Job responsibilities
Job responsibilities:
Reception
- Ensure an
effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any
other visitors to the practice, including recording visits by visitors and
checking their identification details
- Receiving and
routing of patients consulting with members of the practice team
- Using Care
Navigation skills to signpost patients to other relevant services
- Checking patient
identification details
- Deal with all
general enquiries and explain procedures to patients and their families
- Advise patients
of relevant charges for private (non General Medical Services) services,
accept payment and issue receipts for same.
- Patient notes
and correspondence: retrieve and re-file paper records as required,
ensuring strict alphabetical order is adhered to
- Arrange urgent
transport for patients attending secondary care services
- Liaise with
District Nursing, Health Visiting and other Primary Health Care Team
services as requested
- Liaise with
reception or other colleagues regarding unresolved or urgent problems
- Record
messages (using the computerised practice note or email system as
appropriate) for doctors, nurses
and administrative staff.
- Helping new
reception staff: induction, training and support to agreed standards
Administration
- To have a
thorough knowledge of all practice procedures.
- To work in
accordance with written protocols
- Printing notes summaries
for home visits
- Prepare lists
for all surgeries and clinics held as required
- Fax and
photocopy as requested
- Explain practice
arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking
temporary cover and ensure procedures are completed
- Maximising
Practice income from current QOF, LES, DES, commissioning contracts, etc
- Comply
with information governance procedures
Appointments
- Process
appointment requests from patients for current and future sessions by
telephone and in person
- Deal with home
visit requests. Enter requests for home visits onto the visit screen in
EMIS, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where
necessary refer to duty doctor
- 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
Computer
- Familiarity
with the Emis web computer system, as well as Clarity TeamNet and any
other systems used by the practice
- Liaise with IT
for any computer issues
- Registrations
of new patients
- Process
patients change of address on their records (have knowledge of practice
area).
- Action repeat
prescription requests (by phone, on paper and online) in accordance with practice
procedures and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient
within 48 hours of ordering
- Enter patient
information on to the computer as required.
- Scanning
letters and documents onto the system in line with practice procedures
- Undertake
deduction and amendment requests
Telephone
- Have working
knowledge of telephone system, during and after hours.
- Cover for secretary
when necessary
- Receive and
make telephone calls as required.
Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and
prompt appropriate delivery
Other Tasks
- Tidy after
surgeries
- Ensure building
security have thorough knowledge of doors/windows/alarm.
- Premises:
o Open up premises at the start of the
day when first to arrive, de-activate alarm and make all necessary preparations
to receive patients.
o 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.
- Deal with complaints in accordance with practice complaints
procedure
- Make drinks for
partners and staff and ensure the kitchen is kept clean and tidy
- Being flexible
with the working hours
- Deputising for
other colleagues during annual or sickness leave
- Undertake any
other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the
Partners or the practice manager or practice administrator or reception
supervisor.
The above list of duties is not exhaustive
and may be subject to change as deemed necessary.
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
holders role
- Undertaking periodic infection
control training (minimum annually)
- 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 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
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