Ribblesdale Medical Practice

Medical Receptionist

The closing date is 27 February 2026

Job summary

Ribblesdale Medical Practice is seeking a motivated, professional and patient-focused Medical Receptionist & Administrator to join our friendly and supportive team. This is a key front-facing role within the practice, providing high-quality administrative and reception support while ensuring our patients receive a welcoming, efficient and compassionate service.

As the first point of contact for patients, you will play a vital role in shaping their experience of the practice. Whether greeting patients at reception, managing telephone enquiries, processing online requests through askmyGP, coordinating appointments and home visits, or supporting repeat prescribing processes, you will ensure that patients are directed to the most appropriate service using care navigation principles, always keeping the patient at the centre of everything we do.

The role requires excellent communication skills, strong organisational ability and confidence in using clinical systems such as EMIS and Docman (training will be provided where needed). You will work closely with GPs, nurses, pharmacists and the wider team, contributing to the smooth day-to-day running of the practice while maintaining strict confidentiality and information governance standards.

We are looking for someone who thrives in a busy environment, can use their initiative, and demonstrates empathy, professionalism and flexibility.

Main duties of the job

Reception & Patient ServicesAct as the first point of contact for patients and visitors, welcoming them in a polite and professional manner. Manage face-to-face and telephone enquiries, check patients in for appointments, and direct them appropriately using care navigation principles. Support new patient registrations and maintain accurate patient demographic records.

Appointments & Care Navigation Manage the appointments system for GPs, nurses and other clinicians, including booking, cancelling and rearranging appointments in line with practice policy. Record and process home visit requests, highlighting urgent matters to the duty doctor. Process and appropriately route online consultation requests received via askmyGP, identifying and escalating urgent issues when required.

Prescription Processing Receive and process repeat prescription requests via multiple routes in accordance with practice policy. Liaise with local pharmacies, manage prescription security processes, and ensure prescriptions are stored and recorded safely and accurately.

Administration & Clinical Systems Use EMIS, Docman to scan and code clinical correspondence, file documentation accurately, and maintain electronic records.

Governance

Maintain strict confidentiality at all times and comply with information governance policies. Adhere to safeguarding, equality and diversity, health and safety, and infection control requirements.

About us

Ribblesdale Medical Practice is a well-established, patient-focused GP practice committed to delivering high-quality, compassionate primary care to our local community. We serve a diverse patient population and aim to provide accessible, responsive and safe healthcare services that reflect the core values of the NHS.

Our experienced clinical team includes GP partners, practice nurses, a pharmacist and allied healthcare professionals, supported by a skilled reception and administrative team. Together, we work collaboratively to ensure patients receive the right care, at the right time, from the right professional.

We use digital systems, including askmyGP, EMIS and Docman, to enhance access, streamline communication and maintain accurate clinical records. These systems enable us to manage patient requests effectively while prioritising urgent care needs appropriately.

Quality improvement is central to our approach. We participate in clinical audits, QOF and reflective learning processes to maintain high standards of care. Patient feedback is valued and helps shape how we develop and improve our services.

We are committed to safeguarding, confidentiality, equality and diversity, ensuring that all patients and staff are treated with dignity and respect.

Ribblesdale Medical Practice is proud to be a trusted provider of primary care, dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the community we serve.

Date posted

12 February 2026

Pay scheme

Other

Salary

Depending on experience £12.21 starting (negotiable with experience)

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

A4436-26-0000

Job locations

Townside Primary Care Centre

Knowsley Street

Bury

Lancashire

BL90SN

Job description

Job responsibilities

To ensure patients receive a high quality, professional service and to contribute to the

daily practice routine.

More specifically the role shall encompass various

administrative tasks and the day to day running of the reception area.

You will receive, assist and direct patients in accessing the appropriate service or healthcare professional in line with their requirements using care navigation methods, in a courteous, efficient and effective way, with the patient at the centre of everything we do.

You will provide general administrative assistance to the GP partners and practice manager as required, and at all times project a positive and friendly image to patients and other visitors, whether in person or over the telephone.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Reception of Patients:

Welcoming patients at the Reception desk in a polite and friendly manner.

Accepting patients on arrival for appointments and routing patient

appropriately.

Handling of general enquiries at the reception desk or over the telephone

Anticipating, preventing and dealing with problems at Reception and in the waiting room.

Leaving the reception area tidy and ready for incoming colleagues, ensuring that prescriptions promised for collection are ready and passing on information concerning unsolved and urgent problems to your colleagues as a part of handover.

Dealing with new patients wishing to register at the Surgery, providing them with a New Patient Registration Pack and assisting them to complete the appropriate forms if necessary.

Dealing with notifications of change of address and/or change of name.

