Job responsibilities
To lead and motivate the reception team ensuring communicator
systems are in place to keep the team fully informed of events and changes in
procedures.
Where individual staff members cannot resolve
difficult situations/complaints to take responsibility for ensuring that
matters are dealt with effectively and satisfactorily, escalating to the
Patient Services Supervisor only when necessary.
Manage reception timetables.
Ensure cover and suitable contingency plans are in
place for leave including unforeseen absence of reception team and doctors with
the support of the Patient Services Supervisor.
Allocation of consulting rooms to clinical staff.
Assist with developing reception procedures and
protocols as required.
Review reception team members abilities and skill
sets, developing individuals training plans and monitoring outcomes/improvements.
Perform staff appraisals.
Supporting the Patient Services Supervisor with
reception recruitment.
Ensure
an effective and efficient reception service is provided to patients and any
other visitors to the practice.
Deal
with all general enquiries, explain procedures and make new and follow-up
appointments in accordance with practice protocols.
To identify callers or patients who may present face to face or on the telephone requiring an immediate emergency response and refer to appropriateclinician, emergency ambulance service orA & E as per practice policies.
Explain
practice arrangements and formal requirements to new patients and those seeking
temporary cover, and ensure procedures are completed.
Receive
and make telephone calls as required.
Divert calls and take messages, ensuring accuracy of detail and prompt
appropriate delivery.
Deal
with requests for home visits as per practice protocol.
Action
prescription requests as per the practice protocols.
Place
orders for prescriptions and forms.
To
give results to patients in line with practice policy.
Prepare
lists and printouts for all surgeries and clinics held, ensuring completion of
all associated paperwork.
Arrange
ambulance bookings.
Chaperoning
for doctors and nurses.
Responding
to the needs of both doctors and nurses during surgery.
Preparing
the consulting rooms prior to surgery and tidying the rooms after surgery.
Advice
patients of relevant charges for non-NHS services, accept payment and issue
receipts for same.
Enter
and extract patient information on to the computer as required following
practice protocols.
Action
patient tasks at the request of clinicians using SystmOne.
Assist
reception with the preparation of the reception meeting agendas and recording
of the minutes of the meetings as required.
Using
photocopier, telephone, email and clinical systems.
To
provide clerical assistance to support the delivery of patient services.
Patient notes
and correspondence:
Retrieve and
re-file records as required.
Ensure records
are kept in good repair, with all necessary information on the outside cover
clearly visible.
Ensure that all
new patients are registered onto the computer system promptly and accurately.
Premises:
Open 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.
Undertake
H&S checks as required and fire alarm tests as noted on rota.
Fire Warden
ensuring fire safety standards maintained in the work environment.
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.
Reception and
waiting areas noticeboards up to date and relevant with information for patients.
Confidentiality:
While 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
Undertaking
periodic infection control training (minimum annually.)
Demonstrate due
regard for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable
adults.
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 that 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 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
audit where appropriate.
Other roles may
need to be undertaken to fulfil the needs of the Practice.
