Carden Surgery

Reception Manager

The closing date is 09 February 2026

Job summary

As the Carden Surgery reception manager you would oversee the front-of-house operation of the practice, ensuring patients are welcomed, appointments are managed efficiently, and administrative systems run smoothly. You would be responsible for the training of the administration staff, handle patient queries and complaints, maintain confidentiality, and support clinical teams by keeping day-to-day practice operations organised and compliant.

Main duties of the job

As the Reception Manager you would be responsible for leading and coordinating the reception team to ensure efficient, patient-centred front-of-house services.

Key duties would include managing appointment systems, supervising and training reception staff, handling patient enquiries and complaints, and ensuring high standards of customer service. The role also involves maintaining patient confidentiality, overseeing administrative processes, supporting clinicians with accurate information flow, monitoring workloads and rotas, and ensuring reception services comply with NHS policies, data protection, and practice procedures.

About us

The Carden Surgery is based at County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, East Sussex.

We provide a range of primary care services to registered patients, including routine and urgent appointments. The surgery has three GP Partners, four salaried GP's, alongside a Nursing team, Pharmacy team, First Contact Practitioner, Mental Health Care Coordinators, and Social Prescribers.

Patients can book same-day or advance appointments, and interpreters can be arranged if needed.

The practice also includes a branch at New Larchwood Surgery in Coldean, offering additional local access to GP services.

Carden Surgery serves a diverse local population and forms part of the Brighton North & Central Primary Care Network, working with nearby practices to provide coordinated community healthcare.

Our previous Care Quality Commission inspections was rated good overall for safety, effectiveness, responsiveness, caring and leadership.

Details

Date posted

02 February 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience £28,000 - £32,000

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

A3943-26-0000

Job locations

County Oak Medical Centre

Carden Hill

Brighton

East Sussex

BN1 8DD


Doctors Surgery

Waldron Avenue

Brighton

BN1 9EZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

To be responsible for the efficient management and direction of the administration team, ensuring all administrative duties are performed effectively and to the required standard, meeting the objectives of the practice.

To support the management team in promoting ED&I, SHEF, quality and continuous improvement, confidentiality, collaborative working, service delivery, and learning and development, and ensure the organisation complies with CQC regulations.

To provide support towards the maximisation of both enhanced services and QOF achievements, reporting to the Partners and Practice Manager.

The post-holder will be an integral part of the general practice team.

Induction

We will provide a full induction programme, and management will support you throughout the process.

Learning and development

The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in, and complete mandatory training as directed. It is an expectation for this post-holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate.

The post-holder will undertake mentorship for team members and disseminate learning and information gained to other team members to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g., courses and conferences). The post-holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning.

Collaborative working

All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team.

Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments, and the post-holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and to work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery.

Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.

All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence. Plans and outcomes by which to measure success should be agreed.

Managing information

All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information.

Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.

Service delivery

Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.

The post-holder must adhere to the information contained within the organisations policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are adhered to at all times.

Security

The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post-holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager.

Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared.

Professional conduct, uniforms and appearance

All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role and in accordance with the organisations Uniforms, Dress and Appearance Policy. All staff members are to ensure that their conduct is commensurate with line management expectations and practice protocol.

Leave

All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure all their staff are afforded the opportunity to take a minimum of 5.6 weeks leave each year and should be encouraged to take all their leave entitlement.

Public holidays are in addition to the annual leave entitlement.

The following are the core responsibilities of the Reception Manager in delivering health services. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

Oversee the administration and support operations of the practice, ensuring staff achieve their primary responsibilities

Line manage all administrative staff, supporting staff development, providing guidance and direction, ensuring staff are up to date with mandatory training

Support, create and maintain clinical rotas for all types of appointments

Support in the coordination of the home visits rota

Have a thorough understanding of the IT systems used by the practice to ensure compliance and enhanced service delivery these include Agilio TeamNet, Apex, PCSE, and CQRS.

Complete staff appraisals as required

Identify and deliver team training where required

Compile administration staff rotas

Review and update all administrative and reception policies and procedures as required

Support the management team in the compilation of practice reports and the practice development plan

Develop, implement and embed efficient office processes and procedures to adhere to legislation, audit processes routinely to measure adherence.

