Job responsibilities
Job Summary
To ensure the smooth and efficient running of the Practice reception area, delivering a high level of service to patients, GPs, nurses and other members of the primary care team.
The post holder will receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in a courteous, efficient and effective manner. They will project a positive, professional and friendly image to patients and visitors at all times, whether in person, online or via the telephone.
In addition, the role includes providing comprehensive administrative and medical secretarial support to the Practice. This includes general clerical duties, Cervical Screening administration, processing patient registrations and supporting referral and correspondence workflows.
Working as part of a busy primary care team, the post holder will contribute to maintaining high standards of patient care, confidentiality and organisational efficiency, ensuring a compassionate and patient-focused service at all times.
Job Responsibilities include but may not be limited to the following tasks:
Reception Duties
- Greet and assist patients in a professional and courteous manner
- Answer incoming telephone calls promptly and deal with enquiries appropriately.
- Book, amend and cancel appointments using the clinical system
- Process prescription requests in line with practice procedures
- Signposting
- Manage incoming and outgoing post.
- Workflow and process clinical correspondence.
- Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as required
Administration Duties
- Administrator for Registrations of new patients and Deductions of patient records, this will include all queries around this process and liaising with external agencies for example PCSE (Health Authority) and other GP surgeries
- Workflow and process clinical correspondence
- Administrator for the Cervical Screening Programme, book, amend and cancel appointments and ensure procedures are completed.
- Maintain accurate electronic patient records.
- Support the wider administrative team as required.
Medical Secretary Duties
- Prepare and Process ERS referrals
- Prepare and process referral letters
- Liaise with hospitals and external agencies
- Track and follow up referrals
- Manage clinical correspondence
- Support clinicians with documentation as required
- Undertake any other additional duties appropriate to the post as required.
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 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. This may mean that you would be expected to attend training sessions outside of your normal working hours.
Quality:
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the practice, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk, particularly upon observation of failure by a team member.
- 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
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.
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.