Job summary
Join your local practice team help patients, support GPs, and be part of something that matters.
Morecambe Bay Primary Care Collaborative will soon begin supporting the GP practice in Coniston for a 12-month period starting 1st August 2025. To do that well, we need caring, reliable people to work alongside our GPs and managers at the surgery including a new General Practice Assistant. The surgery is going to be open 5 days a week, with no lone working at any time. Your working hours will be between 08:00 AM -> 18:30 PM, Monday to Friday.
This is a unique, varied role combining light clinical tasks with admin support and its a great opportunity to get involved in patient care even if you're not a clinician.
Main duties of the job
What does a GPA do
Youll help prepare patients for appointments, take basic health checks like blood pressure and weight, chaperone as needed, support admin processes (e.g. referrals and letters), and keep things running efficiently so our GPs can focus more on patients.
You dont need clinical experience, but it would help just make sure you have:
- A caring, can-do attitude
- Confidence to learn new things
- Basic computer and communication skills
- A flexible, reliable approach to teamwork
We offer:
- Full training and support from experienced professionals
- A genuinely varied and fulfilling role
- Fair pay
- A real chance to help your neighbours and community
If you're from Coniston or nearby and want to be part of something meaningful this could be the role for you.
Apply today or get in touch to find out more.
About us
Morecambe Bay Primary Care Collaborative is the largest employer of Primary Care colleagues in South Cumbria, we are a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, and work to support, guide and underpin primary medical care across Lancashire and South Cumbria.
We deeply value education and learning, hosting the Lancashire and South Cumbria Training Hub. We have a great team on our board that guide our organisation, and you will be supported to excel in your role.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will report to the Practice Manager and the GPs and support the GPs to ensure the efficient provision of medical services and clinics by performing several more routine administrative and clinical duties. This will allow the GPs to utilise their own time more effectively towards greater patient focused activities.
Additionally, this role will support in the delivery of clinical and administrative services, working as part of the practice multidisciplinary team, delivering care within their scope of practice to the entitled patient population.
Utilising the NHS Health Education England GPA Competency Framework, the post holder working within general practice/primary care will provide capabilities within care, administration, clinical, communications and health records management.
Key Objectives & Responsibilities
The following are the core responsibilities of this General Practice Assistant role. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks, dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels.
The following are the core responsibilities of the GP Assistant, Medical Assistant. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels.
- Undertaking new patient health checks
- Providing support to GPs by taking patient history and baseline observations prior to the patient seeing the GP
- Carrying out baseline observations such as pulse oximetry, blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, recording all findings accurately
- Facilitating routine and 24 hour BP monitoring, advising patients accordingly
- Carrying out BMI checks as directed
- Acting as a chaperone as required
- When trained, undertaking venepuncture
- Conducting ECGs as requested
- Signposting some received correspondence to others, e.g., Clinical Pharmacist, Practice Nurse
- Extracting all the required information from clinical letters, applying medical codes as required and adding these to patient notes
- Supporting practice patients by arranging appointments, onward referrals, clinical tests and follow up appointments.
- Completing basic non-opinion forms in addition to some elements of forms for the GP(s) to approve, such as insurance forms, mortgage applications, Department for Work and Pensions benefits forms and others as appropriate
- Explaining treatment procedures to patients
- Supporting GP(s) in liaising with external agencies such as helping to arrange patient admission while the GPs continue with the consultation.
- Supporting the GPs with wound care and immunisations (including flu vaccinations)
- Undertaking all mandatory training and induction programmes
- Attending 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
- Contributing to public health campaigns e.g., flu clinics through advice or direct care, including opportunistic health promotional programmes
- To always maintain a clean, tidy and effective working area
Confidentiality
In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
General
The post holder will:
- Participate in, and help to develop, a culture that promotes equality and values diversity. The post holder must be aware of and committed to the Equality and Diversity policies of the appointing GP Federation and comply with all the requirements of these policies and actively promote Equality and Diversity issues relevant to the post.
- Ensure the principles of openness, transparency and candour are observed and upheld in all working practices.
- Have, or acquire through training provided by the organisation, the appropriate level of safeguarding and knowledge, skills and practice required for the post and be aware of and comply with the organisations safeguarding protection policies and procedures.
- Ensure that any infection prevention and control issues are reported to their line manager.
This job description is not exhaustive and may change as the post develops, but such change will not take place without consultation between the post holder and his/her manager. Job descriptions should be reviewed at least annually at the appraisal meeting.
There may be a need to travel between sites, therefore ability to drive and uses own car is an advantage.
WHEN APPLYING FOR THIS ROLE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MOBILE NUMBER ON YOUR APPLICATION SO WE CAN CONTACT YOU IF NEEDED.
Job description
Job responsibilities
The post holder will report to the Practice Manager and the GPs and support the GPs to ensure the efficient provision of medical services and clinics by performing several more routine administrative and clinical duties. This will allow the GPs to utilise their own time more effectively towards greater patient focused activities.