Act as a focal point for the practice, managing requests from external organisations such as the local police, solicitors, DVLA and other agencies

Coordinate the provision of temporary administrative and reception staff, ensuring sufficient cover is provided for periods of leave and other staff absences

Update the appointment system to reflect leave and other approved absences

Provide initial guidance and advice to patients who wish to verbally complain, and ensure that the administration team is fully conversant with the complaints procedure

Respond to written complaints to acknowledge receipt and log these on AgilioTeamNet.

Manage all deliveries to the practice, ensuring adherence to the cold chain policy as necessary

Act as building fire marshal, ensuring evacuation lists are current and that the visitors log is used appropriately

Be instrumental in ensuring that both Enhanced Service and QOF achievements have been maximised

Be an integral part of the general practice team

Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children

Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements

Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes

Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance

  • Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
  • Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Reception Manager has the following wider responsibilities:

Deputise for the Practice Manager in their absence

Complete and submit the monthly practice PPA claim

Lead and embed a new Patient Participation Group. Arranging monthly meetings, acting as secretary to the group.

Coordinate and produce meeting agendas and record the minutes of meetings. Meetings are to be planned on Microsoft Teams and annotated onto Practice ledger. Meetings are to be minutes (using AI if chosen) and minutes uploaded to Agilio TeamNet

Support the Practice Manager in the maintenance of the practice website and social media accounts

Monitor and promote the use of the Friends and Family Test

Champion continuous improvement, encouraging staff to participate and make suggestions for CI initiatives

Participate in any audits as directed

Attend and actively participate in practice management meetings

Attend any external meetings pertinent to this role

Support and participate in shared learning

Job description

Job responsibilities

To be responsible for the efficient management and direction of the administration team, ensuring all administrative duties are performed effectively and to the required standard, meeting the objectives of the practice.

To support the management team in promoting ED&I, SHEF, quality and continuous improvement, confidentiality, collaborative working, service delivery, and learning and development, and ensure the organisation complies with CQC regulations.

To provide support towards the maximisation of both enhanced services and QOF achievements, reporting to the Partners and Practice Manager.

The post-holder will be an integral part of the general practice team.

Induction

We will provide a full induction programme, and management will support you throughout the process.

Learning and development

The effective use of training and development is fundamental in ensuring that all staff are equipped with the appropriate skills, knowledge, attitude and competences to perform their role. All staff will be required to partake in, and complete mandatory training as directed. It is an expectation for this post-holder to assess their own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate.

The post-holder will undertake mentorship for team members and disseminate learning and information gained to other team members to share good practice and inform others about current and future developments (e.g., courses and conferences). The post-holder will provide an educational role to patients, carers, families and colleagues in an environment that facilitates learning.

Collaborative working

All staff are to recognise the significance of collaborative working and understand their own role and scope and identify how this may develop over time. Staff are to prioritise their own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team.

Teamwork is essential in multidisciplinary environments, and the post-holder is to work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring the mechanisms to develop new ways of working and to work effectively with others to clearly define values, direction and policies impacting upon care delivery.

Effective communication is essential, and all staff must ensure they communicate in a manner which enables the sharing of information in an appropriate manner.

All staff should delegate clearly and appropriately, adopting the principles of safe practice and assessment of competence. Plans and outcomes by which to measure success should be agreed.

Managing information

All staff should use technology and appropriate software as an aid to management in the planning, implementation and monitoring of care and presenting and communicating information.

Data should be reviewed and processed using accurate SNOMED codes to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes.

Service delivery

Staff will be given detailed information during the induction process regarding policy and procedure.

The post-holder must adhere to the information contained within the organisations policies and regional directives, ensuring protocols are adhered to at all times.

Security

The security of the organisation is the responsibility of all personnel. The post-holder must ensure they always remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity immediately to their line manager.

Under no circumstances are staff to share the codes for the door locks with anyone and are to ensure that restricted areas remain effectively secured. Likewise, password controls are to be maintained and are not to be shared.

