Assistant Practice Manager

Role Definition

To ensure the smooth day to day running of the Reception area, ensuring Reception duties are completed efficiently and adhere to the guidelines that are laid down by doctors and management.

To ensure that patients are received assisted and directed appropriately 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.

The work is of a highly confidential nature and no information, either medical or personal, should be disclosed outside of practice personnel.

To work without supervision and use initiative in execution of duties.

Key Result Areas

1. Reception Duties

• Undertake the rota of reception duties as attached :

• Greeting and directing patients and visitors to the surgery in a pleasant and helpful manner

• Assessing and providing the patient with a clear and concise care navigation pathway to ensure they are seen by the correct healthcare professional whilst working with the tools available to the practice

• Register new patients and process paperwork accordingly

• Dealing with requests for appointments

• Accepting and handing out prescriptions, letters, forms and specimen bottles, etc.

• Receiving and processing visit requests

• Explain practice procedures and arrangements to new patients and those seeking temporary cover, ensuring any procedures are completed

• Advise patients of relevant charges for non-NHS services, accept payment and issue receipts

• Respond appropriately to queries and requests from patients and visitors

• Ensure actions requested by doctors are undertake in a timely and accurate manner

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

• Ensure the kitchen is kept clean and tidy and tidy the waiting room in turn with other staff

• Ensure mail is posted daily

• Ensure that the post and specimens are ready for collection for the courier on a daily basis

• Informing the relevant personnel when stock is running low

• Where necessary, clear information should be left for incoming colleagues regarding unresolved or urgent problems

2. Telephone Duties

• Make appointments at patients requests

• Receiving calls, taking messages and dealing with them in an appropriate and accurate manner, ensuring as much detail has been taken; who is calling, what they are calling about, a contact number to ring them back on

• Making telephone calls as requested, including ordering ambulances, whilst noting any necessary information/readcode within the patient record

• Follow the procedure to divert the telephone system as and when necessary

• Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery

• Enter requests for home visits onto the computer system

• 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

3. Patient notes and correspondence

Retrieve and re-file records as required, ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to

Ensure correspondence, reports, results etc are filed electronically and promptly and in the correct records, ensuring that all recent correspondence is available when patients are seen

Ensure records are kept in good repair with all necessary information on the outside cover clearly visible

Photocopying of patients medical records upon request

4. Premises

Open up premises at the start of the day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and make all necessary preparations to receive patients

When last to leave at the end of the day, ensure that the building is totally secured, internal lights are off and the alarm activated.

• Extract medical records for appointments, visits, clinics or as requested

• To be available to the clinical staff during surgery hours to ensure the smooth running of surgery

• Filing of medical records, letters, reports

• Operation of computer for appointments system, etc.

• Maintaining tidiness and general maintenance of reception, consulting and waiting areas

5. Computer Duties

• Ensure all prescriptions are processed accurately and available to doctors to check and sign prior to and on completion of surgery

• Ensure all tasks identified by Clinical staff and Practice Managers are processed accurately

• Ensure all referrals are entered onto the system in an accurate manner including the scanning of mail and other related paperwork

• Forward any referrals/correspondence via electronic means in the first instance, or post as appropriate

• To report IT and telephone faults and rectify as appropriate

6. 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

7. 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

8. Equality & 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 which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. Contribution to the implementation of services:

The post-holder will:

• Participate in meetings as necessary

• 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

Managers Name:

Signature:

Date :

Post holders Name:

Signature:

Date :

Note: This job description is subject to reinterpretation/adjustment after consultation with the job holder in the light of changing circumstances and requirements.

This job description is based on an evaluation of the position at the time this description was written. This job description will change from time to time as tasks, organisation and technology change. Accordingly, the employer reserves the unlimited right to revise all or any part of this job description and the essential functions of the job and to add or eliminate essential functions of any position. Designation of any job duty as an "essential function" is not intended as an assurance or guarantee that an employee has any right to perform the particular job duty, except as required by the employer.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• At least 12 months experience of working in a reception environment or with the general public and at least 12 months experience of dealing with the general public on the telephone. We would like you to be open and approachable, calm and courteaous when under pressure and have excellent communication skills. Basic computer skills and knowledge are essential; along with the ability to be flexible and dependable.

Desirable

• Receptionist qualification
• Experience of working in GP practice or NHS environment.
• Completion of Care Navigation Training.

Experience

Essential

• Basic computer skills and knowledge
• Reliable and flexible, willing to undertake a variety of duties.
• Able to follow instructions.
• Calm and courteous when under pressure.
• Good health and attendance.

Desirable

• Microsoft Word, Excel, Windows
• Within commuting distance.
• Current driving licence.

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

Aelfgar Surgery

Address

Church Street

Rugeley

Staffordshire

WS15 2AB

Employer's website

https://www.aelfgarsurgery.co.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)