General Practice Assistant (GPA)

Job responsibilities

Main Duties include:

Sorting all clinical post and prioritising actions for the GP. Signposting to other colleagues where required

Extracting all information from clinical letters that requires coding and adding to patient records

Arranging appointments, referrals, tests and follow up appointments for patients

Preparing patients prior to seeing the GP, taking a brief history and basic readings in readiness for the GP appointment

Dipping urine, taking blood pressure, ECGs and phlebotomy

Completing forms for the GP to approve and sign such as insurance, mortgage and benefits agency forms etc

Explaining treatment procedures to patients

Helping the GP liaise with outside agencies e.g. contacting on call colleagues for advice and arranging admissions etc.

Support the GP with immunisations, wound care

You will learn and be supported to undertake:

Phlebotomy

Blood pressure monitoring and support in hypertension review clinics

Patient lifestyle advice in relation to weight, lipid management, alcohol and exercise

Information gathering from patients

Infection control

Maintaining a well-stocked clinical environment

Immunisation within PCN vaccination services

New patient health checks

NHS health checks and enhanced health checks

Completion of referral forms to services such as ADHD, autism services, and routine chronic disease referrals such as diabetes eye screening

Filing of routine results according to level of training and competency

Feno testing

Knowledge and Understanding

Desirable

• An understanding of the NHS agenda and government targets
• || Awareness of systems to support management of patients in a primary care setting, delivering support in the context of pathways of care and the business of the organisation(s)
• || Awareness of GP budget management and funding systems to enable primary care services to assist delivery of PCN and NHS priorities and requirements for financial balance and quality

Attributes

Essential

• Works effectively independently and as a member of a team
• || Flexible approach to meet service needs
• || Continued commitment to improve skills and ability in new areas of work
• || Able to undertake the demands of the post with reasonable adjustments if required
• || Independently mobile to be able to work across several sites and travel to meet with stakeholders
• || Self-motivated, able to work both independently and collaboratively and possess excellent communication and clinical skills
• || Able to work in a busy environment; able to deal with both urgent and important tasks and to prioritise effectively whilst also supporting others
• || Excellent time keeping and prioritisation skills

Desirable

• Adaptability, flexibility and ability to cope with uncertainty and change

Qualifications

Desirable

• Completion of the City and Guilds qualification for GPA or equivalent experience

Skills and Competencies

Essential

• Computer literate with an ability to use Microsoft office packages
• || Has a planned and organised approach with an ability to prioritise their own workload to meet strict deadlines
• || Excellent communication skills, verbal and written, with the ability to adjust communication style and content to suit the audience

Desirable

• Computer literate with an ability to use the required GP clinical systems
• || Understand the aims of current healthcare policy
• || Able to analyse and interpret patient record data
• || Has attention to detail, able to work accurately, identifying errors quickly and easily
• || Able to effectively manage allocated resources
• || Able to think analytically; anticipating obstacles and thinking ahead; using analytical techniques to draw logical solutions to problems
• || Influencing and negotiating skills
• || A good understanding of data protection and confidentiality issues

Experience

Desirable

• Experience of working in a primary care environment

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).