Medical Receptionist

Job description

Job responsibilities

HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

Supports the clinical team to signpost patients to health services

Contributes to service improvement in relation to the public health agenda such as screening and immunisations

Makes referral to statutory and voluntary agencies as appropriate

DELIVERING A QUALITY SERVICE

• Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients and carers needs
• Effectively manage own time, workload and resources in a manner that promotes quality
• Recognise and work within own competence and role requirements
• Produce accurate, contemporaneous and complete records of patient interactions, consistent with legislation, policies and procedures on the practice clinical system
• Deliver care according to local and national guidelines
• Identify any areas of quality improvement and contribute to service improvement
• Participate in audit as a means of evaluating the quality of the work of self and the team, implementing improvements where required
• In partnership with other teams, collaborate on improving the quality of health care responding to local and national policies and initiatives as appropriate
• Contribute to reporting and learning from patient complaints, clinical incidents and near-miss events
• Understand and apply legal issues that support the identification of vulnerable and abused adults, and be aware of statutory vulnerable patients health procedures and local guidance

COMMUNICATION

• Utilise and demonstrate sensitive communication styles, to ensure patients are fully informed about services whilst recognising the need for alternative methods of communication to overcome different levels of understanding, cultural background and preferred ways of communicating
• Communicate with and effectively support patients and their carers who attend the reception who may have received potentially distressing information.
• Act as an advocate when representing the patients and colleagues viewpoints to others
• Ensure awareness of sources of support and guidance (eg PALS, connect for health) and provide information in an acceptable format to all patients, recognising any difficulties and referring where appropriate
• Reflect on own communication style and patient feedback as part of regular appraisal.
• Effectively communicate using non-verbal methods such as email, tasks and messaging systems
• To maintain accurate and contemporaneous records, utilising computer systems where appropriate and consider the caldicott principles in relation to all data handling.

TEAM WORK

• Understand own role and identify how this may develop over time
• Work as an effective and responsible team member, supporting others and exploring new ways of working
• To liaise with all members of the primary care team and other agencies in order to assure appropriate care is provided for the practice population
• To value all team members
• Prioritise own workload and ensure effective time-management strategies are embedded within the culture of the team
• Discuss, highlight and work with the team to create opportunities to improve patient services
• Comply with CQC standards within the practice
• To attend practice and collaborative meetings as requested
• To keep the partners informed about pressures and difficulties or problems that may arise

MANAGEMENT OF RISK

• Comply with the practices health and safety policy, in particular by following agreed safe working procedures and report incidents using the practice incident reporting system
• Awareness of standards in infection control and health and safety
• Maintain own clean working environment
• Ensure correct disposal for confidential information
• Ensuring the correct use personal protective equipment (PPE) personally and of others to ensure high standards of infection control are maintained when dealing with specimen collection or spillages with in the reception area.
• Ensure own personal safety
• Ensure hand hygiene standards for self and others are maintained
• Identify any risks involved in work activities and undertake procedures in a way that manages those risks

MANAGING INFORMATION

• Ensure NHS Data Security Information training is up to date at all times
• Ensure appropriate use of IT systems including email, internet and clinical systems in line with practice policy
• Process data using accurate Read codes in order to ensure easy and accurate information retrieval for monitoring and audit processes

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Contribute to a learning environment providing supervision for more junior reception staff, assessing competence against set standards
• Assess own learning needs and undertake learning as appropriate as part of professional development
• Undertake NVQ level 2 or 3 in business administration or customer service as appropriate
• Complete mandatory training and attend regular in house training to maintain professional development.

EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY

• Enable others to promote equality and diversity in a non-discriminatory culture

Act in a way that recognises the importance of peoples rights, and identify patterns of discrimination and take action to overcome this and promote diversity and equality of opportunity

• Respect patients privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
• Support and signpost people who need assistance in exercising their rights
• Act as a role model which is welcoming to and of the individual, non-judgemental and respectful
• Accept the rights of individuals to choose their care providers, participate in care and refuse care

COMPETENCE

You are responsible for limiting your actions to those which you feel competent to undertake. If you have any doubts about your competence during the course of your duties you should immediately speak to your Line Manager in the first instance.

RULES, REGULATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS

EMPLOYMENT ACT AND CODES OF PRACTICE

Comply with employment legislation and codes of good practice.

CLINICAL GOVERNANCE

Comply with the practice clinical governance standards, policies and procedures

WORKING CONDITIONS

Occasional exposure to body fluids, blood and wounds as patients arrive in reception.

Occasional exposure to closed sharps systems collected from patients

Travel requirements between sites and hubs

Regular use of VDU equipment

Occasional expose to aggressive behaviour

Working across sites and locality working

Working in extended hours clinics Monday to Sunday

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

• Educated to GCSE level or equivalent

Desirable

• GCSE Mathematics & English (C or above)

Experience

Essential

• Experience of working with the general public
• Experience of Receptionist duties

Desirable

• Experience of working in a health care setting
• Experience of working with System one/Emis

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

Dr T Fox and Partners

Address

Colton Mill Medical Centre

Stile HIll Way

Colton

West Yorkshire

LS15 9JH

Employer's website

https://www.coltonmill-thegrange.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)