Care co-ordinator + Dispensing Assistant

Job description

Job responsibilities

While providing a professional, respectful and efficient call handling and face to face service, our Care Co-Ordinators occupy many roles and play a crucial part in helping our patients get to the right support, at the right time, to help manage a wide range of needs.

Each member is trained to deal with a variety of associated administration duties and follow all relevant procedures, policies and processes to ensure they are working in an efficient and courteous manner at all times.

The Care Co-Ordinator will embed and sustain an ethos of care throughout the team; providing advice and guidance and signposting patients to the most appropriate clinician/service both within and out of the surgeries capacity.

Below highlights areas of daily duties:

• Dealing with all general enquiries efficiently with the ability to explain protocols and procedures, make new and follow-up appointments by booking, cancelling and rearranging appointments

1. Reception-Based Responsibilities:

• Greet patients, visitors, and healthcare staff in a courteous and professional manner.
• Answer telephone calls, manage inquiries, and triage calls to appropriate personnel.
• Schedule appointments, ensuring optimal allocation of resources and alignment with clinicians' availability.
• Register new patients and update existing patient records with the highest level of accuracy.
• On occasion process repeat prescription requests in line with practice protocols.
• Provide information to patients and families regarding services, appointments, and other inquiries.
• Maintain confidentiality and adhere to data protection regulations at all times.

2. Medical Secretary Responsibilities:

• Type and prepare correspondence, reports, referrals, and other documentation as requested by clinicians and management.
• Handle patient referrals, including e-Referrals and ensuring timely follow-up.
• Coordinate with other healthcare providers to obtain medical records, test results, and other relevant patient information.
• Assist in the preparation of medical documentation for clinical staff, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality.
• Manage incoming and outgoing mail, distributing it to the appropriate team members.
• Organise and maintain filing systems (both electronic and physical), ensuring easy access and retrieval of documents.

3. Administrative Responsibilities:

• Assist in maintaining an organised and efficient administration system, supporting the smooth running of practice operations.
• Support the practice in managing medical supplies, ordering stock, and ensuring clinical rooms are well-prepared.
• Assist with updating and maintaining patient information on NHS databases and/or practice management systems, where applicable.
• Generate routine and ad-hoc reports, including patient activity, appointment statistics, and other performance metrics.
• Attend team meetings and provide administrative support for follow-up actions.

Prescription Responsibilities

• Handle and process paper prescription requests from patients and healthcare professionals.
• Ensure accuracy and timeliness in prescription handling to meet patient needs.
• Manage payments for dispensed prescriptions in-house, ensuring compliance with financial procedures and accurate records of all transactions.
• Act as the first point of contact for patients with prescription queries, providing assistance and resolving issues where possible.
• Communicate effectively with patients, clinicians, and other healthcare professionals regarding prescription-related matters.
• Undertake additional roles and responsibilities as assigned by senior team members or practice management.
• Support initiatives and projects aimed at improving the efficiency of prescription services.

Dispensary Assistant

At Martlesham Heath Surgery, we offer a service for dispensing and we pride ourselves in the service we provide to our patients. You will be able to project a positive and friendly image to dispensary patients and other visitors and deal with queries in a professional, courteous and efficient manner. Along with assisting in the preparation of all aspects of dispensing and assist with stock control, ordering and re-stocking of the dispensary.

Your main duties and responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to:

• Issuing stock items and prepared prescriptions
• Collection of prescription charges/checking patient exemption statements
• Operation of efficient stock control appropriate to the needs of the dispensary with the objective of ensuring continuity of supply for patients and minimising wastage
• Ensuring that drugs are received and stored in an appropriate manner in accordance with the manufacturers instructions, this may be inclusive of refrigerated items.
• Cleaning work surfaces and shelving on a regular basis and ensuring that that all dispensary equipment is kept clean and kept in good working order.
• Maintaining full and accurate records of all dispensing transactions.
• Undertaking other reasonable duties within the framework of the post
• Dispensing and checking repeat prescriptions
• Reviewing orders for repeats and dealing with any associated queries.

Knowledge and understanding about the appropriateness of requests for medication is required, checking with the appropriate Clinical Team or in patient records if there are any concerns.

Successful applicants will be able to access a number of additional training opportunities that become available through our local Training Hub, ICB or other providers of support and learning

As a Training Practice we encourage enhanced learning within all roles at Martlesham Heath Surgery

This job description provides an overview of the main responsibilities of the role. It is not an exhaustive list, and the post holder may be required to undertake other duties as deemed appropriate to the role.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• A combination of experience is required for both aspects of this position:
• Confident and welcoming demeanour with a compassionate and caring attitude in all situations
• Face to face, patient focused care
• Basic IT knowledge and experience including carrying out basic internet navigation
• Experience of data entry or diary use
• Basic knowledge of and experience of using Microsoft Office Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams

Desirable

• Knowledge or experience of working as a receptionist within the NHS or Primary Care
• Call handling experience

Skills

Essential

• Good organisational skills
• Ability to organise and maintain office space.
• Ability to cope with a busy and fast paced working environment
• Able to work on own initiative and as part of a team
• Good communication skills (written and verbal)
• Excellent IT skills
• Strong team player
• Smart appearance
• Exercise tact and discretion at all times
• Demonstrate initiative to handle any unforeseen events during a
• shift
• Demonstrate flexibility towards new working practices and
• towards working hours

Qualifications

Essential

• NVQ level 2 in Dispensing or equivalent qualification is required

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

Martlesham Heath Surgery

Address

Martlesham Heath Surgery

23 The Square

Martlesham Heath

Ipswich

IP5 3SL

Employer's website

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