Additionally, this role will support in the delivery of clinical and administrative services, working as part of the practice multidisciplinary team, delivering care within their scope of practice to the entitled patient population.
Utilising the NHS Health Education England GPA Competency Framework, the post holder working within general practice/primary care will provide capabilities within care, administration, clinical, communications and health records management.
Key Objectives & Responsibilities
The following are the core responsibilities of this General Practice Assistant role. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks, dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels.
The following are the core responsibilities of the GP Assistant, Medical Assistant. There may be, on occasion, a requirement to carry out other tasks. This will be dependent upon factors such as workload and staffing levels.
- Undertaking new patient health checks
- Providing support to GPs by taking patient history and baseline observations prior to the patient seeing the GP
- Carrying out baseline observations such as pulse oximetry, blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, recording all findings accurately
- Facilitating routine and 24 hour BP monitoring, advising patients accordingly
- Carrying out BMI checks as directed
- Acting as a chaperone as required
- When trained, undertaking venepuncture
- Conducting ECGs as requested
- Signposting some received correspondence to others, e.g., Clinical Pharmacist, Practice Nurse
- Extracting all the required information from clinical letters, applying medical codes as required and adding these to patient notes
- Supporting practice patients by arranging appointments, onward referrals, clinical tests and follow up appointments.
- Completing basic non-opinion forms in addition to some elements of forms for the GP(s) to approve, such as insurance forms, mortgage applications, Department for Work and Pensions benefits forms and others as appropriate
- Explaining treatment procedures to patients
- Supporting GP(s) in liaising with external agencies such as helping to arrange patient admission while the GPs continue with the consultation.
- Supporting the GPs with wound care and immunisations (including flu vaccinations)
- Undertaking all mandatory training and induction programmes
- Attending 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
- Contributing to public health campaigns e.g., flu clinics through advice or direct care, including opportunistic health promotional programmes
- To always maintain a clean, tidy and effective working area
Confidentiality
In the performance of the duties outlined in this Job Description, the post-holder may have access to confidential information relating to patients and their carers, practice staff and other healthcare workers. They may also have access to information relating to the Practice as a business organisation. All such information from any source is to be regarded as strictly confidential
Information relating to patients, carers, colleagues, other healthcare workers or the business of the Practice may only be divulged to authorised persons in accordance with the Practice policies and procedures relating to confidentiality and the protection of personal and sensitive data
General
The post holder will:
- Participate in, and help to develop, a culture that promotes equality and values diversity. The post holder must be aware of and committed to the Equality and Diversity policies of the appointing GP Federation and comply with all the requirements of these policies and actively promote Equality and Diversity issues relevant to the post.
- Ensure the principles of openness, transparency and candour are observed and upheld in all working practices.
- Have, or acquire through training provided by the organisation, the appropriate level of safeguarding and knowledge, skills and practice required for the post and be aware of and comply with the organisations safeguarding protection policies and procedures.
- Ensure that any infection prevention and control issues are reported to their line manager.
This job description is not exhaustive and may change as the post develops, but such change will not take place without consultation between the post holder and his/her manager. Job descriptions should be reviewed at least annually at the appraisal meeting.
There may be a need to travel between sites, therefore ability to drive and uses own car is an advantage.
WHEN APPLYING FOR THIS ROLE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR MOBILE NUMBER ON YOUR APPLICATION SO WE CAN CONTACT YOU IF NEEDED.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE grade A-C equivalent in Maths and English
Desirable
- Evidence of continuing education and professional development in previous roles
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Commitment to ongoing professional development
- Punctual and committed to role
- Good judgement when speaking with patients
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
- Clear understanding of confidentiality
- Good timekeeping & ability to work under time pressure
- Demonstrates honesty and integrity and promotes organisational values
- Professional Appearance
- Proven verbal and non-verbal communication skills
Desirable
- Full driving licence and access to transport
Experience
Essential
- Excellent communication skills
- Experience in General Practice
- Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft 365
- Ability to work well within a team
- Able to identify professional boundaries and what to do when they have been reached.
Desirable
- Previous experience in Primary Care or in a similar role
- Experience using EMIS
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to GCSE grade A-C equivalent in Maths and English
Desirable
- Evidence of continuing education and professional development in previous roles
Personal Qualities
Essential
- Commitment to ongoing professional development
- Punctual and committed to role
- Good judgement when speaking with patients
- Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check
- Clear understanding of confidentiality
- Good timekeeping & ability to work under time pressure
- Demonstrates honesty and integrity and promotes organisational values
- Professional Appearance
- Proven verbal and non-verbal communication skills
Desirable
- Full driving licence and access to transport
Experience
Essential
- Excellent communication skills
- Experience in General Practice
- Excellent IT skills, including Microsoft 365
- Ability to work well within a team
- Able to identify professional boundaries and what to do when they have been reached.
Desirable
- Previous experience in Primary Care or in a similar role
- Experience using 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.
