Job responsibilities
Receptionist
- Receiving patients consulting with members of Practice team.
- Handling completed repeat prescriptions to patients and checking names and addresses.
- Being able to cover all reception positions as necessary.
- Receiving specimens from patients, ensuring they are labelled correctly, and sending them to the appropriate nurse / external laboratory.
- Receiving the post and alerting the appropriate personnel that it has arrived to be opened.
Appointments
- Processing appointment requests for on the day and future appointments from patients, both by telephone and in person.
- Dealing with home visit requests.
Computer
- Entering data onto computers, including medical records.
- Processing patients' changes of address.
- Processing repeat prescription requests in accordance with Practice guidelines.
- Seeking authorisation of repeat prescription items when necessary.
Telephone
- Maintaining working knowledge of telephone system during and after hours.
- Receiving calls from patients and external agencies and dealing with any queries.
- Giving pathology results over the phone to patients following the Practice protocols and the directions of the Doctor.
- Making calls to patients and external agencies.
- Booking interpretation services via telephone.
Other Tasks
- Ensuring building security, including maintaining thorough knowledge of doors, windows, and alarms.
- Making coffee for doctors / members of staff.
- Completing any other tasks allocated by managers.
Confidentiality
In the course of seeking treatment, patients entrust us with, or allow us to gather, sensitive information in relation to their health and other matters. They do so in confidence and have the right to expect that staff will respect their privacy and act appropriately.
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
Caldicott and Security
Employees will follow practice procedures to ensure that Caldicott and Security requirements are met at all times.
Data Protection
Employees will follow procedures to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and GDPR.
Health and Safety
The post-holder will assist in promoting and maintaining their own and others health, safety and security as defined in the Practice Health & Safety Policy, to include:
- Using personal security systems within the workplace according to Practice guidelines
- Identifying the risks involved in work activities and undertaking such activities in a way that manages those risks
- Making effective use of training to update knowledge and skills
- Using appropriate infection control procedures to ensure the control of potential hazards to health and safety (including handling of pathological specimens, personal hygiene, cross infection etc) maintaining work areas in a tidy and safe way and free from hazards
- Reporting potential risks identified
Equality and Diversity
The post-holder will support the equality, diversity and rights of patients, carers and colleagues, to include:
- Acting in a way that recognizes the importance of peoples rights, interpreting them in a way that is consistent with Practice procedures and policies, and current legislation
- Respecting the privacy, dignity, needs and beliefs of patients, carers and colleagues
- Behaving in a manner which is welcoming to and of the individual, is non-judgmental and respects their circumstances, feelings priorities and rights.
Personal / Professional DevelopmentThe post-holder will participate in any training programme implemented by the Practice as part of this employment, such training to include:
- Participating in an annual individual performance review, including taking responsibility for maintaining a record of own personal and/or professional development
- Taking responsibility for own development, learning and performance and demonstrating skills and activities to others who are undertaking similar work
Quality
The post-holder will strive to maintain quality within the Practice, and will:
- Alert other team members to issues of quality and risk
- Assess own performance and take accountability for own actions, either directly or under supervision
- Contribute to the effectiveness of the team by reflecting on own and team activities and making suggestions on ways to improve and enhance the teams performance
- Work effectively with individuals in other agencies to meet patients needs
- Effectively manage own time, workload and resources
Communication
The post-holder should recognize the importance of effective communication within the team and will strive to:
- Communicate effectively with other team members
- Communicate effectively with patients and carers
- Recognize peoples needs for alternative methods of communication and respond accordingly
Contribution to the Implementation of ServicesThe post-holder will:
- Apply Practice policies, standards and guidance
- Discuss with other members of the team how the policies, standards and guidelines will affect own work
- Participate in audit where appropriate