Ask My GP

To manage the incoming patient requests that come into practice via our online portal (askmyGP)

Route the requests accordingly in line with practice protocols

Flag any urgent requests or home visits to the duty doctor

Use your initiative to note any potentially urgent requests and highlight accordingly to the appropriate clinician.

To respond to patients when administrative tasks have been passed back to reception via a clinician on askmyGP.

Send appropriate pre0set messages in line with management of requests and care navigation protocols.

Appointments and Home Visits

Making new and follow-up appointments with clinicians as per practiced policy.

Maintain appointments system for GPs, Practice Nurse, pharmacist and minor surgery Clinics.

Cancel appointments when requested according to the Appointment Cancellation Policy.

Record requests for home visits on the appointments system, taking address, telephone number and the reason for the visit request.

Check Duty Doctor rota list in Reception each day and pass on any late calls to the doctor as soon as possible via mobile, if the doctor is out on the road.

Assist with the ordering of any emergency ambulance at the request of the Clinician.

Prescriptions:

Accept requests for repeat prescriptions via face-to-face, on line, fax or Prescription Box and process as per Repeat Prescribing Policy.

If request is face-to-face, verify with the patient the time the prescription will be ready for collection (usually 48 hours).

Check Prescription Box at regular intervals throughout the day.

Liaise with local Pharmacists re: collections and prescription queries.

Check emails and process any on line prescriptions requests

At the end of the day lock signed prescriptions waiting for collection in the designated filing cabinet. Leave key in agreed place.

Any prescriptions that are more than a month old that have not been collected should be destroyed and coded appropriately on the clinical system, the prescription box should be checked at regular intervals for old prescriptions.

Empty prescription printers and lock blank prescriptions in agreed place.

Record incoming and outgoing prescriptions pads according to Prescription Security Protocol.

Telephone:

Answer telephone calls promptly (within 3 rings), politely and discretely so that other patients cannot hear confidential medical information.

Take and transfer calls accordingly.

Make appointments, record requests for home visits, deal with queries from other health care professionals and patients.

Receive and record telephone messages via the pink acute appointments.

Personal calls should not be made to avoid blocking up the practice telephone lines.

Correspondence:

Incoming mail to be sorted and opened by designated member of the reception team; with the receipt of anything marked private and confidential (unless hospital stamped) taken out and passed directly to the named person.

Sort outgoing mail and frank ready for posting. Place mail for the NHS Milk Run collection in the appropriate place ready for collection.

Take post to post box as per Ribblesdale Post Rota before last post collection of the day.

Download the electronic mail and scan any incoming clinical letters onto patients record and route to the appropriate clinician.

Computer

Daily use of the clinical software system EMIS and Docman following appropriate training.

Enter data onto patients records in accordance with practice policies.

Note summarising medical records in accordance with Practice Protocol.

Maintain Death Register on Docman

Assist with QOF (Quality and Outcome Framework) using clinical audit and the recall system.

Scanning/processing of hospital letters and documents, read coding letters as appropriate

Ensure correspondence, reports and results are filed electronically in the correct patient record.

Participate in audits

Communication

Record information which is accurate and legible.

Process messages to all Clinicians and other members of staff in a timely and accurate manner and according to the in house protocols.

Liaise with other Health Care Professionals and agencies as requested

Open emails on a daily basis to ensure good channels of communication, both internal and external, is maintained.

Attend staff meetings

Attend LTI sessions

Work as a team member, when possible being flexible and supportive to colleagues

Security

At the start of the day, check GP consulting rooms and recover prescriptions from locked cupboard.

On leaving the building for the evening check each PC is switched off. Check electrical appliances are switched off as necessary.

On leaving the building for the evening follow the Leaving the Building at the end of the Day Procedure. Also follow Saturday morning and weekday extended hours procedure for leaving the Building on those days (if appropriate)

You will be required to abide by the protocols which cover both security of the building and Information Security. Any breeches of security must be reported to the Practice Manager immediately.

General Housekeeping

Repair and maintenance of medical records.

Assist with maintaining supplies of stationery; order prescriptions, medical certificates etc...

General housekeeping of the waiting room and consulting rooms after each session.

Check Doctors name plates are changed prior to each surgery session.

Keep the Doctors consultation rooms adequately stocked with stationery, specimen bottles and lab forms.

Retrieve/file medical records as required.

Check fridges daily for any lab specimens

Other duties:

Any other duties delegated by the Doctors or Practice Manager/Head Receptionist considered appropriate to the post.

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 annual appraisal and personal development plan.

Comply with Practice training programme to maintain and update skills.

Participation in mandatory training which includes annual Fire Training, Basic Life Support and Information Governance Training

Participation in in-house training and monthly Learning Time Initiative sessions.

Participate in Complaints and Significant event audits as appropriate/required.

Assist in training and supervision of new staff and occasionally other temporary

Staff, such as medical students and students on work experience placements.