Professional conduct, uniforms and appearance

All staff are required to dress appropriately for their role and in accordance with the organisations Uniforms, Dress and Appearance Policy. All staff members are to ensure that their conduct is commensurate with line management expectations and practice protocol.

Leave

All personnel are entitled to take leave. Line managers are to ensure all their staff are afforded the opportunity to take a minimum of 5.6 weeks leave each year and should be encouraged to take all their leave entitlement.

Public holidays are in addition to the annual leave entitlement.

The following are the core responsibilities of the Reception Manager in delivering health services. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels:

Oversee the administration and support operations of the practice, ensuring staff achieve their primary responsibilities

Line manage all administrative staff, supporting staff development, providing guidance and direction, ensuring staff are up to date with mandatory training

Support, create and maintain clinical rotas for all types of appointments

Support in the coordination of the home visits rota

Have a thorough understanding of the IT systems used by the practice to ensure compliance and enhanced service delivery these include Agilio TeamNet, Apex, PCSE, and CQRS.

Complete staff appraisals as required

Identify and deliver team training where required

Compile administration staff rotas

Review and update all administrative and reception policies and procedures as required

Support the management team in the compilation of practice reports and the practice development plan

Develop, implement and embed efficient office processes and procedures to adhere to legislation, audit processes routinely to measure adherence.

Act as a focal point for the practice, managing requests from external organisations such as the local police, solicitors, DVLA and other agencies

Coordinate the provision of temporary administrative and reception staff, ensuring sufficient cover is provided for periods of leave and other staff absences

Update the appointment system to reflect leave and other approved absences

Provide initial guidance and advice to patients who wish to verbally complain, and ensure that the administration team is fully conversant with the complaints procedure

Respond to written complaints to acknowledge receipt and log these on AgilioTeamNet.

Manage all deliveries to the practice, ensuring adherence to the cold chain policy as necessary

Act as building fire marshal, ensuring evacuation lists are current and that the visitors log is used appropriately

Be instrumental in ensuring that both Enhanced Service and QOF achievements have been maximised

Be an integral part of the general practice team

Be aware of duties and responsibilities regarding current legislation and adhere to practice policies and procedures on Safeguarding Adults and Safeguarding Children

Support in the delivery of enhanced services and other service requirements

Undertake all mandatory training and induction programmes

Contribute to and embrace the spectrum of clinical governance

  • Maintain a clean, tidy, effective working area at all times
  • Attend a formal appraisal with their manager at least every 12 months. Once a performance/training objective has been set, progress will be reviewed on a regular basis so that new objectives can be agreed

In addition to the primary responsibilities, the Reception Manager has the following wider responsibilities:

Deputise for the Practice Manager in their absence

Complete and submit the monthly practice PPA claim

Lead and embed a new Patient Participation Group. Arranging monthly meetings, acting as secretary to the group.

Coordinate and produce meeting agendas and record the minutes of meetings. Meetings are to be planned on Microsoft Teams and annotated onto Practice ledger. Meetings are to be minutes (using AI if chosen) and minutes uploaded to Agilio TeamNet

Support the Practice Manager in the maintenance of the practice website and social media accounts

Monitor and promote the use of the Friends and Family Test

Champion continuous improvement, encouraging staff to participate and make suggestions for CI initiatives

Participate in any audits as directed

Attend and actively participate in practice management meetings

Attend any external meetings pertinent to this role

Support and participate in shared learning

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths

Desirable

  • Experience using EMIS and Docman.
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • GCSE grade A to C in English and Maths

Desirable

  • Experience using EMIS and Docman.

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

Carden Surgery

Address

County Oak Medical Centre

Carden Hill

Brighton

East Sussex

BN1 8DD


Employer's website

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

Employer details

Employer name

Carden Surgery

Address

County Oak Medical Centre

Carden Hill

Brighton

East Sussex

BN1 8DD


Employer's website

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

Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Practice Manager

Caroline Gladman

caroline.gladman@nhs.net

01273500155

Details

Date posted

02 February 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience £28,000 - £32,000

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

A3943-26-0000

Job locations

County Oak Medical Centre

Carden Hill

Brighton

East Sussex

BN1 8DD


Doctors Surgery

Waldron Avenue

Brighton

BN1 9EZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Carden Surgery's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)