GP Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE: Receptionist

REPORTS TO: Practice Manager & Partners

HOURS: 16 hours per week, Monday 8.00 1.45pm, Wednesday 1.00pm 7.00pm, Thursday 7.45am 12.00pm

Job Summary:

Receive, assist and direct patients 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 persona to patients and other visitors, either in person, or via the telephone.

Provide annual leave and/or sick leave cover for reception.

Any other ad hoc administration duties required.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The duties and responsibilities to be undertaken by Practice Receptionists may include any or all of the items in the following list. This list is not exhaustive. Duties may be varied from time to time under the direction of the Senior Staff and the Management Teams dependent on current and evolving Practice workload and staffing levels:

Opening up/locking-up of Practice premises in a timely manner and maintaining security in accordance with Practice protocols. Prior to leaving in the evening, ensure the building is secured

Ensure an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any other visitors to the Practice

Deal with all general enquiries efficiently and courteously and when necessary in private, explain procedures and make new and follow-up appointments

Using your own judgment and communication skills ensure that patients with no prior appointment 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 and ensure procedures are completed

Booking, cancelling and rearranging appointments

Answering phones in a timely manner

Processing telephone requests and in person requests for appointments, visits and telephone consultations and ensuring callers are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional

Opening post and allocating documents as per practice protocols and processes

Photocopying and scanning documents in compliance with Practice protocol and processes

Dealing with emails and referrals in a timely manner

Liaising with local hospitals, pharmacies and other health care professionals as required

Take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt appropriate delivery

Making sure the morning and evening clinics run smoothly

Daily management of tasks and notifications

Viewing clinical / IT system for messages and dealing with them

Action repeat prescription requests and ensure that they are ready for collection by the patient within practice time frames

Enter/amend patient information onto the computer as required

Accurately filing prescriptions and new records after they have been summarised, alphabetically

Ensuring that all paper notes are filed and locked away at the end of the day

Enter requests for home visits onto the computer system, ensuring careful recording of all relevant details and where necessary refer to Doctor

Printing summary printouts for any home visits

Chasing up results for patients and dealing with urgent results for the GPs

Printing blood forms and completion of any other forms as necessary

Chaperoning patients as and when required

Safely handling / processing samples received from patients following practice protocols

Attending mandatory training sessions

Advise patients of relevant charges for private (non - General Medical Services) services, accept payment and issue receipts for same

Accountable for the above monies and petty cash

Re-stocking GP consulting rooms weekly

Covering for absent colleagues as and when necessary including school holidays and morning/evening sessions

Provide support in achieving the Practice Targets such as call & recall for QOF and chronic disease management

Filling all specialist clinics for HCAs and the Practice Nurse

Receiving, recording and handling deliveries in the appropriate manner in compliance with Practice protocol

Tidy incoming patient notes

Assisting members of the Practice as required, undertaking any other additional duties appropriate to the post as requested by the Partners or the Management team

Attend Practice and Reception team meetings

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 and Safety:

The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health and Safety Policy, 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 (annually);

reporting potential risks identified.

Covid-19:

The post-holder will be expected to wear PPE when appropriate and abide by social distancing measures whenever possible. Full training to be given.

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 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:

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.

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 audits where appropriate.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• GCSE or NVQ level 2 or equivalent level of experience.

Experience

Essential

• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple tasks.
• Have a friendly, compassionate and professional approach.
• Team player with a flexible attitude, willingness to learn and welcome change.
• Be proactive and have a can do attitude.
• Be able to accurately record information and have a high attention to detail.

Desirable

• Experience of working in Primary Care would be desirable however full training would be given.
• Knowledge of & experience using the clinical system, SystmOne and basic understanding of medical terminology.

Knowledge and Skills

Essential

• Good communication and presentation skills both written and verbal.
• Understanding of basic patient enquiries.
• Good computer skills.
• Ability to organise work.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team within different working environments and situations.
• Ability to develop relationships, build successful co-operation and work with the team.
• Ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to create a positive environment in the work place.
• Understand the need for confidentiality, including electronic information.
• Flexible approach and willingness to learn.
• Enjoys working with the public.

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

The River Surgery

Address

The River Surgery

16 Rous Road

Buckhurst Hill

Essex

IG9 6BN

Employer's website

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